Colour-Mixing and Palettes - or, why I am not an artist
It may surprise you to know that I am relatively unimaginative when it comes to colour (or maybe it doesn't surprise you, and you've just been nice to me all this time). Truth is, I have trouble imagining different colour-combinations, or what items would look like in different colours. It is for this reason that I value Ravelry so much: I can see what other colours people have used with the same pattern.
Recently, I stumbled upon a website called COLOURlovers. Man, if you didn't know anything about colours before, this is the website for you!
At first, I struggled with trying to figure out what this website is all about, and then I realized: duh! It's just about loving colour! And not only that, but sharing ideas about colours, different palettes, different trends, what magazines are using for colours... really, it's an inspirational site about how to give a little oomph to this world. I'm still learning how to use it, but I'm liking what I see so far! Here's a little screen shot of the site:
Is that attractive, or what?
So, all this talk about colours also brings to mind the fact that I had a veritable DICKENS (yes, you heard me) of a time with the skirt that I am currently making. I'm using Anne from Circulo Yarns in a light brown mercerized cotton. I bought three balls of yarn, and checked the dye lots (like you're supposed to), and merrily skipped to my car where my hubby and my dog were waiting, then proceeded to the park...
Fastforward to last Friday. I had switched to the second ball, and noticed that it was slightly darker. Huh. I guessed there was some variation within the dye lots. By Monday, I'd made it two-thirds through the second ball, and then I thought, "I better get that third one out. I'd like to make it longer." So I did. And it was lighter than the second ball. Waaaaaaaaaaait a minute...
I dug out the labels. And guess what? The second ball is of a different dye lot. Aarrrgh...
I went outside with my dog to supervise his evening constitutional (I can't let him out there on his own right now because there's a mouse or something living under the shed, and he is far too interested in being its friend), and while I stood there, shivering, I debated: It'll be ok, right? I mean, they're all light brown. I might not need too much of the third ball. Right?
Well, no. I'd just end up with a dark stripe of fabric in the middle of the skirt. So... a-frogging I went. Sigh.
So really, I can imagine how awful something can look, but unfortunately, I can't imagine how good something might look. Weird.
I'm super-excited, though, because two more balls of wool for my Sears Copycat Cardigan have arrived in the city, my friend will go and pick them up for me, and I'm way more motivated to finish it. THEY'LL be of a different dye lot, but at least I know it, and I can work them in alternately - at least, I IMAGINE I can. Meh. Wish me luck!
Recently, I stumbled upon a website called COLOURlovers. Man, if you didn't know anything about colours before, this is the website for you!
At first, I struggled with trying to figure out what this website is all about, and then I realized: duh! It's just about loving colour! And not only that, but sharing ideas about colours, different palettes, different trends, what magazines are using for colours... really, it's an inspirational site about how to give a little oomph to this world. I'm still learning how to use it, but I'm liking what I see so far! Here's a little screen shot of the site:
Is that attractive, or what?
So, all this talk about colours also brings to mind the fact that I had a veritable DICKENS (yes, you heard me) of a time with the skirt that I am currently making. I'm using Anne from Circulo Yarns in a light brown mercerized cotton. I bought three balls of yarn, and checked the dye lots (like you're supposed to), and merrily skipped to my car where my hubby and my dog were waiting, then proceeded to the park...
Fastforward to last Friday. I had switched to the second ball, and noticed that it was slightly darker. Huh. I guessed there was some variation within the dye lots. By Monday, I'd made it two-thirds through the second ball, and then I thought, "I better get that third one out. I'd like to make it longer." So I did. And it was lighter than the second ball. Waaaaaaaaaaait a minute...
I dug out the labels. And guess what? The second ball is of a different dye lot. Aarrrgh...
I went outside with my dog to supervise his evening constitutional (I can't let him out there on his own right now because there's a mouse or something living under the shed, and he is far too interested in being its friend), and while I stood there, shivering, I debated: It'll be ok, right? I mean, they're all light brown. I might not need too much of the third ball. Right?
Well, no. I'd just end up with a dark stripe of fabric in the middle of the skirt. So... a-frogging I went. Sigh.
So really, I can imagine how awful something can look, but unfortunately, I can't imagine how good something might look. Weird.
I'm super-excited, though, because two more balls of wool for my Sears Copycat Cardigan have arrived in the city, my friend will go and pick them up for me, and I'm way more motivated to finish it. THEY'LL be of a different dye lot, but at least I know it, and I can work them in alternately - at least, I IMAGINE I can. Meh. Wish me luck!
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