The summer sun is still toothy, here in the Mediterranean, but I still fantasize about autumn, the chill in the air, the leaves, the misty mornings.
I experimented with knitting with cotton this summer, and I wasn’t very successful. I didn’t like the knitting experience and I didn’t like the resulting fabric. So I am happy to start knitting with wool again.
I have a big stash, but I still wanted to buy new yarn and I started obsessing about colours, but just couldn’t decide. So many options!
I found some interesting ideas in Colour your Style by David Zyla that I wanted to share with you, hoping it would be helpful in choosing colours for your next knit.
According to Zyla, your ideal colour palette is created by the tones already existing in your eyes, hair and skin.
The neutrals
To find your neutrals, your version of black, brown and beige, the author advises the following:
Your version of black is the ring of your iris
Your version of brown is the darkest share of your hair (even if it’s not your natural colour)
Your version of beige is the lightest share in your hair
Your pastels and brights
Zyla calls them your tranquil and energetic colours to distinguish between these colours on a spectrum:
Your tranquil colour is the lightest colour found in your iris
Your energy colour is the colour found in the darkest part of your iris (not the ring of your iris, which is your black).
The accent colours
They are colours that complement and bring out your natural colour palette.
Your version of red is the share of red of your flushed skin, the tip of your ears in winter or the tip of your fingers after you squeeze it
Your version blue is the deepest colour of your veins, when you look at your wrist in natural light
I thought it was interesting to think of colour palettes in this way, so I choose a bunch of greens I had in my stash and cast on a round-yoke colour work jumper. It’s my first time doing colour work, I am sure I am not holding the yarn the right way, but I found a way that works for me, and I’m excited to see what comes of it. I am making up the pattern as I go along.
The yarn I am using is HolstSupersoft a mix of 50% merino and 50% Shetland wool, that’s very toothy and lovely. The green colour is of my own making, having over dyed a cake I didn’t like with food colouring, and the light blue is 042 Iced. The needles I am using are wooden Knit Pro.
What kind of colours are you drawn to? Have you discovered any new inspiring colours to knit or make with?
Happy knitting,
Sky