Balayage - A real favorite yarn

Written by: Melanie Berg

Published on September 25, 2024

Time to read 3 min

Balayage: The Color Diversity of Peru in a Soft Yarn

Balayage is something very special to me – a true passion project. From the very beginning, I had the idea of developing a yarn that not only impresses with its high quality but also delights with a unique color concept. Together with my friends at Pascuali, we worked to create colors that blend softly into one another, offering endless combinations. The inspiration came from the world of hand-dyeing, where colors transition so naturally.

This is how Balayage was born – a yarn that is not only perfect for shawls but also for many other knitting projects. Whether for Jacquard or Fair Isle patterns, the yarn truly makes the colors shine and beautifully showcases every project. I am particularly excited about how versatile Balayage is. The soft marbling works wonderfully in both large areas and fine details.

For me, it was a great joy to be involved in the development from the start. My goal was to design colors that appear subtle and harmonious while being easy to combine with one another. The high quality of the yarn has always been important to me because only then do the colors really merge into a whole that stands out in every project. Balayage is exactly the yarn I have always wished for – a yarn that not only impresses visually but is also pleasant to work with.

The Creation of Balayage

When we developed Balayage, we experimented with various yarn options and played with different compositions and yarn weights. Our goal was to create a yarn that showcases soft, multifaceted colors through its natural melange. With the first yarn samples, we could see which mix produced the best color effect—small changes in the fibers made a significant difference! Besides the colors, the feel of the yarn was also important to us: for structured, colorful shawls, it requires the perfect blend of softness and grip. Selecting the colors was the next exciting task. It was particularly important to me to find subtle, elegant tones that still leave enough room for intriguing contrasts. This is how the unique color palette emerged, which can be used in many different ways.

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"Balayage feels like a touch of Peru to me—the colors blend seamlessly, making each project unique."

As a designer, I'm absolutely thrilled to create with my own yarn creation. Balayage provides me with the perfect foundation to combine colors and textures, allowing me to create unique projects. I've already used this yarn for many of my designs, including some true favorites that are very dear to me. Here in the shop, you'll find some of my Balayage-shawls, all showcasing the unique beauty of this yarn.

Into the Yarn!

How did we come up with the name Balayage? The term comes from the hair styling world and describes a technique where colors flow gently into each other – exactly what we wanted to achieve with the colors of our yarn. The palette consists of groups of four that are perfectly coordinated and can be wonderfully combined with contrast colors from other groups. The colors reflect the diversity of Peru and are named after Peruvian places.

What makes Balayage so special is the fiber blend. We combined white organic merino wool with white and gray baby alpaca wool, giving the yarn its lightly marled gray tone. The base color 617 Ishinca is the centerpiece that supports the natural gradient and creates the look of hand-dyed yarns.

So, are you curious?

Then check out the amazing Balayage colors here in the shop and find the perfect yarn for your next knitting project! Let yourself be inspired by the variety and create your own unique pieces. I can’t wait to see what you conjure up with Balayage!

Best wishes,

Melanie