About
Yarn Palette helps knitters and fibre artists bridge the gap between inspiration and execution. Simply upload any photo or take one directly in your browser, choose how many colours you want in your palette (from 2 to 10), and the tool will extract the dominant hues from the image and match each one to the closest real yarn colours available from major brands. Supported yarn ranges include Jamieson's of Shetland Spindrift and Double Knitting, Jamieson and Smith 2ply Jumper Weight, Ístex Léttlopi, Klinta Wolle Nate, Rauma Finullgarn, Knit Picks Palette, Stylecraft Special DK, and Stylecraft Special Aran — covering a wide range of weights and fibre types popular for colourwork. The tool runs entirely in the browser: selected images never leave your device, making it privacy-friendly by design. It is particularly well-suited for Fair Isle and stranded colourwork planning, mood board matching, or simply exploring how a favourite photo translates into yarn tones. Important caveats to keep in mind: on-screen yarn colours may differ from physical yarn due to monitor calibration and dye lot variation, the tool uses each yarn's single dominant colour so it is not reliable for marled or speckled yarns, and the number of yarns displayed may occasionally differ slightly from the number requested. Created by Ravelry user tofay and backed by community feedback on the Ravelry group.
Key Features
- Image Colour Extraction: Analyzes any uploaded photo or live camera shot to identify 2–10 dominant colours from the image.
- Yarn Colour Matching: Maps extracted colours to the closest available shades across eight well-known yarn brands and ranges.
- Multi-Brand Support: Covers popular colourwork yarns including Jamieson's Spindrift, Ístex Léttlopi, Knit Picks Palette, Rauma Finullgarn, and Stylecraft Special DK/Aran.
- Privacy-First Processing: All image analysis happens locally in the browser — your images are never uploaded or sent to any server.
- Adjustable Palette Size: Choose exactly how many colours to extract, from 2 for simple two-colour stranding up to 10 for complex multicolour projects.
Use Cases
- Planning a Fair Isle or stranded colourwork knitting project by matching inspiration photos to real purchasable yarn shades.
- Translating a mood board, landscape photo, or piece of artwork into a cohesive yarn colour palette for a design.
- Quickly narrowing down yarn colour choices from a large brand range using a reference image instead of browsing individual skeins.
- Creating colour-coordinated gift sets or project kits by matching yarns to a specific colour theme or brand palette.
- Exploring how a favourite photograph, painting, or fabric pattern would translate into knitted colourwork before committing to a yarn purchase.
Pros
- Completely Free: No account, subscription, or payment required — the tool is openly available on GitHub Pages at no cost.
- Privacy-Friendly: Images never leave the user's device, so personal or proprietary photos can be analysed without privacy concerns.
- Broad Yarn Brand Coverage: Supports eight popular colourwork yarn ranges across multiple weights, making results practically actionable for purchasing.
- Easy to Use: No installation or setup needed — works directly in any modern browser with a simple upload-and-match workflow.
Cons
- Screen vs. Physical Colour Mismatch: Digital yarn swatches displayed on screen can differ significantly from actual physical yarn due to monitor settings and dye lot variation.
- Not Suitable for Marled or Speckled Yarns: The tool uses only a yarn's single dominant colour, so it cannot accurately represent or match multi-tonal, marled, or speckled yarn types.
- Limited Brand Selection: Only eight yarn ranges are currently supported, leaving out many popular brands and specialty yarns.
Frequently Asked Questions
What yarn brands does Yarn Palette support?
Yarn Palette currently supports Jamieson's of Shetland Spindrift and Double Knitting, Jamieson and Smith 2ply Jumper Weight, Ístex Léttlopi, Klinta Wolle Nate, Rauma Finullgarn, Knit Picks Palette, Stylecraft Special DK, and Stylecraft Special Aran.
Is my image uploaded or stored anywhere?
No. All processing happens locally in your browser. Your selected image never leaves your device and is not sent to any server.
How many colours can I extract from an image?
You can choose between 2 and 10 colours. The tool will extract that many dominant hues from your image and match each one to the nearest yarn shade.
Why might the yarn colour on screen look different from the physical yarn?
Screen colours are affected by monitor calibration, brightness, and colour profiles, and physical yarn colours vary by dye lot. Always check physical samples or manufacturer colour cards before purchasing.
Can I use Yarn Palette for marled or speckled yarns?
No — the tool uses the single dominant colour of each yarn for matching, so it is not suitable for yarns that combine multiple colours in a single strand, such as marled, speckled, or self-striping yarns.
