23.4.12

3KCBW Day 1 -- Colour Lovers



Colour Lovers
Colour is one of our greatest expressions of ourselves when we choose to knit or crochet, so how do you choose what colours you buy and crochet or knit with?  Have a look through your stash and see if there is a predominance of one colour.  Do the same with your finished projects -- do they match?  Do you love a rainbow of bright hues, or more subdued tones?  How much attention do you pay to the original colour that a garment is knit in when you see a pattern?  Tell readers about your love or confusion over colour.


First of all, right off the bat I think I need to point out that even though I am an American I adore the UK spelling of "color" as "colour".  It gives the word so much more flavor.  And that is what colour is really about for me -- flavor.


I'll be the first to admit that I may not be the most colour coordinated person around.  I like to take colour risks.  Sometimes it works and I feel very fashion forward.  Sometimes it fails and I am quick to blame the fact that I really don't have any fashion sense.  I wore uniforms for six years of my life and nothing will make you crave colour in your life more than navy, khaki, and maroon plaid skirts.  If you visit my high school today there are several nit-picky rules that apply to colour and come with the footnote "you can blame Faith for this one."  My favorite ways to get colour in my days was through my socks, which is something you can still say for my handknit ones today (they look much more sedate sitting together, but they're all bright and crazy when viewed solo).


A quick flip through the stash does not turn up a predominance of any one colour.  Looking at the stash I've acquired just this year shows a wide variety of shades -- and these are just the skeins waiting to be knit.


I am one of those people who looks at what they have before they buy more stash.  I don't have a large disposable income, so I have to make my purchases count.  The exception to the rule is when yarn is named after certain geeky things. This really is how I have started making my purchase decisions.  Yes it is pretty, but what is it named after?

With regards to a colour preference, I don't really have one.  As long as there is colour, I'm happy.  I did go through a red phase last year -- probably an unforseen consequence of spending so long deep in Soviet research -- and I have recently dabbled in more sedate hues, but I am fast moving back to bright colours, verigation, and maybe even just a tad bit of neon.  I have a wedding coming up, so you'd think I'd be interested in whites and pale pale pinks, but no -- I may not be able to pull off tangerine without becoming as white as a china doll, but I can rock a most shocking shade of blue.



11 comments:

  1. I can see a theme to your yarn, but I'm not sure what you'd call it. They're all the kinds of colours you'd see on a pebble beach. Very pretty.

    I'm like you when it comes to being on a tight budget. I'd love to have a massive stash of pretty yarns...maybe one day eh?

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    1. I love that! Maybe I can make "pebble beach-like" a stylistic term

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  2. I always check my stash first when starting a new project. But, hey, if a yarn just happens to fall in my cart while shopping, I don't know how it got there :P

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  3. It's a good thing there are some indie dyers with such amazingly geeky colourway names!

    I love your sock photo ;)

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  4. Oh I understand where you are coming from. I just crave color after wearing my work wardrobe of black pants, black pants and more black pants. I have some grey and brown thrown in but really there is only so many colors that can pop after awhile.

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  5. I came over as I'm always fascinated with fellow 'Faiths'

    Colour surely has more flavour? Us Brits make most spellings more complicated than they actually need to be, maybe it's to try make us feel more intelligent!

    I definitely share the colourful sock thing with you, I ave always had a range of bright (shop bought) socks, I am yet to discover sock knitting, although I have crocheted a pair.....maybe add it to the list.

    Great post

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  6. But look at all the sweaters you've knit! I'm heavy on shawls and scarves, light on the tops. I need to change that this year. :)

    BTW, you've got a funny typo in your copy - makes the uniform thing far more interesting ... :)

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    1. Yes, I just spotted it, thanks! Wow that would be a more interesting life story that way ;) I had some formatting issues this morning and had to reconstruct the entire post in about five minutes on my way out the door. Guess my typing cannot always be trusted!

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  7. I am so glad that we hardly have any schools in Holland with uniforms, I don't think I could have coped! Looking back on my secondary school days, I have pulled off the wackiest colour combinations. I was a skater/goth (an unlikely combo, I know), I wore baggy trousers in ridiculous colours matched with silly t-shirts in even more horrifying colours. But like you say, it certainly adds flavour! I've grown out of that, fortunately. Not that I'm as fashion-forward as I could be, and on some days I still look at what I have been wearing all day and wonder if I was temporarily colour-blind that morning, but at least I can pass for an adult on most days ;)

    I absolutely adore that shawl in the bottom picture by the way! Lovely colours!

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    1. Thanks! It's the My Wish pattern by Laura Linneman. I'm planning to remake it this summer for my wedding.

      And I love the idea of skater/goth!

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  8. I'd say you lean toward more cool colors but dabble in warm ones as well. That shawl is wonderful.

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