Yarns to Love
Lightning Round: I Need a Color Consult
Dear Kay,
At this point, I’m a giant, watery eyeball and a claw clutching a computer mouse. The working, the working. We need to get on with our lives, honey. Should I cook up a Google Sheet for this? “Getting On With Our Lives.” Step Number 1 would be: Go Outside. Step Number 2: Replenish Larabars.
The good news is that I stop occasionally and just do this.
A 100% joy-delivering daymaker.
Here’s where I stand on this Spring Fever rectangle of stockinette using yarn from The Plucky Knitter, mostly Bello Worsted which makes me totally nuts. In a pleasant way. A 55% merino/45% cashmere way.
You know how sometimes you get all stuck when you come to a color crossroads? I could use some help on this thing.
That top strip is actually more gray than purple. I’d photoshop this but I . . . just . . . can’t . . . lift the . . . mouse. This is the batch of colors I’d been planning to use.
However.
There’s this ball of sunshine begging to get in on this color party. It’s not school bus yellow, but . . . I can’t . . . get . . . over there to fix it. It’s a lovely golden gold, with no green at all, unlike the other greenygold ball to the right.
Do I dare inject the golden gold into what looks like a perfectly congenial house party? This wrap will have three stripes of each color, should I live long enough to finish this.
Please . . . let me . . . know . . . your thoughts . . .
Love,
Ann
Pro yellow, yes include it. I think it will be a ray of sunlight in the grey fogs and nebulas of the other colors.
I agree!
I love the yellow but I am afraid it may be a bit jarring. You run the risk of looking at it once you are finished and saying “why, why did I do that?’
Yes, go with the yellow. It’ll be a nice color pop.
I think the yellow just is too much for the other colors. I am more of a flow girl and it just doesn’t flow.
May I ask what is wrong with using more of the greenygold? I am assuming that the greenygold is what is along the bottom edge so inviting that color back to the party seems natural since it has already stopped by once before. Bringing a newer, brighter yellow seems rather jarring to me as well.
Agree!
I like Whitney’s idea!
What if you backtrack a tiny bit and put the yellow in between the blue and the purply grey? Those two would rein it in a touch and it would be closer to the greenisb gold at the bottom. More of a reference and less of a brand new idea.
This is my instinct as well.
I went to the pattern page on Ravelry, and the wrap the designer is wearing has some sizzling pink and aqua stripes — both of which lift up the color key of the whole thing. So yes to the golden gold, pop it in anywhere (channel your inner Jill Draper) or align it with either a grey or a purple.
But maybe not so close to the greeny yellow of the bottom ribbing? Doesn’t seem like they play all that well together.
I vote yes! to the yellow! At least give it a try. You’ll know once you’ve knit one strip of it whether or not it plays nicely with the others.
YES! occasional tiny stripes of it.
This is my thought too, small frequent stripes of the golden glow.
Totally what I was thinking
if it’s calling to you then YES! it’s the color you need! go for it.
I would say no. Not at this point. I think it might have worked as a one or two row stripe separating the other colours from the start but to introduce it now, it would jar too much.
But what do I know? It may look glorious!!
YES to the yellow!
Please, yes! Use the sunshine yellow.
If that doesnt float your boat, try mixing in something in the Papaya colourway to make those blues sing with joy.
Please.
Grab your coloured pencils, markers or paint program and mock it up. It can help! Personally, I love the original concept, but I can see how you might go for a bright yellow stripe. Not the greenish gold though. It should stay at the edge.
Yes
I am team yellow!
Knit it and see? At worse, it’ll set you back bit if you have to rip it out. Knit it in, do another stripe, then decide.
I love the yellow (so much that it’s inspiring me to leave a comment: a first!). For a super quick stripe mock-up, why not try the wrap-swatch that’s so common when you’re trying colours out for a Shetland hap? It’s quick and easy – one of my favourite knitting tricks. You can see an example on Ella Gordon’s recent blog post: https://ellagordon.wordpress.com/2016/09/08/hap-cowl/
Can’t wait to see what you end up doing!
Love, love, love the wrap-swatch idea, Austen. Keeping that one in my own bag of tricks.
Yes! I would absolutely put in the golden yellow. The piece would astounding with the color included at this point. Looking forward to seeing it completed
Yes!
Yes! I would absolutely put in the golden yellow. The piece would astounding with the color included at this point. Looking forward to seeing it completed
I think it NEEDS the yellow.
Yes to the yellow…a great big YES!
Yes!! Kaffe would do it.
Wouldn’t Kaffe use both yellows? together? A swatch may be your guide.
Kaffe would do it, but he would also add that it won’t look right till it is repeated again. One yellow stripe would be jarring, two will look planned.
The sunny gold and the green gold are both lovely colors and either one works great but I’m not sure if using both would have the same impact as selecting just one. (That color wrap idea mentioned earlier sounds like it would be very helpful and fun to do to help you decide.)
Your decision.
Just do it.
Add the yellow wherever you want and as soon as possible, in that order. I made one of these and loved it. A little pop of color will make you so happy. I promise.
Bring it on, Yellow Party.
Yellow -totally in love with it. That said it is loud compared to the others and why it is screaming to be included. I would go for it and drop it in now just for the assymetrical value it will yield.
Go boldly!
The yellow is a wonderful addition to the array of colors you have, which I wish I could see in real life.
yes!!!
I vote no. I know I am in the minority with my opinion that when you add a really wild out of place color it screams” granny square afghan from the 70’s!” Unless that’s the look you are going for. Knit as it is it quietly whispers the words “wardrobe staple”
I’m terrible when it come to color decisions, but those lovely colors need a little smile on top. Go for the yellow!! I think it will look great. Be daring! The greeny one has already been to the party and done his job.
Sign me as trapped by solids!
I love the yellow! Pop that sucker in!
It needs a specific use, like a band on the upper arm, or sleeve cuffs. You can’t just pretend it’s “one of the gals”
Yes!
Please add the Gold! It will give a nice pop 🙂
Looks like I’m in the minority but I say no. It doesn’t feel like it goes with the rest of the party.
YES is always the right answer to yellow … even as it is the scariest and seemingly least pleasing choice to most people.
Immediately I was chanting “do it, do it”, ok it was just in my mind ,but I do think the yellow would be lovely!
I agree with a previous commentator- both Mr. Kaffe and Mr. Noro would agree with adding the yellow!
Let the sunshine in.
Hmmm. I’d say no; the greenish yellow at the bottom already has the power of the pop. A little bit of that here and there, or maybe a full stripe of its own would be just right. The great thing about that color is that it has plenty of personality to act as the accent, yet because of the way it was dyed and/or plied, it fits right into the group. The bright yellow would be saying “It’s all about me!” Which just makes me uncomfortable in general. But this is your wrap, so I know that whatever you do, it will be great. Knit on!
I say it depends on the mood you want the sweater to have (I’m assuming this is part of a sweater).
The palette you have there suggests to me a misty hillside in the distance, colors muted but still discernable. That bright yellow would be a patch of flowers tucked in there drawing your eye to them.
I won’t say put it in or not, it should be you who decides if you want a spot of “flowers” in your landscape.
If it really is gray, then it’s an absolute YES. If it leans purple, wait a stripe to avoid the Barney effect.
Add the gold!!
I’m all for a pop of color, but would have to veto that particular pop. Grellow would be my choice
I think it would be too distracting to have a bright pop unless you add other bright pop colors too. At this point is seems a quieter mix and one loud color would be a shout. Too distruptive all by itself.
My first thought was a resounding “NO!! You will live to regret it!” My first thought was that you were making a sweater of some kind. For a sweater, w/o the brilliant gold is the only way to go. For a sweater, the greeny-gold is already a zinger.
My second thought, when I saw the word “wrap” was “Hey, why not?” You can get away with all kinds of color combos in accessories. Maybe little fuschia too? (Just kidding.)
You have a lovely collection of colors, whichever choice you make.
Definitely add the yellow. Love the pop of color. I am probably not the one to ask, since my hubby says, that I cannot put jeans and a tee shirt together. Oh, and I always ask for his opinion when I am choosing colors for knitting, he added a tangerine color to a boring shawl, it was the perfect addition. Can’t wait to see the finished project.
I think you need it. The current colors are pretty but they are very similar in tone/intensity somehow. The yellow will up the wow factor immensely!
I am thinking use the white color again, then the sunshine yellow. Kind of light muted, light bright pattern.
I vote no. This is not THAT kind of party. If you had used the color earlier and MADE it that kind of party from the start, I might have been in favor of it. Now, you have such a Zen kind of thing going. Don’t mess with it.
Go for the yellow.
I’d go without the yellow because I kind of think it’s a little jarring. However, it’s up to you and I think both ways could turn out good so go with your preference. Or maybe flip a coin and then you can call it the golden coin sweater if it turns up heads 🙂
Absolutely use the yellow! It just pops in that picture, I can only imagine how that will pop in the scarf!
Do it.
Love the yellow – it adds “happy”. I’d make 2 separate yellow sections to add balance on each side
Ann, go for it. Every time you look at that yellow stripe you’ll smile.
Yes to the gold! It is cheerful and life affirming and that should be step # on the list of getting on with it!
How are you arranging the colors? Repeating the order? reversing the sequence? If you are mixing it up you could put a few gold stripes near each other at one end of the wrap (and fold that end under when you are feeling morose)
I think yes to the yellow arriving at the party. Making an entrance, maybe with her entourage of flamboyant friends. Maybe the party was starting to get a little dull, and when they finally arrived the excitement swelled, and people moved in closer, to hear about her triumphant debut in Barcelona. So yes, I think yellow, but give her an entourage – a group of stripes she belongs in. I think the entourage would include that gold-green, with a grey or greyed-down color between. not the one that looks like royal blue to me, though. (It would be fun to include just a tiny stripe of that, though, as the second-to-last row of one of the entourage stripes.) I think shift to the entourage colors first, then the yellow, then a quick change back to the party.
(I’d better stop now. The sound of the champagne being opened is calling me. Or maybe that was just the toaster.)
Lol Shellybe! I also say Yes to Goldie being invited – perhaps just a quick 4 row stripe about 2/3 of the way along just to add an understated pizzazz, if you know what I mean 🙂
Always yes to yellow!
I vote for shine theory on this one. That sunny gold will make all the others shine too. If you look at the first no-sunny-included photo and then look at the sunny-included photo, you can see shine theory in action.
Use the gold, but ONLY ONCE on the whole thing. A surprise stripe!
Party on with the yellow. Otherwise all you have is a grey rainy day in the city.
And I almost typed my email address as xxx@yellow.com instead of yahoo.
Yes, “Let the sun shine in.” Are we back to “Hair”?
It’s a lovely yellow…but No. Not in this project.
I vote yes to the yellow because even though it might seem bright before you do it, once you start the stripe AFTER the yellow, it will be mellowed (ha–mellow yellow!) by whatever color you place next to it.
I think it will make the piece much cheerier and you’ll be happy about it.
Resist the yellow! Put it in a nice bowl where you can see it. Let it stay there until you find the right project for it, probably something (mittens? hat?) for you.
The scarf does need a pop of color, but the yellow isn’t it. Instead, try a warm, dark red — or a bright, crayon blue. Grape or a pale mint green might also work well.
Send Clif for coffee and more Lara bars. Promise him Doritos (or other teenager fuel) if he gets the order right.
Blink, lady! Blink! Now stretch out your hands. Isn’t that better?
(I vote no on the yellow. But I lean heavily toward purple.)
Absolutely include it. (What is that color called?) It adds life to the mix 🙂
It looks great next to the second yarn up from the right. It will “jar” less if not put next to a blue (opposit on color wheel), but will “sparkle” if it IS put next to a blue. I would use it.
put in a lifeline and try it. I also love the jade-ish green, three from left.
Go for the gold!!!
I’m a YES and I kind of like it between the blue and the purple/grey.
I’m seeing a narrow strip of it snuggled up to the greeny gold…giving it a little emphasis. Yes.
I have zero color sense, but I love how these color questions bring out the comments.
I am leaning toward yes – because I like the idea of sedate, sedate, sedate, BAM!! BUT – someone above mentioned that the current colorways say “wardrobe staple” and I could see the BAM being a bit too much in that arena. THEREFORE- I will second Cathy on the lifeline- I think 3 or 4 rows will be enough to answer your question, and you can rip it back easily that way.
I vote for a rusty orange heather instead!
I am considered a color expert by many of my friends, so I feel confident to say the yellow is too bright. I like the greeny gold better. In My Humble Opinion
Go with the gold! Several years ago I took a two-day workshop to make a garden quilt. I was using many of the same colors you are using. At the end of day 1, I was less than enthusiastic with my feltboard mock-up. The instructor very diplomatically suggested that I include a bit of muted sunshine in my foggy garden quilt and pulled a gold similar to yours. It really made the whole thing pop and was just what it needed.
Say yes to the sunshine! In the doldrums of winter, you’ll be glad you did.
Yo know who always gives me the very, very best color help, when it comes to Plucky yarns? Sarah, herself. Post in the Plucky HQ thread on Ravelry, and Sarah and/or her sister will help. They have never steered me wrong!
Yes, add the yellow. It will add life to the other colors, which are all reading neutral.
Yes. If you knit a stripe and don’t like the look, you can rip it out. Go For It!
My initial, gut-reaction thought was the golden yellow.
Yes! It fits in fine when the greeny-gold is also at the party.
If I remember my jr. high art correctly, yellow and purple are complementary colors (opposite on the color wheel), so it would be perfectly appropriate to put that fantastic yellow in as the next stripe.
Team more yellow!
I am not normally a yellow in my knitting kind of lady, however I feel like a bit of yellow with the grays could add an amazing punch. What if you just did part of a strip here or there with some yellow. You know, instead of x deep blue or x dark gray, do a few less of those rows and a few of yellow instead. Maybe only a couple yellow stripes in different places each batch?
If you crave order, then I might still do a skinny stripe in the same place between my rows.
Good luck!
Go…for…the Gold!!!!!!
Always.
I love the colors you have so far, but I like the golden-yellow even more. When it’s cool enough to wear the wrap, a little sunshine will be nice!
Oh, yes! Throw in those golds. You just don’t have the big picture yet.
With several rows of each they’ll all “play well together”. (Some places w/ one other color in between, others w/ several.) There’s lots of yarn there to play with! They will welcome the glowing golds.
You could make a little mini lay out, (or several) wrapping a few strands around a narrow cardboard rectangle…. just sayin.
A tiny stripe of yellow here and there would be like a ray of sunshine.
But, it depends on what you want your wrap to be – a soothing coordinated color item, or a wrap that lifts your spirits on dark days, with those rays of golden.
Yes drop the gold in now. I love it and it is totally not my color. Plus it’s my birthday so I’m right about all things today. 🙂
Yes, it will look great, especially with the purple and grey
Include! Absolutely!
Merciful heavens, Yes to the yellow! It’ll pop so nicely beside that lovely grey/purple at the top and seems to be just the thing to make one’s eyes run through all the colours of the scarf. The original design on Ravelry certainly has its spicy bits, so why not add some of your own? Cheers! (And if you do a few rows and don’t like it, you could always rip it out.)
Wow! A bunch of bold knitters here. I love that yellow it’s gorgeous, sunny and sparkly like the sun. But alas, I would save it for another project. I love the harmony of what you got w/out the burst of sunshine. Trust your gut, it’ll work out.
Go for it!!
If you include the yellow now it will be the shy girl walking into the party and dropping AC/DC on the turntable. The volume level is going up and she will never be the same!!
In this instance…WWKFD? What Would Kaffe Fassett Do? When I heard him speak once he really said nothing is ever hurt by adding more colors.. go for the yellow
I just scrolled through the 200+ Spring Fever projects on Ravelry. Many of them, dare I say half or more, have a surprising stripe of yellow or pink. Seems like that jolt of color is part of the charm with this project.
I’ve just knit Jared Flood’s Hawser in that golden yellow shade (Outlaw Yarns Bohemia Worsted “Troy”), so I’m definitely in Team Yellow. As noted by an earlier commenter, it would probably play best with purple (bearing colour principles in mind), so it would be a good next stripe.
Also, an odd number of stripes would be the way to go too (odds always look better than evens of most things, to my mind).
I vote no….yellow is a favorite but it will draw the eye to that one color…..imo
I vote yes to yellow. But if you just can’t. do. it….then how about a spring green or a more springy purple? In other words, you DO need* a pop of not-grey-ish, but it doesn’t have to be yellow, if you’re yellow-averse.
*yes, need.
I know I’m a month late on the comment, but greeny gold is my point of view.