Meet the Creator

Hi, I'm Kristen — full-time mom of two rowdy boys, part-time yarn hoarder, and the woman who once lost a weekend trying to finish what an eight-year-old gave up on.

Here's how that happened. I live in the Atlanta suburbs with my husband and our two boys, and I've been a stay-at-home mom since my oldest was born. Before that, 17 years in advertising — a skill that never actually leaves you.

One day, my oldest asked for an amigurumi crochet kit — one of those adorably tiny crocheted animals. He opened the box, looked at the pattern, and didn't even start it. Too hard. He handed it to me with the full confidence that Mom Fixes Everything. Small problem: I had never touched a crochet hook in my life. Bigger problem: I couldn't say no to that face. So I learned, and it ignited a habit — I mean, hobby.

Naturally, this "hobby" escalated fast. Granny squares. Handbags. A yarn stash that now has its own zip code. And somewhere in there, I started following crochet artists on Instagram the way other people follow celebrity gossip.

That's when I noticed something: the artists whose work stopped me mid-scroll weren't just good with a hook — they were fluent in color, and I could see exactly why. Turns out, 17 years of building palettes for ad campaigns doesn't switch off just because you traded your laptop for a skein of yarn. I just didn't have a fast way to do anything about it.

So there I was, hunting across a dozen yarn websites trying to reverse-engineer someone else's palette into my favorite weight and fiber. And then it hit me: what if I didn't have to?

That's ColorSkein. Browse hundreds of palettes built on real color theory, matched instantly to real yarn you can buy today — or start with a yarn you already love, and let ColorSkein find the palette built for it. Think of it as a creative director for your next project, minus the intimidating turtleneck. It's completely free.

Here's the honest part: I make my coffee money through affiliate links, not subscriptions or ads. So if a palette leads you to a yarn you fall in love with, clicking through helps keep the lights on around here — at no extra cost to you. Consider it a high-five between yarn addicts.

I'd love to hear from you — tell me which yarns to add, pitch me your wildest palette idea, or just say hi at hello@colorskein.com. Sign up for the newsletter for new yarn drops, seasonal palettes, and general yarn-shaped joy.

As for my son's amigurumi? Finished, eventually — by me, since he'd long since moved on to Legos — and it's sitting on his shelf right now as the tiny catalyst for everything that came after.

Happy stitching!
— Kristen