You Can Learn A Lot From A Swatch

Not all of which what you expected.  So, what happened with the Koigu swatch?  I cast on with excitement, intending to knit a square with one color of the Koigu and get all the stitch and row information I would need to cast on and make a Tempest for myself.  In my anticipation to see the colorways together I decided to make a striped swatch. 

<Insert deafening silence here.>

"What stripes?" you ask.  I know it!  And, oh by the way, where is the blue?!  This photo, even after white-box shot and manipulation in my photo editor doesn't show just how purple it is, but dang it!  It is PURPLE!  Why didn't I see how purple it was in the skein?  Well, I did see it, but I think I just wanted to see blue.  And while I wanted the stripes to be subtle, I wanted to see them! 

I'm thinking a couple of things.  First, over a whole side of a sweater the stripes will probably be more obvious, you can't really tell that from a 4" swatch.  Or, I have enough of both colors to make the sweater in one color, but I kind of wanted the stripes.  (Yes, I am whining.)  BUT, and this is the thing, I do.not. see myself in purple.  Periwinkle?  Yes, but purple?  What if I finish this and decide that I really cannot wear this purple?  While I decide whether or not to cast on for a front and see what the effect is on a larger canvas, this project is in time out.

So I swatched again for another project and while debating the pros and cons of purple I decided to knit this:

That is the start of Helena (ravelry link) in Queensland Collection Rustic Wool DK. I am loving this.

Eight.  Who knows?  Maybe knitting purple for somebody else will bring me around to liking it for myself.

Comments

[CyndiG]

I love purple! If you decide you can't use it, I'll buy it from you!

[CyndiG]

And I love the teapot in the background!

[Laurie]

Prob'ly not. It would be like me knitting an orange sweater for myself. Don't do it.

[Dianna]

I am wondering if the closeness of color value is part of what is making the stripes disappear.... I kind of like how subtle they are, and I suspect that from a distance they are more obvious.

[Renee]

Life's too short to knit colours you aren't happy with.

[Margene]

It looked so good in the skein! It totally doesn't work together or on you. Back to the drawing board.

[pumpkinmama]

I like your stripey swatch, but if you don't then away it goes. No need to knit stuff you don't like!

[jill]

You love the pattern and it will look great on you. Find the perfect yarn and use this for some nifty handwarmers. At least that's my two cents.

[Nora]

I'm with everyone who says don't do it if you don't love it.

xo

[Vicki]

I don't know where I heard it or read it, but every time I hear PURPLE these days, I think "Purple is the new black." Just thought I'd share.
; )

[Linda M]

I like your swatch a lot and I can see the stripes in the photo. My favorite Tempests in Ravelry are the subtler ones where the colors are close but you can still see some striping. I have yarn stashed for Tempest in Olive and Victoria (plum/olive/brown) but I would wear your colors in a heart-beat. But if they don't make you happy by all means use the yarn for what you want it for and keep looking for colors you like better for Tempest.