Letters
Atlas Insider: The Blues
Today we introduce a new feature, Atlas Insider, bringing you the latest from MDK’s home base on Atlas Drive in Nashville. Here’s DG Strong, who is a master shipper and also writes about books, movies, and TV for MDK. Plus: there’s a giveaway!
—Kay and Ann
If you’ve ordered from us recently, you’ve probably seen a copy of our fancy little warehouse-news publication Tidbits, wherein we refer to our building as “MDK World Headquarters.” That makes it sound like an enormous, multi-level complex, which in actuality, it really is.
It’s certainly bigger than our previous digs, which amounted to 800 square feet and a shipping container stuck onto the back of the building.
When we moved in eight months ago, we never thought we’d use all the square footage. Well, we were mistaken. It now closely resembles the climactic shot of Raiders of the Lost Ark, only instead of valuable apocalypse-related archeological artifacts, it’s, well, chock full of yarn.
CHOCK FULL OF YARN, y’all. Red yarn and green yarn and orange yarn and brown, brown, brown yarn.
But mostly, it is full of blue yarn. At least it seems that way.
But to say it’s “full of blue yarn” oversimplifies the situation in an almost comical fashion. It’s not just “blue.” It’s “Fjord.” And “Stone.” And “Delft.” And “Ocean.” And on and on and on, like waves. Sorry, “Waves.”
So. Much. Blue.
There are even colors that sound blue but are not, like “Frostbite,” which is actually green. Let me tell you: that throws us every time into double-check mode before we seal up your order. We have a secret theory that “Frostbite” was intended to be called “Gangrene,” but someone got their medical terms mixed up.
Thinking about the five thousand and seven different names for blue yarn got us thinking about the Paint Chip Paradox, which is a soon-to-be-world-famous psychological color theory developed by Yours Truly.
The Paint Chip Paradox
The idea is that the more specific the color name of the paint chip you pick up on an ambitious Saturday afternoon trip to Home Depot (who are you kidding? You’re not going to finish that this weekend!), the more it will remind you of something else when it’s finally slathered all over your plaster walls.
I once agonized over the precise color of green I wanted to paint a study. (“Lettuce Leaf.” “Verdant Hill.” “Bread Mold.”) In the end I was swayed by “Nomad’s Trail” in glossy enamel, which—once painted on the walls—put me less in mind of an arduous ancient journey with saddlebags full of tea leaves and more in mind of, well, “Prison Cafeteria.”
But hey, it was glossy enamel, which would come in handy if a food-related riot ever broke out in there. Unlikely, but you never know. There was once quite a scene when someone failed to return a book to me in a timely fashion (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE), so sometimes, all bets are off.
As we fill your orders (thank you!) each day, we sometimes hazard guesses about how you might be using “Beach Glass” or “Lapis” or “Avatar.” We hope you love it! But if you don’t, remember: it’s easier to order a different color of yarn and re-knit a few rows than it is to repaint an entire room. All these years later, my study is still painted “Nomad’s Trail.” I’ve learned to live with it.
A Giveaway
In the interest of getting you to think about blue yarn, here’s a little giveaway.
The prize? A batch of blue yarn, fresh from MDK World Headquarters.
How to enter? Two steps:
Step 1: Sign up for our weekly newsletter, Snippets, right here. If you’re already subscribed, you’re set.
Step 2: Leave a comment below with the most unusual/memorable/nutty yarn color name you have encountered in your knitting journey. I swear Rowan named a color Grief. Or was it Gravel?
Deadline for entries: Sunday, May 2, 11:59 PM Central time. We’ll draw a random winner from the entries. Winner will be notified by email.
Come Shop With Us
Pea Soup Mix!
Local dyer — a beautiful orangey mix called Fire on the Beach.
Also bought a zauberball at least in part for the name, Tropical Fish.
Lolabean Plumiting upward or Ooogie Boogie
Garden party
Keel-BilledToucan by Naima Bond
“I can see your undies.”
Voolenvine’s Mexican Hot Chocolate is memorable- I love the cocoa & the color.
Forty Whacks, deep red splattered on gray by BlackCat Fibers.
Rebel Princess Pop Rox. One of the great yarn color names by Candy Skeins.
Message in a bottle, lapwing and nailed it – those names made me buy it. Gray -green matched but they really could have done better.
Wet Cement
“Thar she blows” or something like that.
A shade of blue: Trendy AF
Zombie BBQ
I’ve always liked Composition Book Grey (Madeline Tosh), but AT Haynes House Yarns has some really imaginative names!
Unicorn barf
Lacey, the creator Knitting the Card Game, used to give her yarn the most wonderful names. Urban Apiary, Stalagmite, Boro, Indigo Night Owl- but my absolute favorite was Don’t Panic, which was released in early 2017.
I have that one, too.
A shieking bright fuschia-red called “Boosh”
The name of a yarn that comes immediately to mind was “Sorry, Not Sorry”. I can’t recall the colors or even why it makes me chuckle but it has stuck in my memory. ❤️
2 all-time favorite names:
Bitter Malaise (yarn store friends thought we should form an all-girl band with the name) – and – Damp Pillow…(eeew!)
It’s my secret dream to get to name yarn colors.
Neveruary from Spincycle because that’s when and where I am when I get really involved in a project
Rowan kidsilk haze has a color Grace, my daughter’s name and her favorite color.
The blue yarn I had to buy was Paris Night by Malabrigo. I also bought a gray one called cement.
A German sock yarn I once loved had Harry Potter on the label and no English words! I still have the socks, somewhere.
In a line of yarns that cleverly captured characters/places in the Netflix series Stranger Things – Mr. Hooper was a classic!
My favorite color name ,so far, is from Lorna’s Laces – Robot Overlord.
Muse 2320 has a great color called “Kitchen Sink”. And by golly it reminds me of the kitchen sink of my childhood.
Unicorn vomit. It was a truly accurate description 🙂
Plucky Yarn has great names. 2 blue favorites: Make a Grown Man Cry and Grumpy Old Sailor.
I think the funniest one I JUST HAD TO HAVE was from my very first yarn crawl in Seattle where I picked up a Knitted Wit Victory sock yarn called Unicorn Farts. Who wouldn’t want to wear something from a unicorn fart after all?
Haha! That’s funny! That’s the exact same yarn I just named in my comment! I bought it at a shop in Portland, Oregon. Same reaction – well, we JUST HAVE TO HAVE THAT!
Radioactive Zombie
Speaking of my knitting journey, “Love That Journey For Me” (think Alexis Rose)
Beaver Beach and Botulism
Mean Mr. Mustard from the Green Mountain Spinnery Mewesic base. Wonderful yarn, great color.
Sleeps in the park….
Too much Aperol Spritz
I’ve had many but the first one that comes to mind is — Unicorn Poop
On a more prosaic note you have me making blue color lists (Sapphire Surprise, Blues in the Night..). It will take me awhile to graduate to Unicorn anything. Although recently I was captivated by beautiful sweater in a murky shade of something called Fourth of July. Maybe that’s the way for me to go. I do know my holidays.
Care Bare Dare Stare! Renee from Spin Right Round has some great ones and this is a favorite. Did you have a Care Bear back in the day?
Darn auto correct. Care Bear Dare Stare. Not Bare.
Frankenmuth!
Sorry Briar Rose. On second viewing Fourth of July was not murky at all. Rather an exuberant shade of red. It was just set against a murky ( in the BEST sense) of brown giving the overall impression of subtly exuberant murkiness. (I think the combination for that particular very bold pattern was genius, truly).
Grumpy Old Sailor (The Plucky Knitter)
Fourth of July is the name of the yarn. Their colorways usually have numbers. It’s a wonderful yarn to knit with. And I agree, in photographs it can look murky. See it in sunlight and it’s amazing! (I wonder if that’s why they have an outdoor booth at Rhinebeck?)
Likity Split
One day in our knitting group I was working with a self striping yarn in a rainbow made up of tropical shades. One of the other knitters asked me what was the color name. I couldn’t remember, so while I hunted for the ball band, the group ventured guesses – coming up with hilarious possibilities. After a few minutes I emerged from my project bag and triumphantly announced the actual color: 26!
After a second of stunned silence we all just fell apart! (I miss my Friday knitting group.)
Mouthy Goldfish from Hue Loco makes me chuckle 🙂
Into The Whirled had a color “Don’t Even Blink”. Dr Who fans will understand…
I LOVE blue yarn and all the creative yarn names out there! Hipster Scum and Boom Boom aren’t blue but I love the names by Old Rusted Chair who dyes “eye-catching colorways with my advocacy work as a clinic escort for Planned Parenthood”. She’s got quite the stories and more interesting yarn names which I won’t post here but she is awesome!
I immediately thought of one of her more interesting names that I won’t repeat either but it’s certainly the most ‘colorful’ name I can think of.
Hi! I bought yarn called Supreme Black Dalek. That’s from Dr. Who. Yes, it’s a variegated yarn like the colors of a Dalek.
Yarn company: Socks That Rock.
I have a soon-to-be knit stash of “Flies in My Appletini” by Fully Spun – just couldn’t resist it!
Sylph’s ‘Cream Cheese and Lox’
had to buy some:)
Giant clam closing forever. Blue-gteen. The. Dye for Yarn shop always amuses.
Frank Ocre
Bunny Bum -and it was as soft and white as it suggests.
I have some Mad Tosh yarn called Lampyridae
That is too cool ( i’m an aquatic ecologist)!!
I had a beautiful skein named Space Cowboy, all shades of blue with speckles of warmer colors, loved it.
Plum Island, after the locale for experiments with germ warfare, nice local reference from when I lived on Long Island
Hen Pecked. It is a fun and beautiful self stripping sock yarn.
Ook 113. ( which I really thought was ook, until I was told that it meant one of a kind by the dyer.)
HA – this is the best!
Maybe not the most memorable, but the ones that drive me crazy are the numbered colors. Yes, I’ll have three more balls of number 6 please!
Electric Poppy. Ok so maybe that was a batch I dyed myself. It was supposed to be a seashell coral but oops! Maybe the yarn manufacturers need to get some guidance from the OPI nail lacquer company: I’m Not Really A Waitress, Lincoln Park After Dark just to name a couple.
My OPI fave was I’ve got the Blues for Red! Awesome shade.
Or my favorite, Kiss Me On the Two LIps
I’m Not Really A Waitress is my all-time favorite red polish. Great color, great name. Would love to see a matching yarn!
Orange You Glad
Women of a certain age should not wear leggings. Seriously, that was the name!
Zombie Honeymoon
Years back at a festival I bought a yarn called manure brown. It was lovely, the yarn not the name.
(Traffic) Jam (on the 400). Dyed by Palindrome Knits . The 400 is a Hwy in Ontario which I frequently drive. Had to by the yarn
Ugh terrible in a good way! Was it road rage red? Morose brown? Late again orange? Ice covered blue? That’s a highway I don’t enjoy and I don’t even have to use it near Toronto!
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes Red. I bribed my son to go to the Massachusetts Sheep and Wool Fair with me. We found this lovely sock yarn with bright reds, hints of poison green, browns that I knit into a pair of socks for him; it only took 10 years. He wore through the balls of the feet but the rest of the socks were in great shape so I ripped them out and I now use the wall to do hems of other socks; one of my favorite cuffs.
Wow, I indeed live a shelter life and I can’t even blame the pandemic. Surely if I was living my lockdown life to its fullest I would have been shopping for yarn with names other than denim or coral or the occasional “bare”, risqué in a Victorian ankles kind of way. I was reading this in bed this morning because I was too lazy to get up and almost woke my snoring husband and the toddler draped over me with my suppressed giggles. I do have one name to add which is the product of my imagination only…”Stop, That’s Not Mustard” in tribute to new parents and grandparents everywhere.
I love the color “Drunken Watermelon” by Miss Babs.
It has all the drama you’d expect from that name, but without the hangover. (As for the skein of “Avatar”, I haven’t quite decided what to make with it. Probably socks or a shawl. Right now we’re at the stage in our relationship where I admire how gorgeous it is on the skein.)
“Zombie Prom” by Miss Babs always makes me laugh.
Dirty Harry
I love Dye for Wool’s color names. I knit a sweater with Too Hard Butter Cookie.
Ghost Ranch. I just love that colorway.
Cheating A$$ – I bought it as a tribute to my ex!
Starling seemed a weird name for a lavender yarn, since the bird of that name is basically black!
It does seem a stretch for a lavender, but there is purple in the iridescence of a starling (in bright sunlight). I have a skein of European Starling from Songbird Yarn and Fibres in Stratford, Ontario. It’s a dark green, black, and dark blue. Just a hint of purple in the blue. I love all her bird-named colours!
Swamp. Now who wouldn’t want to wrap themselves up in something that color?
“When Presents Explode”
Blue
Shaken Not Stirred – a blue and green mix by Miss Baba
Miss Babs, that is.
Blood Runs Cold
I love Saturday Morning Snippets by the way! So looking at sock names sent me deep diving into my stash of sock yarn (I have some in there that I totally forgot about) and came up with Punky Fuschia it immediately reminded me of that old show Punky Brewster probably why I bought it n the first place.
Draper’s Blue. Or maybe Suitcase which was a lovely silver gray. Or maybe…
Manatee Totaller!
These responses are cracking me up! I guess I buy yarn with dull names! I recall a fun speckled Mad Tosh called “Found Pottery”. And I love their “Barbara Deserved Better”. I haven’t figured out who Barbara is…
I believe that’s part of the Stranger Things line of color ways. Barb was a very underserved character. I also like Eleven Light and Eleven Dark from the same inspiration.
Gosh, maybe all Barbara’s deserve better???
Without any evidence, I immediately assumed it was Barbara on Call the Midwife. A saintly character who died after getting sick on her honeymoon. One of my favorite yarn names too.
Madelinetosh Asphalt. It reminds me of the Chip and Tar road surfaces of my very rural childhood especially after crashing my bike and seeing blood splatter everywhere.
I LOVE BLUE YARN! it’s my favorite!y all time favorite blue is called “azul profundo” (from malabrigo). Being a relatively *green* knitter, I’ve not come across any particularly ridiculous colorway names (see what I did there?)
Hey- I made my day tripper cardigan with Frostbite as the MC! I imagined it as the color of zombie flesh. So I have to say Frostbite is one of the weirdest yarn color names I’ve come across so far
I had some leftover pale green yarn from a trip to Iceland, and decided to use it as my MC for the Daytripper I am going to make when I found the same color at my LYS (an hour away). I discovered the name is ‘Frostbite’ after checking the colors on MDK,. I love it and can’t wait to start the sweater (still finishing my Destination Scarf with more colors from my Iceland trip stash).
Does spinning fiber count here? I say it should. I bought some roving called Camping Barbie because of the name. It’s pink, brown, green. I looked at it for a long time before deciding how to spin it. The name definitely added more fun to the whole process. When I decide what to knit with it I’ll still be thinking about the name.
I was gifted a hank of yarn which was hand-dyed by a friend of mine. She had tried to get the color ‘just right’ but it morphed into a blob of greenish-brownish-blackish cotton. Her name for it? Goose turd!
Evil Beaver and Bougie Beaver by Magpie Fibers
Dumpster Fire 2016. Nothing good became of it.
Goose Turd Green. I believe there are references to that color name dating back to the 16th century!
Shark Bite. It is blue and white with little bits of blood red thrown in the mix. I know someone who has combined this colorway with Blood Runs Cold for a sweet pair of fingerless (!) mitts. I am quite envious.
‘Fingerless’ mitts….too perfect
2 different yarns called Seattle tonal, one greys and one greens
I remember “Zombie Apocalypse.” It was green and black….
Although perhaps not a strange name, as someone who has seen several fresh brains, Nua Cerebellum is a fairly accurate name for the color.
Roadkill. So red and murky brown
Librarian’s Dream!
And while I realize that it is probably easy for yarn companies to simply assign a number to a color, it is so disappointing to order a skein of “457” (or whatever).
I recently purchased a yarn named Flying Elvis. Loved the name!
Haute Knit Yarn’s Holy Crap on a Cracker! Love the name and the color! A runner-up is Put An Umbrella in My Drink from the same dyer.
Good grief, Prison Cafeteria. I giggled over that one, then thought of the sage green bedroom (my favorite color). Yup.
I friend of mine was spinning some roving that looked like a clown wig and the group promptly named it Clown barf. My favorite socks are from a color way named Neon Rainbow. I also picked up a skein of Kentucky Fall on a yarn hop that is a lovely rust, orange, and yellow blend that reminds me of fall leaves every time I wear the shawl.
Countess Ablaze has the best names: sometimes dead is better.
Not a yarn colour but a paint colour story. NIne years ago we had a massive extension built on our house with an open plan kitchen, dining room and sitting area extending into two staircases, one at each end of the house, to two separate first floor landings. The joins were seamless so we decided to paint it all one light and bright neutral colour. I chose what I thought would be a pale creamy off white called ‘Almond Blossom’.
The decorator arrived with about 15 large tins of paint that he’d had mixed specially and started work. I was out at the time but arrived back to find a pink wall – PINK!!!! In electric light the colour was not too bad and certainly not pink – but in daylight it was most definitely a pale pink.
The moral of this tale is never choose your paint or yarn colours by electric light. I had to live with that colour for 7 years until we had the whole area repainted in 2019. It is now the intended colour which is called Natural Calico.
What a great way to start my Sunday reading these snippets. I don’t usually pay any attention to the names but I was looking at someone’s yarns the other day and it was a beautiful cheap bloody shade of red with white called Dexter. While it isn’t blue I think I’m going to have to buy some.
Postcard… Ciao!
“Navy pea coat” by Tammy at Wingandaprayer farm. It is a gorgeous navy blue and somehow the name described it aptly. Lot of depth and reminded me of historic Russian-style double breasted duffel coat.
Honestly, Kaffe’s Treacle that I bought from MDK headquarters seems pretty nutty to me. I am using it. I have seen actual treacle, the goopy stuff. I consider it a lovely brown – both the goopy stuff and the yarn – but I read an “official description” that describes it as purple. This means I am knitting a purple colorwork elk in my stranded throw. The name itself is not nearly as funny as some of the one’s below (I want to go out for cocktails with the reader who came up with, “Stop, that’s not mustard” for new parents but the idea of a purple elk makes me chuckle…
I LOVE the Treacle and have used it for Kaffe hats as well as in the Garter Striped Shawl. I think of it as brown, too, though I love the undertones of other colors, which I guess could be purple-ish… I had to get it after reading Ann’s post about her border on the Kaffe blanket, I think.
One of my favorite color names is Hummingbird by Brew City. It’s not real put there, but hummers and brews are two of my husband’s favorites, so it made the perfect set of fingerless gloves for the office.
The first skein of yarn I ever bought was When Pigs Fly – a lovely bright pink.
Faerie’s Panties.
Someone got close enough to document this?
Toxic waste
Care bear stare from an out-of-business dyer. I also have a few from her with NSFW names
The colour names from Miss Babs are always a hoot. Bat Shit Crazy comes to mind.
I love dark colours so I was in love with “Bat in a Dark Mood” from Dye for yarn.
I love dark colors, too! I’m in love with Harrisville nightshades, which all have great names. My favorite is a black marbled with dark red called Fever Dreams.
I often purchase yarn just for the colour name, most recently my current sock project colour is Stella the Two Face Cat.
“ People Are Particularly Stupid Today; I Cannot Speak To Any More Of Them,” by Indigodragonfly is one of my all-time faves, and apt even if you don’t get the Gilmore Girls reference.
Ha, I was waiting for someone to mention Kim at Indigodragonfly. My favorite from her was I saved Latin a Rushmore allusion.
Bahama woodstar mrs Crosby yarn
I once pondered purchasing a hank called, NAKED MUSHROOM. As usual, I ended up buying something in the big world of blue instead.
Sock blank from Hidden Door Fibers called “Dumpster Fire 2020.” I made the socks in hopes it would unravel the bad karma from 2020!
It’s not a color, but ‘Strut Bitch Strut’ immediately springs to mind. I can’t recall the dyer’s name, but her color names run along the same vein. I also have to say that reading these comments really gave me the giggles!
AT Haynes has great yarn names. How about: I Just Need a Hug
Not nearly as weird as some but really pretty. Very berry by Emma’s Yarn Crazy beautiful colors.
Unicorn poop by an indy dyer I saw on Etsy. A saturated pastel rainbow!
Goose turd green by plimoth plantation
Nevuary and Mississippi Marsala by Spincycle
So many great names! The two Rowan names, Pickle and Giggle are nothing compared to Unicorn Fart! Unicorn Poop! So many unicorns…
Chocolate. Nuff said!
Anything by Countess Ablaze. Her yarns are wildly named and dyed, unique and beautiful! https://www.countessablaze.com/
Beautiful yarns and great names!
I love the SpinCycle Yarns creative names! My favorite is Ghost Ranch.
Cinnamon Roll Left Too Long in the Oven. And it is a perfect description of the color. I can almost smell the overcooked cinnamon. I don’t know the brand, but I have always remembered the name of the color. Also, these creative names for the yarns actually make me want to name projects using the yarn name in some humorous way.
A yarn I bought for its color name alone is Good Juju, Emma’s Simply Spectacular DK. I have a granddaughter named Julia who we often call Juju and she is not just a good Juju, she is the best Juju. I test knit Casapinka’s Speckles with it and it is now one of my favorite sweaters.
‘Sacrilegious and Exclusionary’ by Mothy and the Squid, a quite outspoken indie dyer who said the name came from email complaints from people who didn’t like her feminist, anti-racism attitude. It is gorgeous and I look forward to my socks
“Bruised Ego” -!
And speaking of Blues, my favorite name has always been Knitted Wit’s Buckle My Shoe.
I dye yarn for my own use a couple times a year. I recently dyed some for a sweater in grey, black and fuchsia (sounds like it wouldn’t look good, but it totally does!). I’ve named it Goth Hello Kitty.
Love this!
Underwater Sea.
Knitted Wit Victory Sock – Swamp Maid — which is generally my feeling on the back deck after a nice squirrel chase by my dogs soon after a Kentucky deluge rain storm. If I ever start spinning or dying my own — I’m thinking Curse You Clay may be an option.
Girl Gone Mad by Murky Depths Harbour is definitely one of the most unusual names in my stash. Greatpurple color!
Cuban Cockroach in Bugga. I reeeaaallly don’t care for insects, cockroaches in particular, but that colorway is the most gorgeous green. I tried not to think about the name while knitting with it. 😉
Jolly Green Giant
Does this Rainbow Make My Black Look Big? great self-striping rainbow and black sock yarn from White Birch Fiber Arts.
Unicorn Fart!
There are many but the one that’s sticking out to me is “Shut the fucupcakes” from Knitted Wit, an exclusive colorway that was dyed to match the store owner’s hair at the time (black, green, bright pink, and orange). KW has a lot of funny ones.
Lorajean does come up with The Best names!!
Goose Turd Green – the most popular color of New Plimoth Worsted yarn produced by Harrisville Designs; used to make period clothing for the interpreters at Plimoth Patuxet Museum, Plymouth. Massachusetts.
Wish You Were Beer by Emma’s Yarn
There are some great ones in the comments I will admit to almost always succumbing to the name. Sea Turtle delights me every time I see it in my stash. Offhand I can’t remember any of my funny ones. I would love having the job of naming the colors!
I picked up a skein from Cedar Creek Farms at a fiber festival called Herd of Turtles. It is a neon green variegated that I absolutely love!
My favorite color name is Treacle. I have some Rowan Hemp Tweed in Treacle and it is positively yummy to knit with.
Party in a can! It’s a great multi colored mix from Hand Dyed Diva that keeps surprising you with little happy pops of color. Who wouldn’t want to knit with something like that!
I love all of Spincycle’s yarn names, but favorite is Deep Bump!
Fading Whiskey Hangover – the color was a yellow green that aptly fit the name!
Poisoning the Ex !
Having been a teenager in the 60’s, I like Woodstock.
Master of Disaster- Hue Loco hope that isn’t an omen
Jonas’s Rainbow… my friend’s 4 year old helped her dye yarn, loved it, and the result was wonderful! I used it to knit a marled sweater (City Limits) for my 9 year old granddaughter’s birthday
Eowyn’s Mantle by Purple Lamb Fibers is very memorable and sorry, mostly blue…
Rain in a graveyard.
My son being a Walking Dead fan wanted a pair of socks. I found an awesome colorway from Lorna’s Laces called Zombie BBQ. Perfect name perfect colors!
Bougie Beaver!!!
EEL
Shades of blue and green. I love it but haven’t quite figured out what to make with it
My favorite is Crumbling Brick Ruin, a silk/cashmere blend that would be a salmon pink if creativity were not involved in the naming process.
I once saw a pin on Pinterest that asked “If you were a yarn, what would your name be?” There are 3 columns, one for your first name, one for your last name and a 3rd for your birth month which designates the type of yarn. Mine was “Lovely Rumble” cotton.
The name ‘Crush” for a white yarn. I could never remember that color name when I wanted to order it.
To label yarns with numbers instead of thinking of catchy names for them is the “cowards” way out! ;0)
Another enjoyable and very appreciated Sunday morning read!
Thank you MDK team!
I just got a skein of Jessica’s Rabbits Bunana yarn. It’s spun with recycled banana tree fiber and her Angora rabbits! Her colorways are Bunrise, Bunset, and Buns Who Brunch;)
Another color from Jessica’s Rabbits is Velveeta Loves Fauci (Velveeta is the bun’s name)! And I have a skein from her beautiful, pure white bunny named Heidi Klum
My favorite color name was Jamie’s Kilt – referring to Jamie Fraser of Outlander book/tv series. The character is quite hunky and handsome! Who wouldn’t want to be wrapped up in Jamie’s Kilt!!
Definitely: Pond Scum
There are sure a lot of poop-based names here (interesting!) in our Dairy-farming family, there was one color we could never use, not for paint, not for fabric or yarn, not even for polka dots, because dad would take one look at it, shake his head, and declare it to be Calf Crap Yellow.
Actual yarn colors though, I’ll confess to being squeamish about using Poison Green, simply because of the name. Now you’ve got me curious how many yarns I pass up just because the color name makes me shiver.
We always called it Calf-Scours, or Sh!t-Brindle .
Calf scours is the name for that thing on the farm I grew up on. That I could not use either.
I’ve enjoyed the comments too. I’m in the middle of a Stranded Color Throw – Kaffe Fassett’s treacle is an unusual name – the internet tells me it’s molasses-like.
Knitted Wit comes up with great names…one of my favorites..
Time Flies Like an Arrow Fruit Flies Like a Banana
I am currently knitting socks with yarn called “Rock Out With Your (Pea) Cock Out by Fiber Addiction. I was gifted this yarn and have been waiting to make these for just the right sock-worthy recipient…my sister-in-law!
This is not a yarn color, but interestingly the interior of our house is painted with “warm wool” which is a lovely, cozy off-white. How could I resist that name?
Moody Pumpkin!
I lol when I saw a yarn color named Beige that was anything but—it was a riot of bright colors. Still cracks me up.
Bougie beaver from magpie and all the beaver colors crack me up
How about Peppa Pig?
Molly Girl Yarn’s Boogie Woogie in Itsy Bitsy Teeny-Weeny Yellow Polka-Dot Bikini – still haven’t found a pattern after three different tries
Miss Babs has a color called Batshit Crazy
It’s not for me.
Coconut Horses (a Monty Python reference)
Panic in Detroit— which is gorgeous but I’m not sure I would have guessed the color from the name.
I have used a yarn named Bougie Beaver. Strange name but beautiful color.
I love yarn names! My favorite was the most vibrant, wild multi that I just had to have on sight, by Hedgehog Fibres — called Guppy. My daughter’s was a cowl I made her from Zombie Entrails (she is a Walking Dead fan).
Another green color – “I know what happened to the olive”
A black, purple and green hand-dyed skein called “Graped Crusader”!
The most memorable color names are by Whimsical Wood Yarn Co because they are hilarious! So many of her colorways have the word “ass” in them. Galactic Ass, Subtle Ass, Romantic Ass, Luxurious Ass, Bougie Ass, Love the Ass You’re With, Cute Ass Nurses, Random Ass of Kindness, 2020 Can Kiss My Ass! I could go on, but you get the idea!! Lol!
I have a Schaefer yarn named Judy Jetson. Lol
“It smells like snow” — Nomadic Yarns
I enjoyed reading the inaugural letter to your new feature. It brightened my day after reading nothing but depressing Covid news.
The most delightful name for wool that I picked up was called Summer Washed Denim. Not so odd a name but it was memorable to me, a person who never remembers anything, mostly because the yarn has the most wonderful colour and shading. It is a hand dyed sock weight merino and I made a lovely shawl (Reyna) with it.
Pond Scum (Blur Moon Fiber Arts)
and Goose Turd (specially made for Plimouth Plantation) are my favorites.
Your Face
Oh I so get this! Luckily we like our bedroom walls painted “Reclining Green”.
Oops posted before listing my yarn: “I knew who I was this morning” from “A Whimsical Wood Yarn Co.”
F*ck cancer!
Relish
I have definitely knit projects with crazily named yarns, but one of my most memorable was Jamie’s Kilt, a mini-skein set by Lorna’s Laces. Every single person in my knitting group loves Outlander and, yes, every single person in my knitting group just had to purchase the set not because of the colors but because of the name.
The memorable part was when we got together (remember getting together?) with our respective projects, they were all so different you would never have guessed they were from the same yarn. While we were all wrapped in Jamie’s kilt—just as readers develop their own unique visions of a character—we each imagined Jamie in our own unique way.
Truthbomb! Spincycle Yarns! Truth be told, I’m more of a Lapis fan!
I recently bought a skein of intriguing blended colors of green from the KFI luxury collection (which is so unlike me…..lol) called Bamboo Canoe. It is taking me on a journey, all right. Simple triangle shawl is taking FOREVER.
Scorn of Plenty, LOL! Thanks for the laughs today. I needed it! Love the Blue paint chip too.
I’ve enjoyed Dirty Hippie and Party At A Rich Girl’s House.
Love the deserved confidence of “The Best Blue in the World”!
Kitchen Sink by Premier Yarns
It’s all about blue…..The Green Button Jar has a beautiful hand dyed colour called Gunslinger. Just a gorgeous darker blue. No such thing as a bad blue!
Tucson. Why is this city represented by this colorway?
716knits “20% cooler”
Not an actual name as far as I know, but when I worked in a yarn shop, we noticed that a certain company had a color we nicknamed “Granny Panty Pink” in every weight and fiber of yarn they sold.
Bad candy corn.
Two of my favourites are “Wormwood” and “Old Books” from Steph at Grenouille Co. Who could resist beautiful hand dyed yarn with names like that?
Martha’s Vineyard is a yarn l’ve got in my stash. A vacation there would be nice right now!
I was going to knit a gift for a friend and she wanted something in green and I noticed that I don’t have any green yarns ! Blues and purples and grey. I had to purchase and look at the beautiful greens
Goose turd, of course.
Even though it’s not a yarn color (but instead a drone ship to land the space booster rocket thing), it’s Of Course I Still Love You. I wish someone would honor our astronauts and the crews who create and work on reusable parts and name a line of yarn after them!
UFO by Hedgehog Fibers
Carol Feller’s colorways have fun names.
I recently used Rowan Tweed “Tawny” and could not figure out how they cane up with that name for a burgundy-esque color yarn. Tawny is the color of a lion! I actually googled “tawny” and saw an entry for tawny port. Of course!
Pond scum from Blue Moon/Socks that Rock. I ordered it immediately!
Rowan Felted Tweed Vaseline Green. Describes the color perfectly but because of the feeling of Vaseline, not a name I would ever pick for yarn. Perfectly memorable.
Ectoplasm, and also unicorn barf – both very accurately descriptive!
My most memorable are the skeins of Malibrigo in the color Minnehaha from the Land of Sky Blue Waters, sold by The Yarnery in St. Paul. Such pretty blues.
Deep Dyed Yarns always has great names, and one of my favorites was Stoned Toad.
String Theory Colorworks yarn “Resistor” (stripes of gray and green, yellow, red and black), used to make socks for my son-in-law who had a physics degree. He was very pleased and promptly calculated the total electrical resistance represented!
Frog and Toad are Friends (Earl Grey Fiber Company)
Saw a yarn posted on FB a little while ago named “Goose Poop” can’t remember mfgr. It did, really, really, look like goose poop. (dark green, inherent slimy tone)
Goose Turd Green
As a nurse…botulism was the most disturbing for me!
One yarn line used (AF) at the end of several of their color names.
Potimarron, always makes me smile.
I’m smitten with “Dirty Harry.”
Whales under water
UFO by Hedgehog
I’m always a little put off by Hedgehog Sock color “swamp”. Can’t help but imagine damp feet in those socks….in fact Hedgehog also has a color called “damp”!
At least it’s not Moist!
I have both a car and a shawl called Sea Foam – quite different colors, though.
I have a hank of Dream in Color Smooshy with cashmere in “Awesome! Wow!” A colorway that makes me break into “You’ll Be Back” from Hamilton.
Zombie Apocalypse…Stages 1, 2, and 3. each stage gets a little more intense.
“Abalone”, which became an endless fascinating throw.
I definitely believe that the Rowan Grief colorway exists or did exist, and my favorite gray in the world is Rowan Big Wool in Glum. It’s the perfect gray. A just-right gray. I feel smug every time I knit with it, just knowing how happy Glum is going to make me feel. Not glum at all. (DG, I can really relate to the logo graphic design woes (but the house/dragon/daughter request takes the cake.)
I also have sock yarn called Use Your Illusion I and II, using the colors from the covers of the Guns N Roses albums.
I must be shopping in the wrong places! Or else not noticing yarn names . The oddest one I can remember is Experimental Love Child by Verdant Gryphon. Those unicorn ones sound fascinating…I think my granddaughters would love them!
Barbara Deserves Better. Seriously!
Goose Turd Green
“Muppets in the Blender” from a local dyer, yarn crawl, years ago, purchased at JPKnit and Stitch. Bought the yarn on Friday, made a cowl Friday night and wore it crawling on Saturday.
A Whimsical Wood Yarn Co.’s Jack Ass!
Granny Panties!
Monkey barf green…..don’t remember the yarn company but I think they wanted it that way.
This one just made me laugh, FREE RANGE CHICKENS. I’m a “visual person” and the whole time I was knitting with this yarn I kept visualizing these chickens wearing the scarf I was knitting, out on the “range” roaming around. I kept having to remember not to chuckle randomly while knitting when I was around others.
Hue Loco’s “That’s What She Said”.
Scotchbroom. I have helped clear fields of it, as it is very invasive. But it does have charming yellow flowers.
puke green is the affectionate name. It’s a light green with a bit of red mixed in to give it the color resembling the name.
Stop! (It’s red :D).
Unicorn barf!
Chinook. I can’t even remember what the color actually was. Just struck me as an odd name since it’s a warm wind (one meaning).
I have a skein of sock yarn in this color – reminds me of fishing in Alaska! One of my favorite blue-greens…
Also the largest species of salmon- silvery sides and blue-green, red, pink or yellowy on top with black spots. Would be a pretty cool yarn color.
Herding Cats- it is an expression my husband has used since our adult son was a baby. A friend saw the name and felt I had to have it!
Goose-turd green by Harrisville for Plimoth Plantation. It’s a little too specific for me. Did they make someone do the color matching for accuracy?
Cattywampus! With which I knit the Cubist Socks and felt Picasso would have approved
I like Ghost. And Rain in a Graveyard .
Rowan FT Vaseline Green is weird enough. Still waiting for someone to label “babysh*t yellow.”
Kiwi from Brown Sheep
A sweater knit from ‘Grief’ would have to be Victorian, right?
Just bought some Juniper Moon Farm Cumulus yesterday- “Goldfish Sparked”. Weird name- but pretty peach color!
“Drama queen” Thanks guys- love your daily musings:-)
My most unusual colour name is “lint.” I named it myself after an unsuccessful overdye for a shawl project.
Zombie Prom! Crazy name to be sure!!
Orange ya glad to have seen me, or something close…
My sister & I play “Guess the Color Name” game when we shop yarns together. This can lead to deep philosophical discussions on the nature of the human experience. You Give Love a Brand Name -was the colorway name that grabbed my imagination.
The one that has always confused me is WINEGUM for Fyberspates Scrumptious Lace Yarn in a dark really blue.
Ooo, I have that yarn – it’s lovely! My skeins is a very dark teal, murky & mysterious. I think it was a color chosen by Ysolda for Fyberspates but don’t know if she named it.
Oopsie
the Beaver series of colors by Magpie Fibers. Gorgeous colors, and the names all make me snicker.
To tell you the truth I do ot look at the ames, just the colors!
Dirt….and it did look like dirt!
The Family Jewels
Plimoth Plantation’s GOOSE TURD GREEN
goose turd green
Zombie Prom!
That’s easy! It’s a three way tie between Kitten Fluff, Angry Monkey, and Bare Necessities. Memorable all the way!
War Widow
Sexy mf from Three Irish Girls.
Wash with snow by. Gamer crafting it greyish color
Rainbow Trout – a self-striping yarn, and yes, it is all the colors of a rainbow trout, in the correct order from backbone to belly.
Who makes that – I’m an avid fish flyer so that NEEDS to be included in my stash! And do they have a Brown Trout to make a perfect pair?
* fly fisher
I love All Night Diner by Tweedle De Dum—back with neon splashes.
Purple plunge – what exactly were they thinking??
Fave name of yarn I’ve bought is “Sun’s out, guns out” by Leo and Roxy. The color way is pretty fantastic too.
Grotto Blue
I bought some yarn this week named The Parasol. It’s neon yellow. Why?
“Smokey Eyes and Coloured Lips,” a beautiful sock yarn from Opal.
Preexisting condition. I bought a skein in solidarity.
I always thought that Gauge Dye Works’ (used to be Caterpillargreen) colorway “Concrete and Tulips” was so evocative.
My favorite is ‘Horse With No Name’ by Into the Whirled. The whole time I was knitting with it I had that song by “America” stuck in my head. “ I’ve been to the desert with a horse with no name… it felt good to get out of the rain. In the desert you can remember your name, cuz there ain’t no one for to give you no pain”.
Now I’ve got an earworm. 🙂
Kirbywirby’s yarn “Frozen Farmer’s Hiney
I found a color called “Blue Brick Wall” which is actually blue, lavender, teal and multiple shades of ochre …it’s breathtaking and my favorite piece!
“Don’t Step on the Strawberries” – by an Indy dyer … can’t remember her name. Yarn had bright red spots amongst sand & rock colors.
Broken Robot Girl (Dye for Yarn);haven’t knit with it yet but the name compels me too!
Heirloom Vegetable!
Ziggy stardust…because my dog is named Ziggy
Knit Circus has wildly creative and fun names for their yarns. ‘Abandon Ship’ is in my stash.
Attending a trunk show years ago I had to buy “Pop Pop Fizz Fizz”. The name conjured up so many memories of my childhood. It still makes me laugh reminding me of the TV jingle I heard so many times growing up. I still remember, like it was yesterday, watching my dad drop the white Alka Seltzer tablet in the glass, enamored to see it make the fizz. Like the jungle ”…oh what a relief it is!” so is the yarn.
Acid Reflex!
1. Barbara Deserved Better
2. Voodoo Queen
That which will never be matched.
I love all the names. The weirdest, to me, was the yarn shop owner who changed the names to numbers so customers could not easily shop with her and then buy on line. This was unpleasant for me because I had shopped on line and was there to buy.
I went back to look at colors I’d knitted with. Most not nearly as interesting as those already in the comments. But the Felted Tweed names from an afghan I knit for my son “Midnight, Gilt, Rage, Avocado, Ginger, Cocoa, Melody, Sigh, Treacle, Whisper, and outlined in Carbon.”
Melody, Sigh, and Whisper? Go find those colors without a chart!
Completely Bonkers – One of the Plucky names that could be any color!
Cinnamon roll too long in the oven.
Passing over all indie dyers’ oddball color names as being too-easy targets, the first shade from an “established yarn company” that sent me a-Googling was “Petrol.” Who knew that dark grey/blue was supposed to win me over by being named for crude oil?
Goose Turd Green!
The colorway name I’ll never forget is Lorna’s Laces’ Zombie BBQ, a multi with green and red and lots of other colors.
Unicorn vomit — but I didn’t buy it! 🙂
Pond Scum by Dirty Water Dyeworks
I have some lovely Fibre Company Lore in the colors Logical and Stable — names that really elevate white and beige. Beautiful yarn!
Zombies vomit
Bubble gum…yarn in this colour (pink with multi-colour flecks) was given to me by my son on Mother’s Day 2019…the skein became my favourite pair of socks!
A new yarn I have added for a sweater project is “cerebellum”, NUA sport by Carol Feller
Happy for the Chalice cowl!! The color was!!
Naughty Santa
Fierce Blue!
Strawberry Margarita!
“Beige” for a multi color yarn that was anything but!
Dive Bar by Spun Right Round…kind of a “dirty” neutral.
As God is My Witness, I Thought Turkeys Could Fly yarn
Stormy seas. Was truly a rough ride yarn.
Rowan should have its own posting for Very Odd Color Names! There are at least three categories: (1) that’s a color but it sure isn’t related to the yarn color here! (for example Cement, which is a dark steel grey, or Pickles, a sickly ochre. (2) that is a random word unrelated to color and therefore it’s totally unhelpful. (for example Tickle, Giggle, Jellyfish (ruby red!), Cove (light cream), Hush, Nook, Prize, Regalia (tan).) And finally (3) why on earth would you name anything that! (for example Drab – fairly accurate but hardly enticing! – and Pompous (dark cool brown).)
At least Aged (a lovely saturated teal) has it all over Jeune (a light mustardy ochre)!
P.S. An idea for random striping: make a list of unhelpful Rowan color names, write a paragraph where all the adjectives and nouns are those names (“we had to Tiptoe out because it was Naptime and Mariana needed to have a little Cuddle with her Precious Dolly “) and then knit the stripes in that order.
Love your idea
Goose turd by plimouth yarn
The Masque Slipped & My Crazy Peered Out by Despondent Dyes. Thought the name was very fitting right now..
Hank Snowplow (a murky dark purplish green from Indigo Dragonfly and yes of course I bought it)
Color# 6669
Blue Moon Fiber Arts has some great yarn names, including Pond Scum (which several people have mentioned) and my personal favorite, Primordial Ooze.
Despondent Dyes has the most clever names. I love ” she wears Max Factor, l wear Chapstick.
This Pussy Grabs Back!
Shirley Brian yarns has some wonderful name for her magical deconstructed fade yarns:
That’s a terrible idea…what time?
You’re so vain you probably think these socks are for you
Bueller….Bueller…Bueller?
And the list goes on
Vapor Gray
pamelaw1949@gmail.com
Plummeting upwards from LolaBean Yarn Co!
Court & Spark. I’m guessing Amish sexy??
Stinky Pink.
Goose-turd green in Plimoth Worsted from Plimoth Plantation
“Zombie Apocalypse.
Pond Scum
Barnyard
FREIA YARNS “VAMP” –Which is also the name of Chanel’s most famous nail polish, a deep dark red first seen in the 1920’s.
Goose Turd Green
Travel Agent for Guilt Trips
Zombie Prom: my handspun from the gorgeous roving of that name by Miss Babs. It is so unusual!
I have a delicious MadTosh yarn called A Clue Board from 1984, and it makes me so happy to think about. 🙂 (I started a shawl with it, but the pattern & the yarn didn’t play well together, so I’m re-calibrating.)
I have a shawlette knit in “Ectoplasm.” I have that shawlette chiefly *because* the color was called “Ectoplasm.”
Medium brown. That was helpful, NOT,
Mud. The yarn was beautiful, but not the name.
Molly Weasley. Truly was a colorful stripe yarn. And I dressed up as Molly Weasley for Halloween that year.
Lurch by ____ . It made the most luscious cowl.
I ordered some Jill Draper Makes Stuff in Bad Penny. When the yarn came it was labeled Good Penny. I never know what to say when people ask the color of my sweater.
Lavender Lune has a colorway called “Rad as F@#A%” – the colors (fuchsia with dark green) is definitely Rad!
Any yarns from Indigo Dragonfly. One of my favorites is Grouching Oscar, Hidden Snuffy!
My favorite blue that I actually have used (because of the beautiful color, not the name) is Nymeria from Dragonfly Fibers. There are so many clever punny names out there it’s hard to choose from, but I did enjoy Deja Blue from the Plucky Knitter.
Who Drank the Tequila?
Apocalyptic Zombie
I wish I had a color story vis a vis yarn…
Blue Moon Fiber Arts has so many great names. Greige is lovely and the name captures it.
Envy, as if…
Botticelli red! I found a skein of this Malabrigo sock yarn in my way back stash. Who wouldn’t want to use this for all sorts of knit creations? Maybe you can convince others to create Botticelli reds. We need more!
Which reminds me when my then elementary school son accompanied me (unwillingly) to the makeup counter and got enthralled by the color names. Is there an Estée Lauder employee in charge of naming?
Your Socks.
Smaug’s Gold
Without a doubt – Goose Turd Green
When I first started knitting I got some “Ashes of Roses” . I thought it was a depressing name but the LYS owner thought it was a beautiful name. It was subdued pink. I still don’t like the name.
A yarn shop i visited years ago had sock yarn color ways named for each Dr. Who by number. I chose the one associated with David Tennant. Unfortunately, after starting to knit with it, I realized I couldn’t live with it unlike Nomad’s Trail and took all 3 skeins to the local Goodwill
Don’t Eat the Gorse
Plied Yarns has a chartreuse yarn called Sauerkraut on Thanksgiving!
Peanut Head Bug by the Verdant Gryphon
Goose turd green!
Valkyrie by Blue Moon Fiber Arts, a gorgeous, shifting purple.
Sherlock’s purple shirt of Sex, by Mint Rain Yarns. I had to buy it and I didn’t know the connection to the Sherlock show on t.v. because I haven’t seen t.v. in several years but the name got me.
It has been ages since I bought yarn just because but the PDX yarn crawl released a special line this year named after the March girls in Little Women. I may have blown my yarn crawl budget as that was my favorite book as a child….
Hipster Scum!
Favorite yarn color: “Pond Scum”!
Bishop’s Finger Which was actually an ethereal wheat color.
Tosh light Stonepipe. It’s a beautiful blue. But what’s a stonepipe? I never saw a stone or a pipe that was blue.
Yet there is a national park in MN called pipestone. The stone itself is reddish though. The stone was used the by the Native Americans for pipes!
There used to be a shiny yarn called “brillo” which means shine in Spanish but has a different connotation in Enlgish.
A blue-green named Pond Scum.
Beige by Indigo Dragonfly – definitely not beige, and includes blue.
I have one in my stash from Indigodragonfly called Hallowe’en: Giving Blue Jays Fans Something To Do in October since 1994. It’s blue. And obviously been in my stash for quite a while seeing as the Jays played October baseball in 2015 (and ’16 and ’20).
Swamp Zombie from Bad Amy Knits!
Stuffing – Nature’s Cruel Joke on Bread
Sunburnt Lobster
Day at the Fair, Which I will always remember because this name belonged to a spectacular hank of hand-dyed which leapt into my hand during my first visit to Maryland Sheep and Wool, about 10 years ago. While that lovely explosion of color and yarn happiness has been gracing a loved one’s head for a long time now, I will never forget it!!
“Peace and Love”…a groovy variegated tribute to the 60’s. It was a cotton yarn by one of the big yarn companies (can’t remember which one) and we used it for some really fun, nostalgic dish cloths.
Margaritas@4 is a great green.
I can’t think of any yarn names, but I once bought a bottle of Sexual Chocolate wine. That would make a good yarn name.
If it’s not Scottish, it’s crap.
Dirty Mermaid
Zombie Yarns “Corpse” in colorway “Slimy Good”.
It’s actually lime green, IMHO.
I’ve always liked Cheeky Rhino, by Hueloco. She has lots of good ones, but that one makes me smile.
I Never Promised You a Rose Garden
I like KnitPicks’s sock yard called Koi Pond because it has just bits of bright orange amid a sea of blues and greens – what a clever name! I hope it looks like a koi pond when I get it knit up.
Bloodshot, Harrisville Designs
Have to say. Received my recent order yesterday, and LOVE Tidbits. While choosing my colors( a range of blues and violet to pair with ash in lopi ) a few nights earlier, I kept returning to frostbite. I kept thinking it should be just the right color I wanted but alas no…. Gangene is much more like it…..
New to knitting so I have been so absorbed in learning stitches and techniques I haven’t paid much attention to the names of yarn colors. Guess I’ll have to start paying more attention.
Spin cycle yarns has Stay out of the forest. It’s a beautiful color way.
I enjoy the punny names created by Indigodragonfly such as ‘James Pond in A View To A Krill’ and ‘Already Frogged’ but especially love that ‘Beige’ most definitely isn’t.
“Tuna Dreams”. Hand spun cat hair yarn I won at a yarn festival. Not really the prize I was hoping for.
oddly enough I have a ball of yarn labelled Blue! And as you have just pointed out there is blue and then there is blue. Which one is it??
I have a skein of Black Trillium fingering named “Decay”; actually pretty, in an oil slick kind of way.
Salty Dog by Spincycle Yarns Dyed in the Wool. I’m not crazy about the color, but Salty Dog was the name of my favorite little chihuahua, so I had to get it.
Teal. It’s very bluish green like a tall spruce tree with a hint of green in some yarns and really green with a yellow undertone from other companies. And then there is the color jade which ranges from a tinted white to a deep dark forest green. Now that jade is exhausted, what color is red?
Goose Turd yarn by Plymouth Plantation. I don’t know why they discontinued that!
Bold Mold by Knitted Wit. Acid green, browns, ochre, yellows, dark and medium greens. What’s in your refrigerator when you need to clean it.
I see a few other knitters agree with me: Pond Scum!
Murder in Ravenwood
Mermaid Shoes (Dream in Color) is fun to contemplate; a person or persons (who shall remain unnamed) can literally go crazy for Stonehedge Fiber Mill’s Crazy. It’s mill ends put together in wonderfully surprising combinations: no two skeins the same but all wonderfully full of wonders as you knit.
Photos, where are the photos?!?!
“As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly” but really any colour name from Indigodragonfly yarn
Dalton Day. I visited a local yarn store in Oregon and told them I wanted to make a scarf for my nephew. They had just finished dying a batch and let me name the color in his honor. I made a Game of Thrones scarf with the house Stark motif.
Jamie’s Kilt from Shepherd Sock. My most favorite name! ~Outlander Fan
Definitely “goose poop.” My friend and I had a detailed discussion on if the color was accurately named. It was a sort of olivey green that I quite like
Barbie’s Dream (or was it Nightmare??)
I’m sure somewhere I’ve come across a beige-y brown color called “Rat.” And if I’m making this up, then there should be such a color.
Cattapillers Have Four Thousand Muscles- ountess Ablaze
“Cumberbacchanal” by Indigo Dragonfly. It’s gray 🙂
A StevenBe yarn, by Three Irish Girls: If I Were Kidding, I Would’ve Said You’re Witty & Handsome
I’ve always wondered how Zauberball got it’s name 🙂
My local dyer (Smith and Ewe) has a skein called Melted Crayon that describes it well. She also has a Neon Nights that is excellently descriptive and I used in a winged shawl
Scarlet Oscara a bright pink and white and black self striping sock yarn from Stitch Together Studio
Toadhollownj.com has the Princess Bride series; Mawwiage, Rodents of Unusual Size, As You Wish, Have Fun Storming the Castle, I’m Not Really Left Handed, Guilder
All gorgeous colors!
Indigodragonfly yarns have some of the best names… my current favorite – people are particularly stupid today; I cannot speak to any more of them. It’s a gorgeous purple-bluey-grey.
“Jungle cloud” Which is basically gray. I’m not sue what jungle has to do with it.
To Not Have Alexa Listening to My Every Word by Countess Ablaze
Unicorn Poop!
KnitPick has a yarn color name Fairy Tale. What color is a fairy tale? Doesn’t it depend on which fairy tale?
Diptera (fly) by LolaBean Yarn Co.
Pondscum I think by Sock that Rock.
“Tomato soup with too much cream” and “Poisoned blood” come to mind! (Both from DyeForYarn on Etsy!)
whats the colour
Pouring Tequila on an Old Flame! Despondent Dyes has the best yarn names 🙂
It was Clown Barf ( its real name was confetti, but it was forever known as Clown Barf.I wish
That I still had some; it was just totally ALL of the wrong colors in a worse sequence. I love blue, but the tiny amount of blue? No, we don’t want to go there….at all……ever
Frangipani by collette yarns
Dark Eyed Junco Fade by Round Mountain Fibers. Dark-Eyed Juncos are a common bird in Central Oregon. The yarn goes from black to gray to white with a touch of red. Not sure what to make with it!
Angry Monkey by NuaSport red like the butt of a and monkey!!
One of my favorites is Crabby McCrabbypants. Knit a pair of socks for my daughter.
Porcupine Teeth by A Treehugger’s Wife Yarns— now Northern Bee Studio. Accurately orange.
Just found another gem in my stash. Blue Moon Fiber Arts sock yarn called Bet You Thought This Skein Was About You. I’m pretty sure that’s why I bought it..lol.
“Milky Spite” from Dream in Color. My favorite is the wildly multicolor one the dyer named “Beige”.
Tiffany’s Got a Gun. I rather wondered who Tiffany might be and why on earth she had a gun! I did love the yarn and it made up into a lovely turquoise/lavender shawl.
Indigodragonfly had a OOAK colourway: The Angels Wanna Wear My Red Shoes. (Another one was Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress.)
Betty Draper Blues
my favorite yarn name is relatively tame but there is a reason. A limited edition yarn called “Miranda”. I had to have it as it is the name of my granddaughter.
I was test-knitting the Kites Throw for MDK and one of the colors (designed by Kaffe himself) was called “scree”. I thought this was a made-up word until I discussed it with a friend, and checked what she told me (just to be sure, not that I didn’t trust her), and sure enough, it is a real word! Its origins are British, and since it seems that Kaffe has adopted England as his home, this word isn’t such a surprise after all.
Scree is a geological word for loose gravel that accumulates on mountain slopes.
I love well water. I think it was a mad tosh colorway?
“Don’t Be A Karen” in Diva by Leading Men Fiber Arts
Grandpa’s Cheese Barn – named after a well-known landmark along I-71 in NE Ohio. (The colors matched their sign.)
Wonderland Heather. Very puzzling name.
I am really bad at remembering names of things, so although I have heard some good ones, I can’t remember any of them. The best ones are so spot on that you can picture the item it’s named after.
I have at least 3 sk of yarn named Poppy from different manufacturers and they are not even remotely the same color, but I think my favorite is a ball of chunky wool Rowan yarn called Scream. (I knit it into a Pussy Hat for a friend who admired it. I thought the pattern appropriate for the color name. )
Beer Goggles (a pale wheat-y yellow sock yarn). I made the socks for my husband!
Abby Loves Avocado Toast
The weirdest yarn I’ve ever seen has to be two balls of a fluffy gray yarn. I don’t know WHY it would be manufactured (Is there a new yarn trend that I’m missing here?) but it does make a good bunny.
“Ghost”. It’s a beautiful pale blue.
Burnt Lobster
Maybe not unusual but how in the world are you going to pick a color when it only has a number and no name
angels tears. Rowan of course
The yarn name is: ‘She Persisted’ by Knitted Wit Yarn. It is memorable for me because of all that has happened in the last two years. Need I say more?
Walking the Dog., Blue Moon Fiber Arts…you can imagine what that looks like! yes, I own a skein.
New Plimoth Worsted Wool in Goose Turd Green. It’s…accurate. The yarn is made by Harrisville Designs exclusively for the Plimoth Patuxet museum in Plymouth, MA. The whole range of colors are based on what was period-correct for the 17th century.
I have a yellow with speckles called Camping. How is that a color? The yarn reminds me of honeybees.
I think “Absinthe Minded” from Slipping Stitches on Etsy is pretty clever.
How about: 1) I C Spots; 2) Dancing Queen; or 3) Knit Graffiti for color names …
Touchy Feely Communication
Blood Runs Cold by Madelinetosh seems to do just that whenever I read the name. I do love the color, though.
I have very little hand dyed yarn but there is one skein sitting on my desk. I am looking for another yarn to go with it. It is called Water’s Edge. There is not water blues or mud browns in the skein. It is on a white base and after our last freak snow I think a better name would be Snow Covered Flowers.
A friend who knew she was dying asked me to knit a scarf for her to wear and she wanted it to coordinate with the suit she planned to wear forever in her casket. It was the lovely Froth scarf by Eleanor Yates in Rowan Kidsilk Haze, and the colorway for that softest pink was appropriately named Grace. I knit a small flower brooch for her sister out of the little yarn remaining of the skein that made the scarf.
Candy no one likes (hint candy corn)
I’ve always appreciated the mental image I get with “Cosmic wonder dust” 🙂
What the Flock Hand Dyed – Bad Ass, Smart Ass, Great Ass
Vampire Boyfriend
Joanna, of Stitching the High Notes, is currently making a sweater from Royal Bee Company yarn and the colorway is “Leigh Ann Says, Try the Gray Stuff, It’s Delicious”! It is a gray shade so I guess the name is descriptive, but it is definitely the most unusual name I have heard.
Violet, You’re Turning Violet, Violet
Goose turd green
Goose Turd Green.
When we were first married we painted the kitchen a bright yellow, hence called urine yellow. We had to move.
Best yarn color name by far, Goose Turd Green for a lovely yarn by Plimoth Plantation. And, yup, it definitely matched its moniker.
Rage
Glass bottom boat!
Color me curry
My ex husbands ashes…
I have to go with every color name that the folks at Indigo Dragonfly have ever come up with. They are hilarious. A few personal faves: “A Borg Christmas: Resistance is Festive;” “Grouching Oscar, Hidden Snuffy;” “Sargasm;” and “Already Frogged.”
Red Hot Chili Pepper
Plucky’s Slug Bug is rather memorable.
Scree
I still have a soft spot in my heart for Peace Fleece’s Lovely Grey. A perfect description!
I guess the weirdest color name I’ve ever heard was Titty Nipple Pink. I swear to you that’s what it was called. It was a long time ago in the 70’s. And it came closer that your green.
Unicorn farts
Hold up Beyoncé!
My favorite that I’ve bought (so far) was Pickle Juice! However, Leading Men Fiber Arts has some of the best names out there
My husband is a great supporter of my knitting. He went to Stitches West with me one year and surprised me with a beautiful skein called Don’t Get Stuck on Me. His smile was huge because he used to tell me that when we were dating. 35 years later…
I picked out a lovely skein that reminded me of a forest. When the fingerless mitts came out with much more militant patches of green, brown, and black, I finally read the yarn name: camouflage!
Angry Monkey is my all time favorite!
Sprinkle Spice Latte! It was the first Indy dyed yarn I ever bought! And Shel Silver, the most lovely gray yarn I’ve ever seen!
Clown Barf
I’m a big fan of Madelinetosh Wino Forever
Walk of Shame in bright sunrise colors.
It was hand dyed, and I can’t remember from where. But it was called, “All the Hamsters are Doing it”
A lovely yarn called Mosquito Coast.
Fuck 2016 was quite a favorite a few years ago! And any name from Indigodragonfly- as a Big Bang Theory lover, Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock is awesome. Also Cumberbacchanal is a current favorite. And who cans forget People Are Particularly Stupid Today and I Cannot Deal With Them Anymore.
Currently knitting with Burning Sensation by the hilarious babes at Spincycle
Murder Yarn from Seattle Sky Dyeworks. 🙂
Mermaids Don’t Run Track
A favorite dyer, SpaceCadet had “Juno Goes to Jupiter” with a complimentary colorway “And Brings Back Space Spores”
Between the lines.
It’s a joke not a d### dont take it so hard. Kind of rated R for the name.
Banksy! Very memorable. And love the socks I made with it.
Slutty pumpkin
I think it was called “back to work blues.” But that was before the pandemic. As an aside, I’ve always wondered about the Rowan color “treacle.” What is treacle? Some British thing probably. I love your musings, DG.
Yep, treacle is a close cousin of molasses but a heavier, darker almost-black colour.
Odo is the name of a yarn colorway I have purchased this month. Odo is the security cheif on the TV series Deep Space 9.
Blacklight Elvis by Meadowcroft dyeworks. Glows under blacklight. Really. Reminds me there is more than what I see at first glance
I always thought Oxblood (Rowan) was an odd name for yarn.
Melancholy blue
Goose Turd Green. Seriously. And it looked EXACTLY like its name, too!
Sock Obsessions Yarn has a couple of yarns with great names.
Panty Droppers
Sock Market Investor
‘Even my attorney says, “Let it go” ‘ by Despondent Dyes.
Also, a Hedgehog Fibres colorway, called Pucker. It was a screamingly bright pink, like see-it-through-heavy-fog bright. If my LYS still has it when I go back, I’m going to buy it!
The name of the color was kitten. It was light gray with dark gray whisks. Very kitten like when knitted up:)
“Rest In Pieces” on Slasher Sock base from Direful Yarns
Like Toadally.
Wearing right now, in fact!
Rest In Pieces on a Super Slasher base!
I have seen a yarn named Goose Turd Green
Garden gnomes and pink flamingos
My favorites are Already Frogged and 20,000 Lawyers Under the Sea by indie dyer indigodragonfly. And of course there is Beige, which is anything but that!
Indigo dragonfly has great names! My current favorite blue of theirs is Clamborghini.
My two favorite paint colors are “rain” and “antiquity”.
Fairly early in my stash-acquisition career, I ended up with a skein of Clown Barf. I no longer remember the dyer, but I do still have the yarn.
A friend wanted me to knit her a “cadet blue” scarf and I could never find yarn that color, at least to her satisfaction. I bought all kinds of yarn that I thought was cadet blue, but it never passed her inspection. I remain mystified about that color to this day.
Thank you!
Rain In A Graveyard!
Dye for Yarn has the most unusual yarn names I have seen, like Rotten Pistachio Cream Macaroon and Peacock Butterfly Taking a Dirt Nap.
My favorite yarn color names are Salish Sea by West Coast Yarn and Hudson River Blue by Madeleine Tosh. My kids are Hudson and Salish!! ❤️
“The color of the marriage counselor’s rug”
My favorite was a sock yarn black with reddish highlights called “Lenore”. I believe this was a 100 Ravens yarn which makes the pun work. They currently have a color ‘Emo Cthulhu’
Outlander by madtosh. It’s a white shade & I think their red called tart. Why odd? Because how they thought it related to the show I have no clue. Maybe because there’s a lot blood. Oh, I just realized the baddie wears red and white uniform… but still, then name it after him!
Madelinetosh’s Venti Dragon Mocha!
Goose Turd Green
(Vi)laines Boulette Chausette sock have wonderful names. Love Notes in a Grey Smock, Pistachios at Aperitif Time, Farts and Furbelows to name but 3.
Within the past week I’ve gotten skeins called “It’s Different for Girls” by Pan Fran Knit Co. and “I Just Love to F***” by Old Rusted Chair!
I seem to remember (in one of your Field Guides maybe?) that you encountered a riotous clown-wig number called Beige?
I’ve also come across a paint shade in the UK called Dead Salmon – I think it was a National Trust historic colour (and quite popular!)
Farrow & Ball is the paint company. They have many great names (Elephant’s Breath) and also many like the aforementioned ‘beige’ yarn that are the opposite of the actual color.
I love the red gradient by KnitCircus,
Vampire Boyfriend. Also the yarn spun from the first shearing of my friend’s black alpaca. She named the colors after each animal, so I have skeins of POWER.
Hole in the Rock is probably the strangest blue colour name I have encountered as it does not tell you anything about the colour, unless you live in the neibouhood
Pyralid
Hi y’all! This is my favourite – Not the Foggiest (Crazy Zauberball) – I love this yarn (I love all Zauberball yarns, crazy or not), but Not the Foggiest is so apt it could be applied to the majority of my stash! Not the Foggiest 1, Not the Foggiest 2, Not the Foggiest 564… yes I am guilty of picking up yarn because it speaks to me – still don’t know what I will make with it, but it makes me happy just to look at it. I have banished the guilt a long time ago, especially when I realised that my stash is like having a private yarn shop 🙂
I confess that I rarely pay attention to or remember color names, I just love the colors! BUT, I do remember a lovely purple and grey hand-dyed skein from Space Cadet named Pretty Puddles–To my eyes, it and the scarf it turned in to are MUCH prettier than any puddle I ever saw.
“You Punched the Highlights Out Of Her Hair”, from Indigodragonfly Yarn.
Underwear party
Little Hood Riding Red
I love Old Maiden Aunt’s ‘Last Night’s Red Dress’. I don’t think that they do it anymore but it was a rich deep read merging to almost black in places. It made me think of someone waking up where they shouldn’t be with their glamorous red dress in a shameful heap on the floor!
Goose Turd Green by Harrisville Yarns
oddest yarn color I’ve seen had to be “Goose Turd Green”
Spawn of Scum
Cattywampus
“Time to bin the salmon dear” from Artyarns double mohair ombre
“There’s a Cowboy in my Boots”…..by Ancient Arts Yarns in Alberta Canada. Really, no kidding, had to have it just by the name! After all, I’d love to have a cowboy, just not sure I want him in my boots.
Fflwff – a suri alpaca from Triskelion yarn that does exactly what it says (in Welsh. Who needs vowels?)
Unicorn Farts (pinks and blues). Industrial sAccident (rainbow splatter on cream).
Hallowed Ground
Farmers Daughter yarn called Paul Newman. It is a brown grey.Why?
Lola Bean Yarn Company “Dude, That Might Be Infected”
Woodland Shenanigans by Legacy Arts.
There was an Indie color once, called,”When I bit her, I heard the ocean” or something like that! I think it was part of a Buffy series.
The color was named Trickery.
Kicked to the curb
Break Up Bangs. An enigma because we’ve all had them but no one wants them. Years ago an old friend of mine was going to paint his pick up truck. He was a great guy, terrific carpenter, and a lot of fun. He wanted green. So off we went to the car paint store to look for just the color he wanted. We found what seemed to be the perfect green but no. It wasn’t quite dark enough. You see he wanted a shade of green that matched the grass in his backyard when the sun was a high and a certain rock cast a certain shadow on the lawn. I kid you not. He was that specific. I said, “just add black.” Well you would have thought I suggested that he jump of the top of the Empire State Building. I got a lecture about professional car paint and how I had no idea what is was talking about. Needless to say, I was pissed. A few days later, when I had calmed down, he called to tell me he found the perfect color. Through clenched teeth, I asked him where he got it. His answer, “I just added black.” I thought my head was going to come to a point!!! Which is a long way of saying, I always wanted to do a series of colors called “I just added black.”
cormorant
Dream in Color has a colorway called “Damp Pillow.” Interpret as you will.
Devil’s Pool
Unicorn barf. Best name ever.
I haven’t been knitting long enough to have lots of fun color names but the best so far have been Venti Dragon Mocha or Dirty Harry….both Madeline Tosh. I’d love the color naming job!
Experimental Love Child, from Verdant Gryphon. They use this term for their “not quite ready” yarns from their dye batches.
My love child (or children) was a speckled combination of white, orange, and brown that I never saw as a retail color.
“Lipstick On His Collar” by Despondent Dyes
Coffee Til Cocktails by Baad on Yarns, love this colorway!
Bumblebee butt
Swamp Thing
Cedarhouse Yarns has a color called “Old Car” and it looks exactly like that. It all the colors of a lovely old rusty truck or car. Grey, rusts etc. It’s lovely.
Fun article! And a very fun rabbit hole for us all to jump down. 🙂
Lavender Lune – Rad AF (pink speckles);
Three Irish Girls – Come As Ewe Are (gorgeous rainbow on dark grey!);
Arkaik Fibers – All It Was Is a Dream (plum/taupe tweed); KnitCircus- Mistress of Myself (plum to light blue speckled gradient)
Hopscotch
Hate mail.
Unicorn Barf.
The one I will never forget is “Goosepoop”.
Firelights Ruddy Glow – very literary sounding
Spincycle’s Hot & Bothered, paired with Nymphaea and Stay Out of the Forest made a great wrap. And maybe even a good story.
memorable to me — kitchen sink! funny because i loved the yarn but hate doing dishes!
Itty bitty titty. Seriously. How that relates to colour I have NO idea. Also, it was a regular size skein of sock yarn.
And it wasn’t blue. But I LOVE blue. (That is a not so subtle hint.)
Leading Men Fiber Arts: Dumb Luck
I am called by the Dream in Color yarn called Tex Mex (a dirty orange color). Since I love Tex Mex and live in Texas, well, yeah!
I purchased Harrisville Designs Nightshades in Insomnia at Ysolda Teague’s spot at the last Edinburgh Yarn Festival because I was so fascinated by the fact that when I took a pic of it in the shop it looked truly green but when I went to a window it was the black with the green overshot. Fascinating. I also love their color Fever Dream (red). I love sleep.
There are so many but the only one I can think of right now is “Hopper’s Shirt” from Stranger Things, a Madeline Tosh colorway. I’m fascinated by where dyers find the inspiration.
Not really a strange name but I love the imagery it brings to mind – both colors and place where I purchased it – Sunkissed.
I have a skein of sock yarn called “Storm”, and it’s fun to just look at and find all the (blue!) colors one can see in a storm.
‘Walking down the street with a giant baby doll head’ was a name that must have need a giant label to fit the whole name.
So many great names; I had no idea! Was going to say Unicorn Farts but that’s been said…
Slutty Pumpkin
Purple Nurple is pretty funny from Lola Bean Yarn Co. It is a beautiful color as well.
Two favorites: Wish You Were Beer from Emma’s yarn, a lovely golden amber & Dirty Panther from Madeline Tosh, exactly the color you would imagine.
Plucky yarns has the color dirty blonde
I recently fell in love with a beautiful pale yellow fingering flecked with purple, blue, peach, lavender, and all sorts of other sweet colors. The name of this smooshfest? DIJON. As in, mustard. As in, “Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon?” I loved the colors so much, but knitting with it leaves a strange aftertaste that could have been avoided with a different name.
I would have to say the first time I encountered Lorna’s Laces colorway “Zombie BBQ” I straight up laughed out loud (startled the shop attendant, I’m pretty sure.)
White Birch’s “Nothing Says Screw You Like A Rainbow” – I thought it was funny and the yarn is a gorgeous sky blue with perfect striping rainbow.
The first name that came to my mind was Miss Babs Bat Shit Crazy! She also has a deep red called Livid.
My all-time favourite colour name is: “Unicorn Farts”! I bought the yarn from a wonderful shop in Portland, Oregon and made a sweater for my baby grand-daughter. It was my daughter-in-law who spotted the name and that just clinched the purchase! Hahah!
I recently made some socks with Scummy Koi Pond, and the colors were indeed that of a scummy Koi pond.
Bone
I bought both “Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock” (or was is Sock?) and “Our Babies Will Be Smart and Beautiful” — Knitcircus sock yarn.
Sheep Nougat
I once bought two balls of yarn entirely because the colorway was called “Norwegian Wood.” You name a color after a Beatles song, and I am ON BOARD.
My favorite color name is Pigeon! (blue, gray, white?)
I snickered at the name Barbara Deserved Better (“Stranger Things” reference), and I totally agree.
Central Park Bench
Frog on the Wall and Unexpected Macaw. Love all of the color names of this yarn!
Oh wow! I clearly need to pay more attention to yarn color names! My current favorite combo is using pewter sea silk yarn for a storm water shawl!
Opium Den
Brexshit
Nothing says screw you like a rainbow by white birch fiber arts!
Oxblood (I thought it should be raspberry)
Astroland. I have no idea what it means, but I love the color.
Malabrigo Caracol has a blue and purple colorway called Whale’s Road. I’m imaging on a path under the sea!
Scissors, Lizard, Spock by Into the Whirled. It was a beautiful striped colorway with lots of red, purple, blue and orange. I cast on those socks while watching the series finale of the Big Bang Theory. They ended up being a gift to a friend who is a fan of both TBBT and Star Trek.
Crumble…and I don’t have it anymore…it was rather ugly!!
A Whimsical Wood has a lot of fun names for their yarns— some favorites I’ve used are King Joffrey is a Little Shit, I Can’t Believe I Shaved My Legs for This, and Zero Fox.
Blue Ridge = navy blue with attitude! (Ms. Babs)
Bubble gum
Lollipop Yarn’s “Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound.” My favorite self-striping sock yet!
I expected “London Sky” from Malabrigo to be grey: instead, it is a gorgeous medium blue with a hint of lavender. Love it!
Mom’s Jeans from Emma’s yarn. It looks just like a pair of old faded jeans. Love it!
“Little Lamb” by Full o’ Sheep.
My favorite color name is “Murder on the Dance Floor” by Cowgirl Blues.
I recently knit a sweater out of a yarn by the colorway “Come as You Are”. From the name, you might think it was a very bright color, but it’s a very light blue-gray with subtle orange and brown speckles, so I have no idea where the name comes from!
In the early aughts I learned to knit from a friend, bless her. We were all in love with Malabrigo yarn, which I think was fairly new to the market. One day a bilingual friend in our knitting circle pointed out that Malabrigo translates from Spanish to “bad coat”! I’m sure there are nuances I’m missing in the glorious Spanish language, but this always cracked us up!
Bat in a dark mood
Crack in the Sidewalk from Periwinkle Sheep
Grass Roots by Peace Fleece, whose name deserves a vote, too
Yes! Remember when they were all Russian themed?
I have too much yarn to remember the names, but please include me in the giveaway
Goose Poop
Peace Fleece had great Russian themed names. I remember Volgassippi Blue!
Smoke on the Water. It’s a dark charcoal grey.
Rainbow Farts
Caterpillar Guts (Koigu) – a nice mustardy green
The nutty blue yarn I ordered recently is named “Don’t Panic Peacock”. It’s pretty great!
One Fish Two Fish, and sure enough it was exactly as imagined. ❤️ Dr Seuss
Gallifrey
Spun Right Round’s Fierce Poodles. pink-ish with speckles!
“Hello, Gorgeous” from Sock Obsession. As a Funny Girl fanatic (I have been obsessed with that movie since I was 10), I had to have it no matter what color it was.
(FWIW, I find greens tricky, too. Hence our house is called Public Restroom Green in the ‘hood.)
Bombay moonrise….had to get it because it sounded exotic!
Filthy Mouthed Wife – a great colorway, but I have to admit I would have bought the yarn even if it wasn’t. The name always makes me laugh.
I’ve not personally knitted with it but keep hearing about this yarn called Unicorn Poop. I like unicorns but poop?
The oddist named yarn was on I bought was a collab between Three Irish Girls and my LYS Steven be named “I just blued myself.” It was memorable to say the least!
I always thought “Birthday Suit” and “Paper Airplane” were clever names for undyed white yarn, instead of something boring like “natural”.
Looooong story, really short! I purchased Brandywine from Foxhill Yarns and did not read the label correctly…fast forward to almost two years after the purchase and was able to purchase more to complete the project after they painstakingly matched my original mishap! Not a crazy yarn name, but certainly a memorable purchase!
‘This Pussy Grabs Back’. Very pink and apropos a few years ago.
“Blew“ I’m so original.
Bleedin’ Armadillo
Spludge.
Rusty Whaler
Walk the plank
Unicorn farts
Backwards and in High Heels
Hipster Scum, I Just Love To F#%^ and Jezebel Spirit all from Old Rusted Chair
Lie to the FBI
Frog Dissection by Nano Stitch Lab!
I bought Frog Prince from Knit Picks. It makes me smile!
Bubble gum – but it wasn’t pink!
“Y’all This Is My Very Favorite” from Arkansas Yarn Co. I could say that about too many colors.
My favorite–Frank Ochre
Seaglass for a light minty green
I love “Unicorn Nightmares” from Knitted Wit.
Lesczc – can’t pronounce it and apparently it’s a silvery slimy fish, but the yarn is purple w/ apricot and green – a moment of magical light finding rainbows in the scales? Fishy.
i just bought a hank called ‘i just like to f**k’
Venti Dragon Mocha (Malabrigo) (it’s greeny not bluey)
Frog in a Blender. Decidedly not blue.
And Then Buffy Staked Edward The End. It is, in fact, a very dark, inky blue. I bought it for the name. I’ve said for the longest time that my next career will be naming yarns for Rowan.
Was “Gravel” not done by Blue Sky? Recently “Navel Orange” was the purplest orange I believe I’ve ever seen.
Bob (the Gnome) Sledder- from Bluemoon Fiber Arts. A variegated colorway that did include blue. Tina held a contest where you had to write a description to describe the name & colorway. I won a skein! Such fun!
I actually bought some red yarn called “red”
A wonderful indie dyer in Iowa has a series of Yarns that all ends in Ass. I just finished a beautiful capelet in Fallen Ass.
True blue bruises
Of course now that you ask I can’t think of crazy one! My skein of Twisted Owl ‘Darkwing Duck’ makes me laugh every time, as does Frabjous Fiber’s ‘Off with her red’ gradient pack.
Everything Old Sublime DK had amazing names. My favorite was Haar which means dense sea fog. How awesome is that??
Some of my favourites:
Tequila Makes My Socks Fall Down
It Goes With Everything! (Dark navy blue)
Sexy Nerd
Pank!
Glamping
Flying Atlas – a Plucky Knitter colorway based on an actual road trip incident!
Whiskers on Kittens
Secondhand Happiness was a favorite and thought-provoking name♥️
Grand Prismatic by Destination Yarns purchased at Yellowstone 2016
Pond Scum
drunken flamingo
Pond scum
Dare I say Frostbite? I knew it was green, not blue, when I ordered it.
Fading Whiskey Hangover
Lorna’s Laces – Lady Vine
The most unusual name of a beautiful skein of hand dyed merino was SNOT…lol
Cinnamon Roll Too Long in the Oven 🙂
kitchen sink
Goose Turd Green
My favourite name was, and will probably always remain, Countess Ablaze’s assault on mysogyny and the culture of asking for goods in return for social media exposure “If I Want Exposure, I’ll Get My T*ts Out.”
Total genius!
I remembered that one, too! I think it made an appearance on Fruity Knitting. Every freelancer claps for this one! Brilliant.
Wilma Mankiller Being of Good Mind by Knitted Wit. This sold out so fast I was lucky to get a skein to make a beautiful scarf with a message.
Say Hello to the Night is the name of the colorway, from sKNITches Cinema Sock Club.
One of my favorites was Lorna’s Laces “Roger That,” in Patriots colors, after their fifth SB win.
Pigeon Poop and Clown Barf. I bought neither!
Type O from Asylum Fibers. Life-force red, of course. What made it perfect was that it would not stop bleeding. Seriously.
DG Strong: I loved your column, and checking out links in comments. Whatever you want to write about colors, I would be glad to read.
I have a skein of sock yarn from biscotte, called “dark side”…. cracks me up because it’s a wild rainbow stripe!!
Gangrene, Bread Mold, Prison Cafeteria – thanks for the laugh!
Mysteries of Undolpho. ( yarn name )
Antiquated System, a beautiful multicolor yarn from Blue Moon Fiber Arts that I used for a colorwork sweater.
Pond scum!
“Rain in a graveyard” by Dye For Yarn. It’s a unique name for yarn but oh so pretty!!
Birthday cake for breakfast. A fluffy, glossy white yarn with neon speckles, by Subculture Yarns. Gorgeous to knit with plus fun to see!
“It’s Complicated” by Murky Depths Dyes, that name made me love the color more when I bought it. Also like “Spiked Cider” by HHF, actually a great descriptor for a green/yellow/orange flecked skein.
Montana Skye. – brought back beautiful vacation memories
unexpected macaw
“Vintage Funk” by AJHC Wools out of Michigan. Certainly not the craziest, grossest or even The most disruptive but it is a gorgeous gray with sploches of turquoise and purple.
Fading Whiskey Hangover
Peacock butterfly taking a dirt nap
I think I need to up my yarn-buying game—I haven’t come across names half as fun as most of you! One cute-ish name is One for My Baby.
I love this post—maybe my perfect blue yarn is among your 5700 shades. Challenge accepted!
Silence Was Golden!
Fish Punching Octopus by CraftMeNot Yarn Co.
Well I cannot comment on a strange yarn colorway name but your paint sample story hit a note. I was trying paint my living room a nice light, airy green. I found a sample called “Crocodile Love” and it was beautiful, everything I wanted in a green. Except when I painted a little patch on my wall to see it in real life, it changed so much. I renamed the color “Baby’s Poopy Diaper.” I went with something else and I think I eventually went with a blue instead of a green.
I love blue…just about any shade imaginable …always have…always will. Some yarns just have numbers instead of names. That always seems a bit disappointing.
Granny Panties
Camper …. it gives no clue as to even what color group it is.
Narwhal from on the round in Maine
Blue is my FAVORITE color so I was very excited to learn of a blue yarn give away. A favorite blue yarn of mine is dew drop–a very soft blue. I also like periwinkle–how can you not, with such a cute name like periwinkle!
Really love Trout Heart by Shirsty Cat. She has tons of fantastic colors names and great quality dyes
Slithy Toves!
Dark moon
Hmmm. “Ladies That Lunch” which was an early variegated by local dyer Knitted Wit (chocolate, raspberry vanilla)
Also, “When You Said Hi I Forgot My Dang Name” which was white with blue speckle by Huckleberry Knits, which I paired with “Practical Tactical Brilliance” by the same dyer. I hadn’t seen Hamilton, so I didn’t get the references, but the colors were spectacular.
Hazel Knits has an emerald green called “Shanny Pants.” That made me laugh!
And it’s such a great green! My husband is from Ireland so I made him a pair of socks with Shannypants.
My favorite – “It’s Your Party” but “Cactus Flower” with green, yellow and pink is a close second.
Emma’s yarn named Yarn Husband
Skye
“I’ve got a right to sing the blues” from Little Fox. She always names her yarns in fun ways.
Raw Denim made from reclaimed jeans and the dye came off on my needles and hands. I’m afraid the sweater made from this will stain any seat I sit on.
I love the colors (and the clever fun) of Magpie’s Beaver series. Bougie Beaver is pretty and Saturday Night Beaver has a little extra flair.
Similar, related story about paint color names instead of yarn… We painted our house this rich blackish-brown shade called Dragon’s Breath. That alone is a good one to add as a comment here. But I took it to next-level crazy by asking at the paint counter if they could match a Benjamin Moore color. The guy says “sure thing.” I then asked for “a gallon of Dragon’s Blood, please.” He looked at me like I had five eyes. Then I saidX well ok, if it’s a problem, just give me a quart and I’ll see if it works.” The guy behind me starts laughing and then it hit me. So I blurt out “oh no! I need Dragon’s Breath! Dragon’s Breath! Not a gallon of Dragon’s Blood!”
David Hess from Neighborhood Fibers… names always make me wonder about the person who inspired it
Bedrock Yarn’s Shredded Beet. Sounds like what it looks like and I love Tanis’s yarns.
As a big Doctor Who fan, Tardis Blue by Blue Moon Fiber Arts.
My favorite yarn name is “Birch Please” by Adelaide Fiber Company. I wear the hat I made out of it a lot and enjoy it immensely. With a name like that you just have to enjoy it
Ziggy Stardust! I have an entire sweater I proudly wear made out of this loud – wild yarn. I love it.
I too was thrown off by the name “Frostbite”… I had one ball in my stash from a trip to Iceland, and when I ordered more, I had to double check to make sure I wasn’t buying something blue! My favorite color names are “Linger” (Amores), “Deep Fall” (Lisa Souza) and “Gala Apples” (a hand dyed yarn from a farm in Maryland), all in peachy pink and gold colors.
I just knit a tee using an Oink Pigments yarn called “You Make me Thorny”, it was a great green.
Manatee
I love the name Malerwinkle in the Zauberball Crazy yarns! So many great comments and colors to picture in my mind… Thanks for the entertainment!!
… And how could I forget? I had to buy Schoppel’s “Woman in the Woods” – I am a professional forester!!
Prune whip!!
Button jar. You would think it is multicolored but it’s green.
Verdigris Not necessarily unusual – but I liked the way the name nailed the color.
I too think that Rowan has some “interesting” color names. The ones that come to mind easily were included in the Watercolor Cowl, Sulfur (which I would have thought they would have called Sulphur, in the British manner) and Pink Bliss, which was rather Pepto-Bismol-like to me. As you know, they all worked in just fine in the Watercolor cowl, so I have no hard feelings.
Anonymous !
I just purchased a skein of yarn called “Fangs for the Memories”. It’s for someone I love, so I am really hoping the name doesn’t jinx the relationship!
IndigoDragonfly’s “Beige” – which is a riot of colors – cracks me up every time.
Ghost knocking on heaven’s door
Worst name for yarn- Vomit
Set phasers to stun
I’m a new knitter. I do not have peculiar names, but can totally see myself buying yarn because of the name and not necessarily the color …
Similar to me buying wine because of the label… sometimes I want to buy the yarn because of the name. Riot Girls….. Killer tomatoes…… My bloody valentine….. Slither….
Cookie monster
Frozen Farmer’s Hiney is definitely up there on my list of weirdest names.
Into the Whirled has a colorway named Captain Tightpants. Cracks me up!
Possible yarn name: ” Sleepy Hollow ” , perhaps for a Fall yarn.
Lambs to the Frolic
Spun Right Round Ghoulie, a pink, black, chartreuse, orange combo that didn’t look too bad knitted up
I went through a long dun phase where everything I knit was brown, or shades of brown, and sometimes I branched out into a dark khaki, until one of my boys said I always looked like I had a turd on my lap. So not a specific yarn color, but very specific nonetheless.
“I Dream of Greenie”. Awful color but name made me smile.
I think it was called “Undead Plumber” named for the painting in the old Plumber’s Union Hall in Chicago that hosts YarnCon. The colors used are reminiscent of zombies so it works!
One of my favorites is The Notorious RBG by Stitch Together Studio.
Sunburnt lobster
Flamingo Flamenco! Dream in color’ s yarn created for Simplysockyarn Co.!
Tiziano Red
Goth Kitty!
Pond scum
A friend gave me a skein of “Bat Shit Crazy “ because she decided she couldn’t knit a curse word!
devil’s turn
Blanket Fort
Geek Squad
So. Many. Currently knitting with Percussive Foraging.
Barf!
Danger Will Robinson (madelinetosh)
No Whale Watching in Colorado from Wollmeise
Pond Scum, which is actually quite beautiful!
Gravel Road
No Gilligan is an Island
Dye for Wool has lots of great ones. One fun one is I Know What Happened to the Olive.
Chicken Bones by Sweet Skein O’ Mein!
Oops – I thought I posted but just did a search for my name — NOPE.
I love Rowan names particularly — I knit an afghan for my son that included Melody, Sigh, Treacle, Whisper and Rage. Treacle and Rage actually make sense to me, but the others – charming, but no.
Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. I knit my mom 2 pairs of socks with that yarn. She loved the colorway.
HMRST Holy Mother Rainbow Sparkle Tits. It’s an explosion in a paint factory kind of yarn by one of my favourite dyers
Mom Jeans!
A City So Nice They Named It Twice
Walla Walla?
Dyrdforyarn on Etsy has some great colors and names…Overcooked Kale
There’s a South African yarn producer (Cowgirl Blues) that named a bunch of yarn colors a year or two ago after 80s pop songs. It made me so happy.
A beautiful red – “Blood Runs Cold”
Golden pear – not a nutty name, but most memorable as it very vividly described the color
Something Bad is About to Happen
Dragon toots
Nicer than dragon farts!
Poisoned Bubblegum, from an Etsy store called Dye for Yarn. Other colors are Deeply Hidden Under the Sand and Rain in the Graveyard. Unusual names seem to be a thing these days
Misbehaving
Just this week I had to resist ordering a mini skein set just because I liked the name. It was a set containing a gradient of sandy colors, named “Resting Beach Face” from Marianated Yarns.
Plucky knitter grumpy old sailor
Highway
Walk Like a Cat Talk Like a Fish from Spun Right Round!
Giant Squirrel (a nightmare scenario, but a gorgeous yarn from the UK’s RiverKnits)
Giant Squirrel (a nightmare scenario, but a gorgeous yarn from the UK’s RiverKnits)
Introverts unite! At home, on your own please – a Shirley Brian yarn
Alp Dazzle
My favorite is Fre Shavocado. From a funny meme about fresh avocado being messed up on a sign.
When Particles Collide – Madeline Tosh!
I came across some interesting color choices when I was looking at yarn for a shopping bag pattern that used yarn made with bamboo and polyester made from recycled plastic bottles. I chose MERRY. Other choices included THRILL, GLEE, LIVELY, and PLEASED.
Commando
This is hysterical and wonderful. And I’m guilty of gravitating to all the blues! I don’t think I could buy even the prettiest yarn with a name that turns me off. Frank Ochre is a memorable one for me, thinking of Frank Lloyd Wright, and Ross Poldark. Must be something about yarns named for slightly brooding, strong, and talented men, and my uncertainty of the energy they’ll bring to my FO!
I recently used a grey gradient set that included a color named “I Got a Rock.” It took me a little while to place the name source, but I’ve been chuckling ever since.
Corrosion from Kat’s Riverside Studio. So unlike yarn, yet aptly descriptive of the color
Dark Matter from Yarn Snob
Too Much Aperol Spritz- a German yarn
Erin S
That was supposed to be Forever a lighter blue color. I fail epically at posting comments clearly, and I’m a millennial…grrrr.
“Bad Manners” by Dyeforwool
Pavement
There are so many … but last week I saw a beautiful dark blue called “ If it’s not Scottish it’s crap” I use that SNL quote all the time – almost bought it for that
I Am Not Very Nice by knitted Witt
Had to buy it!
lyrebird
Cement
Diaper Dance. I kid you not.
My unusual yarn color name was Captain Tightpants, LOL
Goose turd green is my favorite.
Blue lagoon, which should have evoked a feeling of a tranquil, beautiful spot of nature, a glistening blue pond, but when the yarn actually arrived it should have been named algae pond or perhaps, toxic waste, do not enter?
Most memorable is “under the Apple tree”. My friends sang the song with the same name by the band I’m With Her at our front yard wedding under our own apple tree so when I saw the yarn, I bought it immediately! My husband and I now have matching socks from that yarn!
Electric Mayhem
Uncertain Gray, which is true because it’s blue on my walls
Trendy AF
Emma’s yarn,,,,wish you were beer. Scrolling thru the comments it was telling that I recognized so many names/colorways!
Horseback brown (from Kate Davies’ yarns)
Bananalegs and Vengeance! Two names, not one, but that would be hilarious 🙂
Fire on the Beach and Tropical Fish
Sara Made Me a Playlist (by Spun Right Round). I stumbled across it shortly after a Sara (spelt exactly that way) had indeed made me a playlist and believe it or not, the color was perfect for the thank you gift that I was already considering making for her so it sealed the deal!
Arsenic
Closet monster
My favorite, direct from my yarn stash, is Pick Me (Hazel Knits). When I’m in a yarn store, or looking at yarn online, I feel like this is what most of the skeins are screaming at me.
Frog belly
Claudia HandPaint: “Last Night’s Wine” has always been a favorite.
“My Dragon Ate Your Fairy” from Lolabean. I bought it immediately!
Driver Picks the Music, Shotgun Shuts His Cakehole — Freyr Sock, Fresh From the Cauldron. Beautiful MCN I picked up at VKL.
I like the name Fading Whiskey Hangover from DyeForYarn an Etsy Shop!
Death herself…it’s a blue base with a lot of other colors going on too
I love Explorer Knit and Fibers new colorway named Untamed. It’s how I feel as we release ourselves back into the world.
I missed the chance to purchase, but I had my eye on Lolabean’s “Dude that might be infected”.
FANGIRL YARN has some of the funniest….. IRISH GIRLS DON’T TAN sock yarn and second to that…IF IT’S NOT SCOTTISH, IT’S CRAP!
Talk Dirty to Me. How could I NOT buy some?! It became an alluring scarf which always makes me giggle when i wear it.
Label me a color nerd, but I relabel my yarns with the Pantone color & number. This makes it easier for to work out color sequences.
It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere.
Howell Melon, which looks like, well, Howell melons .
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes
There was a Malabrigo color called Tormented that I thought was funny. Lemonade Shop yarn has great color names too.
Love
Blue encounters!
Swampy by Stitch Together
One of my personal favorites is the Goose Turd Green from the shop at Plimouth Plantation. It makes a lovely colonial style hat which is quite a nice gift as long as you don’t tell anyone the colour name of the yarn!
I love really descriptive color names. Names where you instantly know the color without even seeing the yarn (or paint, or dress). I’m currently working with ‘Cream Cheese and Lox’. The yarn color is a perfect representation of the name.
Malabrigo’s “Queguay” which is named after a river in Uruguay but in English sounds like sexual lubricant LOL
How can you possibly ask me to remember the name of a blue yarn? I sometimes find it tough to remember my own name
My favorite names come from Annie Modesitt (RIP). She was a TV series binge watcher (which MDK fans are familiar with). Her taste in entertainment was vast from Call of the Midwife, GOT, Dr Who, and Walking Dead. You will see names of characters frequently on her yarn!
Fizzing Whizzbees—a sparkly purple!
Nessie’s midnight orgy
Paris Night is a favorite blue
Who could resist Miss Bags’ Shut the Front Door???
My favorite has to be Stilettos and Switchblades.
Flying Elvis
‘Carnival Barker’ by FFTP
Cement
I could not resist the Dream in Colors name Mermaid Shoes. And what do you do with Mermaid Shoes? Make socks !
Yarn name?! Who pays attention to the name? I just melt into the color 🙂
Not my Cat. Totally can’t remember what colors were in it but I always remember the name
I love Madelinetosh name Then Luna Lovegood Fed the Thestrels
“A Night Without Stars” is a beautiful blue color by Fleece & Harmony in Belfast Prince Edward Island. Also “English Garden” and “Wildflowers” by Cozy Color Works. I love those names! 🙂
Paging Dr Bad-Ass (Indigo Dragonfly)
Leftover birthday cake
Lamb’s Pride Tormented Teal…..was the flock tortured? The shearer anxious? The spinner harrowed? The dyer in distress? I bought this to make felted clogs but fear that they might bring pain to the wearer.
Goose Turd Green by Plimoth Plantation
Flagrant Mayhem
Skid Vicious
Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock. Honestly almost any yarn name by Indigo Dragonfly. I sit and giggle every time I read through them, and they make me want to buy colours I don’t particularly care for, just for the name.
I’m always inspired and amused by the colorway names and that Anj of meadowyarn comes up with. I’m a writer, so they speak volumes to me! A fave:
‘her love arrived at dusk’
anastasia606@gmail.com
“Made You Look.” I found a gorgeous hand-painted skein in a booth at a show once that didn’t have a label. They had fun names for their colorways, so I suggested they call it that. They wrote it on the label, and I bought it!
The Farmers daughter yarn – Paul Newman
Peanut Butter and Jelly! Such a comfort name in difficult times and the colors are bright and cheery!
Sock yarn: Run Like A Girl
“Tonk’s Hair” a MCN sock yarn by Six and Seven Fiber
Tossing His Los Letters into the Sea by Despondent Dyes
Depression blues.
All right–I’m in! I already subscribe to Snippets and it is the joy of my Saturday or Sunday. Weird yarn name: My mom bought me some handpainted yarn from Peak District Yarns called “Wirksworth Welldressing”. No idea what that means, but I made a splendid shawlett from it!
Pecan, not really an odd name, but I love the warm golden brown color
Pollen for a browny green un-spring like colour.
Faery Fart
I Carried A Watermelon by Plucky Knitter
Deep water. I know, so boring but think deeply.
I just bought yarn called Beryl, Seems like a strange name for yarn but lovely color
Coming to America yarn colored red, yellow, and green.
Anzula “1 Red Shoe” is simply the most perfect RED ever. And Dream in Colour has “Naked Shame”, a wonderful antiqued gold/green. Sigh. So many yummy colors.
White! Couldn’t they come up something better??
Sanguine from Bad Sheep Yarn
From an indie dyer in Maine: a gorgeous palette of jewel tones called: Dahling, you KNOW you want me. (And I did…)
dickweed. am i remembering that right?
‘Paul Newman’ by Farmer’s Daughter DK–would have thought that it was some riveting shade of blue, given Paul Newman’s famous eyes. However, it is a lovely brown/grey color.
Pond scum
Frozen in Rowan Felted Tweed — I keep looking for a cyanotic blue when I see the name.
I was also amused by a pink and black skein called Poodle Skirt. So retro!
McHale’s…a gorgeous shade of (what else?) NAVY…from Miss Babs.
From Six and Seven Fiber’s Harry Potter Collection – Emotional Range of a Teaspoon.
I haven’t read any of the Harry Potter books so even if I had looked at the color name on the label I wouldn’t have recognized the quote – I just loved the moody blues and grays with the occasional bright green blip.
Has to be either of these Madelinetosh colors in my stash: “Real Friends Don’t Lie” or “Death by Elocution”.
Worst yarn name ever? Goose Poop It was a greenish, yellowish color and the name pretty much captured the color, but surely they could have come up with another name.
I love the color names from Oink Pigments – Cool WIP, 4 Play, Dill with It, Afternoon Delight, etc. So cute!
Not a yarn colour but a gorgeous red nail polish “Vito, is my car ready?” In my next life I want to name yarns or nail polish
Dirty Car – it’s a custom colorway for a LYS designed for a “staycation kit” – and contrary to expectations, it’s loaded with bright pops of summer color.
Beauty school dropout
My sister and I made one grisly attempt at hand dying sock yarn. We named the resulting disaster Raw Meat.
Unicorn barf
Colors that are just numbers!
Venice Beach Graffiti. I grew up in Venice and had to have it. It was a light grey with specks of neon colors.
I loved everything about it and reminded me of cold mornings on the beach.
“I Wish I Hadn’t Eaten That Burrito” from an indie dyer out of Pittsburgh. A lovely mixture of purples, lime greens, pinks and blues. A friend said it looked like a headache.
My friend Meriah’s small label Beauty Mark Yarns has some great names. I’m partial to the two she named after my “rescue” orchid: Trash Orchid, lovely shades of yellow with dark pink speckles, and Trashcan Transplant, shades of green with dark pink speckles. As you may have guessed, the orchid was rescued from the trash. The blooms had gone, so the original owner, whoever he or she was, had binned it. My friend Andrea saved it from the trash and passed it on to me, and the color ways were made to commemorate the fact that after three years, the orchid had managed to bloom again!
Wino Forever- Madeline Tosh DK. A lovely plum, purple, deep pink blend.
Bat in a Dark Mood
fight club sparkle – it had some black & blue& purple that brought bruising to mind but then there were some lighter hues with metallic threads so there was the sparkle.
Backdrop, a blah brown/taupe sort of like cat barf and also the color of our house(1?)
Indigodragonfly has some of the best color names around: Cumberbacchanal is a lovely dark gray I used in a sweater, thinking happy thoughts of Benedict Cumberbatch all the while.
I have a skein called Rowdy Mermaid. (But aren’t they all?)
Ice. It’s the color your Frostbite should have been
Zombie Prom by Miss Babs. Weird name but gorgeous color. Rowan did have a color named Grief. Now that’s a depressing color name.
Pond scum is one name I’ve encountered. Also frog belly.
Mountain Colors– “Crazy Woman”–saved it for years until finally used it this winter–still love it
sweettarts
First quality yarn I bought: Plymouth worsted merino in creme, army green, and gravel. Names are weird but beautiful together.
I purchased a skein of yarn a couple of years ago with blues, greens, and gray from Whimsical Wood yarn co. At the time, I found the names in the “not g- rated section ” rather entertaining. I’ll typed most of the name, but leave off the naughty word- it was called “Blow it out your ___”
Drunken Watermelon
Label says-4ply Knitting worsted. Made in Canada. 100% wool. 2oz.
No number -no name for colour. In fact one blue and one beige skein are labelled dye lot 1.
That’s the strangest for me.
Glitzerschnee. Or (1 Tan). But I’m going with Glitzerschnee
Garden party by Fyberspates
Love, I’m Crabby Star Sock yarn from Big Sky
Blooming Pussy Willows
Butt Naked by Black Cat Fibers
An unusual yarn name? Frog Legs. It was a beautiful green with bits of several browns.
Something like: I met Stephen West and I liked it! A speckled colorway that everyone who went to see West speak at Knit City received. 🙂
Dude, that might be infected! A great name!
I have a Sherwin Williams on the wall now called “Surprising Color.”
My Local Yarn Store (now closed, alas) had an Indie Dyer that might have been from Texas whose yarn colors were all named using swear words. The yarn store owner had to put them in the back, behind a sign warning folks so that moms with their kids didn’t get offended! I always loved it. I can’t even remember the names of the Yarns I bought from that Dyer!
I’ve just bought a skein with colourway name ‘The New Normal’ which even the dyer admitted no longer seemed like a winner and she wasn’t going to repeat.
Purple Animosity by DyeForYarn
Fascinating that so many of these names are evocative of emotion or experience, rather than actual colors. I once worked on a project to name deodorant fragrances. Adrenalin rated very high. It is exactly the odor you are trying to counteract. But adrenalin evokes a feeling of excitement and power, which is how people want to feel.
Sweet Potato
Dumpster Fire comfy worsted by The Lemonade Shop is my most memorable so far!
Belly Flop!
When painting our house I was trying to match the color of our gutters for the trim. When I found the paint chip that was an exact match I was elated to find it’s name was “Wool Skein”!
I just purchased warn for a sweater. I really couldn’t decide what color until I saw a dark green named “Gonna Be Alright”. With the world gone sideways, I think this is the Perfect name for a sweater to keep me warm and protected from the elements, monsters, and cooties.
“Gonna Be Alright” peace fleece worsted.
Seasons of the witch (purples)
Grunge, a Birch Hollow Fiber’s yarn.
Twizzle – makes me smile every time I see that label! Montana dyer Mountain Colors creates an amazingly vibrant melange of color. I love Twizzle Harmony Dusk. Then there’s Twizzle Rodeo. Quite fun!
All comments have been so fun to read! Stop, It’s Not Mustard – ha! Makes me think of the time I thought wasabi was avocado. I love avocado – a lot – so of course I wanted to use the entire little pyramid on my plate all at once with my sushi. Big mistake.
Swamp thing – it was most
Swamp thing – mossy greens with specks of browns and a hint of pink.
Pond scum… Ha!
247 Whales Road
I just love Frog on the wall
Yarn name “Barbara Deserved Better” from the TV show, Stranger Things.
Loved the purple yarn I got called “you’re mauvelous”
Pocion from Malabrigo. It really means potion, but I thought it meant poison for a few years.
I just finished a sweater with the yarn color Barafundle Bay. ‘Bara’ somehow gives me trouble to enunciate.
“Nothing says screw you like a rainbow”
Most unusual I’ve come across is from Mode Knit Yarn, they have a line of yarn called ‘The Knitting Dead’, colors are named after the characters on the popular (I’m a big fan) TV series, TWD.
Undercover Otter Singularity ‘Dark Skies’
I always laugh at the many various “ass” colorways by A Whimsical Wood Yarn Co.
Moose on the loose, an amazing dark brown
This Atlas yarn is perfect ! I’m trying to order navy blue with no luck