Monday, May 07, 2007

Not Entirely Happy

I'm still chugging along on the Dulaan hats. Have a few more finished, but completely forgot to snap a picture. So here is a photo of something else entirely:

(I'm told these are "spotted dead nettles.")


I'm sure you can see them (the hats, not the nettles) clearly in your mind's eye -- They look quite like all the others you've seen around here lately.

I've had this idea that perhaps if I can do one a day, they'll be done right quick.

So I told myself I'd do one a day, before doing any other knitting.

Which is why you haven't seen much else around here in the past few weeks.

Of course, having finally revealed to you my hat completion strategy, it is a near certainty that said strategy will immediately collapse.

Anyhoo.

Another reason the strategy might have collapsed is that the yarn for my new sweater project -- you know, the one that caused the demise of my "no new yarn" resolution -- has arrived.

Ah, yes, you're quick!

I did say "might have."

I'm so disappointed by the colour.

I probably should have seen this coming -- there were hints that I couldn't be completely sure of what I was getting.

On the one hand, the photo of Sadie from last fall's Rowan (No. 40) is clearly blue, blue, blue. (I love this particular shade.)

On the other, Sadie is part of the "Fade to Grey" collection -- "A sophisticated look that blends from the starkness of black to the elegance of pale grey."

Photo says blue; text says grey.

Hrm.

I was a little unsure, and it was impossible to tell what the colour actually was from internet photos.

But then I was convinced!

AS IT TURNS OUT, the name of the colour given in the magazine -- No. 963 "Smart" -- which is a little vague -- must be a typo, because there is no "Smart!"

Colour 963 is "Smalt!" (With an "L.")

And as we all know, "Smalt" is blue, blue, blue.

Except, AS IT TURNS OUT, when it is not.

Sometimes, as I found out three days ago, it is grey.

The sort of grey that could have been "Smart."

But not "Smalt."

(Maybe "Smelt?")

Now, I like grey. I do. I love grey. And I probably need a grey sweater.

So maybe I'll still make Sadie in grey.

But it won't be the sweater I fell in love with.

You see, I have this grey skirt that I *love,* and which I imagined myself wearing with Sadie.

Imagine it with me - me and Sadie and my skirt, doing fabulous things together, in interesting places.

In what you might think would be a brilliant stroke, the "Smalt" yarn is nearly exactly the same grey as the skirt.

But when I imagine me and my skirt and a GREY Sadie doing things together, the things seem just a little less fabulous and the places considerably less interesting.

I think that the problem is too much grey.

Some grey (even quite a deal) is calming and sophistocated.

Unadulterated grey is BLAH.

Which means I must pause to consider.

Do I still make Sadie?

Do I make it in another colour?

"Shipshape," while I know it is also not perfect, is probably closer to what I am looking for. At least it would break up the grey.

Lesson learned for the 452nd time: Seek out a ball of the colour IN PERSON before taking the internet plunge.

Or!

Or!

OR!

(and I have only just thought of this . . . )

Invest in shade cards?

(oooooooo . . . )

2 Comments:

Blogger Cookie said...

Lovin' those hats!

I've heard that grey will be huge for fall fashions. That said, maybe you could order a single ball just to see next time. You could always use the yarn to make a hat if it's not the color wanted. ;^)

6:23 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Shade cards...not a bad idea, but then you have to wait for the shade cards to come before you can order the yarn you want, but you *will* get the color you want. So, I guess it's a trade-off. Either take a chance to get something that may not be what you want, but get it now, or, wait to get the color you want. Any LYS's where you are?

Ang

12:33 AM  

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