If you’d like to join me for The Real Life or the Online Trellis Poncho CAL this Autumn your first challenge is deciding on colours!
We’ve all been there at the beginning of a new project. You’re so excited as you enter the yarn shop and feel like a child in a sweet shop salivating at the counter.
You know this is an enjoyable, yet important, decision and you love spending time picking up the wool, feeling its texture and putting groups of colours together.
At first you go with your instinct. Those are your favourite colours and you love them. Then somebody (usually me) pipes up “But what about these? – they’re gorgeous”. So you begin to look at alternatives.
Then a complete stranger joins in with -“Oh, I think you’d look lovely in these colours.”
That’s all it takes to send you into a spiral of confusion, indecision and fear.
- What if you make the wrong decision and end up making a grotesque parody of the vision you had in mind?
- What if you develop an irrational dislike of your favourite colour halfway through the project?
- What if that particular colour throws a yellow cast over your complexion and makes you look like you’ve just had a spell in hospital?
Yes; we’ve all been there, and while it’s immensely pleasurable, it’s not easy choosing colours. So I’d like to help you out.
Here are 4 things you can do to make the decision making process easier:
1. Shop in a real wool shop whenever possible.
You simply can’t beat seeing the skeins of yarn in real life, holding them next to each other, and feeling them against your skin. Ask if you can see the yarn in daylight rather than in artificial lighting and don’t be afraid to take your time.
2. Pay attention to your physical responses to the colours.
Try to tune into your physical self as you handle and study the different colour combinations. How do they make you feel? Do they make you feel lighter and excited? Can you feel a glow inside you; do they make you want to touch them? Or do those colours together just feel safe, familiar and static? Decisions are made with the whole of our body, not just our minds, so listen to what your body is telling you. And remember that when excitment is the driving force, fear is always a passenger.
3. Consider the worst case scenario.
So what’s the worst thing that can happen? Well, yes, you could waste hours of your life making something that you’ll never wear or use – and neither will anyone else. But in reality you will probably see that it’s not working way before you finish the thing. Some (but not all) yarn shops may allow you to return any unused balls of wool so it’s a good idea to check this before purchasing. Or you could consider just buying enough of the wool to make up a sample first.
4. Don’t just imagine it – do it!
This means that you make an allowance in your budget for sampling and you work up one or two samples before you make a final decision. Personally, I would never begin a project without sampling first – how else could you possibly know how those colours are going to behave once they get together? A couple of hours actually trying things out before you make the big commitment is well worth the effort.
And if you still can’t decide………in my experience most people have a gut instinct for colour and usually those colours that you picked up before that stranger and I butted in are the right ones. So trust your instincts.
And if, after all of that you still can’t decide I’ve put together some colour combinations for the Trellis Poncho that are available from Norfolk Yarn. Each bundle contains 11 x 50 gram balls of Rowan Felted Tweed and if you sign up to my newsletter I’ll give you a 10% discount code.
HEATHER bundle will contain:
- 4 x 50gm balls Celadon (green)
- 5 x 50gm balls Peony (pink)
- 1 x 50gm ball Mineral (yellow)
- 1 x 50gm ball Seafarer (dark blue/grey)
CORNFLOWER bundle will contain:
- 4 x 50gm balls Mineral (yellow)
- 5 x 50gm balls Maritime (blue)
- 1 x 50gm ball Clay (pale grey)
- 1 x 50gm ball Seafarer (dark blue/grey)
BLACKBERRY bundle will contain:
- 4 x 50gm balls Seafarer (dark blue/grey)
- 5 x 50gm balls Tawney (dark red/pink)
- 1 x 50gm ball Mineral (yellow)
- 1 x 50gm ball Avocado (green)
Well I hope that helps a little – and I just can’t wait to see what colours you choose!
With Love
Sue
x