NOTICE: In 2019, Saco River Dyehouse, owner of the “Paternayan” name, went out of business. At the time Saco River bought the Paternayan trademark, Colonial Needle Company bought the right to produce the same color palette on the original 3-ply wool yarn. In 2020, the Paternayan name was purchased by Colonial Needle (the Collingham family). Colonial Needle is proud to include the Paternayan trademark in their family of brands. Paternayan Colonial Persian Yarn is the only existing yarn being produced with the original Paternayan palette. We have found it to be a wonderful replacement for Saco River’s yarn.
Of course there will be slight dye-lot differences on occasion. If you send us snippets of your yarn, we will do our best to match it, or let you know if it can’t be done. We also recommend buying enough each time to complete your project!! We accept returns of uncut hanks!
At this writing (11/19/2024), we have both yarns in stock and will automatically fill your order with the best match of available yarn. If you are opposed to one or the other dye houses, just let us know, either by emailing a note with your order, emailing floril@florilegium.com, or calling us at 816-746-6164. We want you to receive exactly what you want and will go to great lengths to make that happen. Happy Stitching!!
Thank you for choosing Florilegium! If in doubt please call us, we may have a new shipment or can help you choose your colors.
Paternayan History:
“Paternayan is back and beautiful. For those who have been stitching for decades, you’ll be delighted at how much this wool recaptures the traditional look and feel of the original wool from the 1970’s. Happily it combines this lovely hand and luster with the even strand-width of the more recent JCA product, giving us the best of both worlds. I had forgotten how much I loved this thread when I started needlepointing in 1970. It all came rushing back when I tested this wool”. by Janet M Perry
Paternayan yarn was originally offered in 430 colors when marketed by Harry and Kamick, Paternayan Brothers Inc. USA, in 1939 and continued for many years. In 1986, the “Paternayan” line was sold to Johnson Wax and the dyehouse operation was moved to Pepperall, Mass, USA. This dyehouse was sold in 1989 to a new owner, Alan Getz under the business name JCA Inc. JCA manufactured premium needlecraft products and distributes fine knitting yarns. JCA was an amalgamation of three companies; Paternayan Brothers (started in 1939), Elsa Williams (started in 1960) and Reynolds Yarns (also started in 1960) . The Paternayan yarn popularity grew and the colors were reduced to 418 colors, which continued until the owner Alan Stanley Getz, age 69, Hollis, NH, passed away on March 30, 2012.
Following the closing of JCA the Paternayan trademark was sold to Saco River Dyehouse in 2013. Saco River had to find a new spinner and develop a new 3-ply source yarn for their paternayan products because at the same time the original JCA Paternayan 3-ply wool was sold to the Colonial Needle Co. As part of the JCA sale the Colonial Needle Co. purchased the rights to the original 3-ply spun persian wool yarn as the wool for their line of “Paternayan 3-Ply Wool” yarn. The Paternayan oringinal 3-ply wool had different size plys but this was changed by JCA . The new yarn developed by Saco River has 3 identical plys . From 2014 until 2019 both Saco River and Colonial were selling 3-Ply wool yarn following the original paternayan color-ways and color families created by Paternayan Brothers. As of 2020 Colonial Needle Co. purchased the Paternayan trademark and continues to spin and dye the original Paternayan Brothers 3-ply wool yarn under the Paternayan trademark.
Current Events (2019):
In 2020 Colonial Needle purchased the Paternayan Persian Yarn trademark and is now officially producing the original Paternayan Perian Yarn and color palette.
Of course there will be dye-lot issues on occasion, as there were with Saco River’s yarn! If you send us snippets of your yarn, we will do our best to match it, or let you know if it can’t be done. We also recommend buying enough each time to complete your project!! We accept returns of uncut hanks!
