Monochromatic Me

My family might laugh at the mere though of moi and a monochromatic beige/neutral color scheme.  After all, my best looks center around teal, jade & merlot with loads of black tossed in for variety.  Beige?  No thank you.

But, with a bit of inspiration from my color muse herself, I set my self a goal of attempting something "not me."  And as long as the attempt was going to be not me, it does not even include yarn.

'Tis a bracelet.  Filled with beige, tan and almost brown buttons, this fast afternoon project has a different look from every angle - so I like it.  This bracelet & I are not in love - just in like.  Try as I might, the single color scheme of blandness does nothing for me.

Mind you, I did wear this out to lunch over the weekend.  While lifting my iced tea glass, I became aware that a fellow restaurant patroness paused mid walk and cast her eye upon my wrist.  So, perhaps there are some in this wide world who love a wrist full of beige.

But I digress.

The instructions, should you be tempted to finally do something with grandma's button jar:

• Wide elastic.  I used 1"; you use what ever makes you happy.
• Lots of buttons.  Most of these are small - the size of shirt buttons.  You'll need more buttons than you think.  Don't be miserly!
• The unexpected.  My unexpected were a few dimensional beads and one stray metal button.
• Needle
• Thread

Work on a flat piece of elastic.  For this one, I started in the middle and worked toward the ends.  Using short lengths of thread, sew on three or four buttons.  Try to cover the elastic when it is not stretched.  As you get to the ends of the elastic, overlap and sew through both thicknesses and continue to fill in the space.

That is the whole thing.  Since elastic is stretchy (bet you did not sense that coming) this will stretch easily over the hand and slip into place.  Naturally, you can custom size to the intended wearer.    Try it - you might just like it.

Color Works!

I am one of those who depend on others to tell me if a color works.  As in does one go with another (or two or three).  The trick I have learned is to depend heavily on the indie dyers out there.  They have it rocking!  My current favorite is Baah! from which the Muscadine socks are knit.  By the, should you be wondering, one sock is complete but finding time to cast on the second is turning out to be the real challenge for this pair.

But, back to color.  For more that several years Colleen Davis has inspired me to go bold with color.  This week, Colleen spoke to the San Diego North Coast Knitters Guild in Encinitas, CA.  We all need a refresher course in color gradation, color blips for pizazz and general success with a project.  

Colleen brought a whole heap of items to share and show how her color sense works.  This is more organized than the photo appears - there was a fashion show, items on a womannequin as well as the table of samples.

 To my right, just sitting there as knitters are want to do was this inspiration.  In the foreground, a knee length vest knit of textures in green and taupe with a shot of orange.  Talk about a blip of color!  But it worked!  Fabulously.  And I say that as one who does not do orange.

Just beyond, is a knitter after my own heart.  She bought a colorway that sways from bright to deeply shaded green and let the yarn do the talking with out interruption. 

Here is one of Colleen's creations.  Notice the gradation of purples on the back of this jacket.  Moving along the color spectrum as well as the texture spectrum gives her work a dimensionality that is like sculpture.

But then comes the pop of those reds and oranges  broken up by the darkest repeating of the purple.  Absolutely fabulous.   

I have several of Colleen's patterns.  The one that I did make - it was a vest in brown/black/gold - went away to an admirer.  Me thinks it is time to pull the stash and put together the colors for another Bold Knit.

 Check this out!  Talk about inspirational.  And Bold.  And so Colleen Davis.  I love the bottom two rows of color.  But moving into the middle and the top and I start to panic over the orange.  

Major hint from Colleen:  Stick to black to unify a color scheme.  White, when used in the same way as black, sucks the life out of all the surrounding color.  

I know that I tend to play it too safe with mixing it up.  I know that I am too safe (or wimpy) because I adore every thing in this basket.  Shades of Grey.  Only shades of grey.  Ahh.  Peaceful times both in the working and the wearing.  And so easy to blend in when what I'm wearing does not stand out in any way.

My heart belongs here, though.  Teal, jade and everything in and around those colors.  This to me is inspiring.  Not a blip of orange anywhere.

Thank you Colleen, you are an inspiration and living proof that color works!