9 Colour Harmonies for The House Dye Stirling (Merino, Alpaca, Silk 4ply)

The Stirling base from The House Dye is a supremely luxurious single-spun 4ply in Merino, Alpaca, and Silk — three fibres that each bring something irreplaceable. The Merino gives it bounce and warmth, the Alpaca adds a halo-soft drape, and the Silk delivers a luminous sheen that makes every colourway glow. Each palette below is built from strict colour theory principles using the true predominant colour of each colourway. Whether you want analogous flow, punchy complementary contrast, or quiet tonal harmony, there's a palette here for every project mood.

All products are available on the Stirling base.

Curated by the Skein Machine team. Only in-stock colourways are included.

Palette 1 — Analogous Cool: "Fern & Stone"

Colour Harmony: Analogous — yellow-green through green, teal, and into blue

A flowing arc along the cool side of the colour wheel, from the vivid chartreuse spark of The Good Apple through the deep military olive of Khaki and Utopia, into the rich emerald of Fern, the deep petrol depth of Lagoona, and the cool blue anchor of Submarine. After the Rain bridges the green-to-blue transition with its complex cool variegated. Calm, cohesive, and profoundly wearable.

The Good Apple Solid — vivid electric chartreuse

Utopia Tonal — olive-chartreuse green

Khaki Solid — deep muted olive

Sage Solid — soft pale sage green

Submarine Solid — cool blue-grey

Fern Solid — deep rich emerald

After the Rain Variegated — blue, green, purple cool multi

Lagoona Solid — deep petrol teal

Palette 2 — Analogous Warm: "Ember & Gold"

Colour Harmony: Analogous — yellow through orange, rust, and into warm brown

A rich sweep along the warm side of the colour wheel: the luminous butter of Daffodil through the deep amber of Gold Rush, into the vivid pop of Marmalade and the fiery complexity of Rust I Am and Sequoia, grounded by the deep earthy anchor of Walnut and the muted warmth of Terra Rosa. Autumnal, layered, and deeply satisfying.

Daffodil Solid — warm butter yellow

Gold Rush Solid — deep warm amber-gold

Marmalade Solid — vivid pure orange

Rust I Am Variegated — red, rust, copper, gold multi

Terra Rosa Solid — muted dusty terracotta-rose

Sequoia Variegated — ochre, brown, olive, rust multi

Walnut Solid — warm mid-taupe brown

Hickory Solid — deep charcoal-grey brown

Palette 3 — Monochromatic Blue: "Deep Water"

Colour Harmony: Monochromatic — pale powder blue through slate, cobalt, and into near-black navy

Every shade of blue the Stirling range has to offer: from the palest whisper of Light Steel through the mid-tone calm of Slate Blue and Oasis, the moody depth of Prussian, and the complex variegated intrigue of After the Rain, settling into the near-black gravity of Into the Darkness and Midnight. Fairy Wren's dramatic navy-and-electric-blue multi adds bird-series drama. A palette for those who find their calm in cool, deep tones.

Light Steel Solid — pale icy powder blue

Slate Blue Solid — mid dusty teal-blue

Oasis Solid — vivid cornflower blue

Submarine Solid — cool blue-grey

Prussian Solid — deep blue-grey slate

Into the Darkness Solid — deep navy blue

Midnight Solid — near-black dark navy

After the Rain Variegated — blue, green, purple cool multi

Palette 4 — Monochromatic Pink-Purple: "Velvet Dusk"

Colour Harmony: Monochromatic — whisper lilac through mauve, rose, fuchsia, and deep plum

A full sweep of the pink-to-purple family: from the barely-there veil of Languid Lilac through the soft warmth of Cherished and the dusty romance of Lullaby, building through the floral complexity of Melody and the mid-tone intensity of Purposeful, reaching the vivid electric punch of Ambition, and closing on the deep, dramatic anchors of Dark Plum and Limerick. For those who love colour with depth.

Languid Lilac Solid — whisper-pale blush lilac

Cherished Solid — warm bubblegum pink

Charming Solid — soft dusty pink

Lullaby Solid — dusty mauve-lilac

Purposeful Solid — mid dusty grey-purple

Dark Plum Solid — deep dark purple

Melody Variegated — pink, grey, olive, blue, black painterly multi

Ambition Solid — vivid hot pink-magenta

Palette 5 — Complementary: "Fire & Ice"

Colour Harmony: Complementary — warm orange-rust opposite cool blue-teal

The most classically dramatic of all colour relationships: warm fire tones (Marmalade, Rust I Am, Gold Rush, Daffodil) sitting in direct opposition to cool ocean tones (Lagoona, Oasis, Prussian, After the Rain). High contrast and high impact. This palette is made for bold colourwork where the colours need to do the work — stranded yokes, two-colour brioche, or Fair Isle borders with maximum visual punch.

Rust I Am Variegated — red, rust, copper, gold multi

Marmalade Solid — vivid pure orange

Gold Rush Solid — deep warm amber-gold

Daffodil Solid — warm butter yellow

Prussian Solid — deep blue-grey slate

Oasis Solid — vivid cornflower blue

Lagoona Solid — deep petrol teal

After the Rain Variegated — blue, green, purple cool multi

Palette 6 — Split Complementary: "Outback Bloom"

Colour Harmony: Split Complementary — blue base; split complements of yellow-green and red-orange

A split complementary palette uses one dominant hue and two colours equidistant from its complement. Here the cool anchor of Prussian and Into the Darkness sits against the warm burst of Marmalade and Gold Rush on one side, and the electric yellow-greens of The Good Apple and Utopia on the other. Sequoia ties the warm centre with earthy ochre complexity. Unexpected, sophisticated, and genuinely exciting to work with.

Prussian Solid — deep blue-grey slate (base)

Into the Darkness Solid — deep navy blue (base)

Marmalade Solid — vivid pure orange (warm accent)

Gold Rush Solid — deep amber-gold (warm accent)

Sequoia Variegated — ochre, rust, olive multi (bridge)

The Good Apple Solid — vivid chartreuse (cool accent)

Utopia Tonal — olive-chartreuse green (cool accent)

Fern Solid — deep emerald (cool accent)

Palette 7 — Triadic: "Primary Surge"

Colour Harmony: Triadic — red, blue, and yellow at equidistant points on the colour wheel

Triadic palettes are the boldest of the structured harmonies — three hues equally spaced around the wheel create maximum vibrancy with built-in balance. Ambition anchors the red-magenta point; Prussian and Into the Darkness bring the blue; Daffodil and Gold Rush deliver the yellow. Sequoia and Melody add variegated complexity that spans more than one hue family at once — this palette rewards confident makers.

Ambition Solid — vivid hot pink-magenta (red point)

Dark Plum Solid — deep dark purple (red point)

Daffodil Solid — warm butter yellow (yellow point)

Gold Rush Solid — deep amber-gold (yellow point)

Prussian Solid — deep blue-grey slate (blue point)

Into the Darkness Solid — deep navy (blue point)

Sequoia Variegated — ochre, rust, olive multi

Melody Variegated — pink, grey, olive, blue, black painterly multi

Palette 8 — Tetradic: "Jewel Box"

Colour Harmony: Tetradic (square) — four hues evenly spaced: blue, orange, green, magenta

A square tetradic palette uses four colours at 90° intervals on the colour wheel — delivering the richest possible variety while maintaining structural harmony. Prussian and Oasis anchor the blue quarter; Marmalade and Rust I Am bring the orange; Fern and The Good Apple carry the green; Ambition brings the magenta-red fourth. Complex, jewel-toned, and visually spectacular — the Stirling's silk sheen makes every colour in this palette sing.

Prussian Solid — deep blue-grey slate

Oasis Solid — vivid cornflower blue

Marmalade Solid — vivid pure orange

Rust I Am Variegated — red, rust, copper, gold multi

Ambition Solid — vivid hot pink-magenta

Dark Plum Solid — deep dark purple

Fern Solid — deep rich emerald

The Good Apple Solid — vivid electric chartreuse

Palette 9 — Tonal Neutrals: "Quiet Earth"

Colour Harmony: Tonal/Neutral — low saturation, muted, and grounded across the spectrum

For those who find beauty in restraint. This palette brings together the quietest, most muted colourways in the Stirling range: the barely-there warmth of Ivory and Dove, the cool whisper of Light Steel, the dusty romance of Lullaby and Languid Lilac, the muted sage of Sage, and the warm earth anchors of Walnut and Hickory. Nothing here shouts — everything works together in a whisper. The Stirling's silk sheen gives even the most restrained colours a quiet luminosity. Ideal for accessories and garments where drape and texture take centre stage.

Ivory Solid — clean warm white

Dove Solid — cool pale mid-grey

Light Steel Solid — pale icy powder blue

Languid Lilac Solid — whisper-pale blush lilac

Lullaby Solid — dusty mauve-lilac

Sage Solid — soft pale sage green

Walnut Solid — warm mid-taupe brown

Hickory Solid — deep charcoal-grey brown

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The House Dye Stirling yarn?

The House Dye Stirling is a 4ply weight hand dyed blend of Merino, Alpaca, and Silk — springy, luminous, and beautifully drapey. The silk content gives every colourway a distinctive sheen, and the alpaca adds a halo softness that makes this base a pleasure to work with. Available exclusively through Skein Machine.

What is the difference between a solid and a variegated colourway?

A solid colourway is dyed to a single consistent colour throughout the skein — ideal for textured stitchwork, lace, and anything where you want the stitch definition to take centre stage. A variegated colourway shifts through multiple colours along the yarn, creating movement, pooling, and visual complexity. Combining both in a project gives you the best of both worlds: grounding and drama.

What does 'colour harmony' mean in practice?

Colour harmony refers to the structured relationship between hues on the colour wheel. Analogous palettes use colours that sit beside each other — they feel calm and cohesive. Complementary palettes use colours directly opposite — they create maximum contrast and visual energy. Split complementary, triadic, and tetradic palettes expand these relationships to three or four hues, creating increasingly complex but still balanced combinations. The palettes above use these principles with the actual colours in the Stirling range, so you can trust they'll work together beautifully in your project.

How many colourways do I need for a colourwork project?

Most stranded colourwork patterns use 2–4 colours. For a yoke or colourwork border, two strongly contrasting colours (a solid background and a vivid contrast) is the classic approach. For gradient shawls or striped garments, 4–8 colourways allow you to create smooth progressions or bold stripe sequences. The palettes above are curated sets of 8 so you have full flexibility depending on your project.

Can I mix colourways across palettes?

Absolutely — colour theory gives us a framework, not a rulebook. The palettes above are starting points. Trust your eye: if a colourway from the Analogous Cool palette feels right next to one from Quiet Earth, go with it. The consistent base yarn means all Stirling colourways have the same drape, weight, and sheen — they'll always knit up beautifully together.

Where can I buy The House Dye Stirling?

All Stirling colourways are available through Skein Machine. Some colourways are available immediately; others may be available as preorders depending on current stock. Check each product listing for availability.