KPPPM

KPPPM, short for Koigu Painter's Palette Premium Merino, is a plied fingering-weight yarn in 100% merino wool, with 175 yards (160 meters) in each 50-gram hank. It's hand-painted in one-of-a-kind colorways, and its speckled, many-colored look is instantly recognizable. The merchant lists its origin as Canada.

The yarn is squishy and soft with a smooth texture and a gentle shine. Each hank carries many shades at once, so even plain stockinette comes out lively. Alongside long-running numbered colorways, Koigu releases collector colorways with names like Fisherman's Life and Buttercup Picnic.

The smaller hanks make it a natural fit for socks, mitts, shawls and scrappy projects, and for knitters who love to combine lots of color.

Best for

• Socks and fingerless mitts
• Small shawls and scarves
• Scrappy blankets and patchwork knits
• Contrast accents alongside a solid yarn

Working with it

Use US 0–3 needles for 7 stitches per inch. Multicolored yarns can pool, so slipped-stitch or textured patterns help break up the color, as does alternating two hanks every few rows. Because each colorway is painted by hand, hanks can vary, so buy enough for your project at once and compare them in daylight before you start. Our hand-dyed yarn guide has more on getting the best from painted yarn.

Care

The merchant lists KPPPM as hand wash. Use cool water and a wool wash, press out the water in a towel and dry flat. Hand-painted yarn may release some dye in the first wash, so wash finished pieces on their own.