Honed Soapstone vs Knitting Needles
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Honed Soapstone reads as greige-grey, while Knitting Needles reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Knitting Needles (LRV 53) reflects noticeably more light than Honed Soapstone (LRV 31), a difference of 22 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Honed Soapstone runs warm while Knitting Needles is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 16.8, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Honed Soapstone vs Knitting Needles in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Honed Soapstone and Knitting Needles in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Knitting Needles reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Honed Soapstone.
Color Details
Honed Soapstone vs Knitting Needles Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Honed Soapstone on one side and Knitting Needles on the other.
Digital color is approximate. These simulations are generated from the manufacturer's hex values and overlaid on grayscale room photos — your screen's calibration, brightness, and viewing angle all affect how they render. Before committing to either color, test physical samples in your own space under the light you actually live with.