Complementary Colors and Fibers

New color books on my bookshelf and a few older ones helped me prepare for a new fiber project.  Color books speak a different perspective on choosing a color palette, helping me define a new project in color choices I don't usually gravitate to.

Taking one of my oil paintings in purples, blues and greens and going to the color wheel for assistance, new yarn was purchased to make an afghan of granny squares.  This is ambitious as 18 skeins of yarn were purchased from Knit Picks.

Identifying the colors in the painting, I found these yarns at Knit Picks online.

On the color wheel, complementary colors are directly across from one another in the circle. Example: choosing the color red, its complementary color is green. Split Complementary Colors are "one off" from the opposite color. The split complements of red are the two colors on either side of the complementary color. Using this information, playing with the colors in making yarn selections opens up a whole new world from simply choosing one or two of your favorite colors for project work.

Here are the two books that I will be referencing to make the afghan from those 18 yarn skeins.  It will never be boring as there are 200 patterns, all the same size, that will keep this handwork ever changing.

The first book, 200 Crochet Blocks, is a gem.

One reviewer of the book said:

First, the good: all of the blocks are designed to be the same size, so you can mix and match them as you please. This is a considerable help. I have a number of vintage crochet-block books from the 60s and 70s, and none of the blocks are the same size, so it takes a lot of tweaking for each block if you want to make an afghan.

Not so when starting from scratch, making each square the same dimensions and allowing for a uniform size.

The second book, Knitter's Yarn Palette, had a fun color wheel made of yarn to illustrate the use of the color wheel when choosing yarns:

Webs has this explanation of Knitter's Yarn Palette on its website:

This unique book explains everything there is to know about weight, gauge, texture, and the suitability of mixing yarns using a wide range of 30 projects that revolve around 10 themes including: Seashores, delicate shades of sky and sand, string, cotton, and linen yarns, ripple-effect techniques. Lazy Meadow, grassy green, poppy red, buttercup yellow, soft, silky, velvety yarns, ruffling and layering techniques. Tribal Adventure, earth tones, linen, wools, and felted yarns, felting techniques.

The washable and soft woolen yarns are a feast to the eyes and will definitely brighten up the coming dark winter days as I work with them.

Happy Birthday to the Husband

Today marks another birthday for my husband. 

The dogs in our house gave him several presents: a box of fish crackers (they really like them), a pair of boxer shorts with dogs on them, and a new dog toy already named "Gramps" by the maufacturer:

Gramps has a cane, a hat, squeaks when you touch him on his belly, and comes with an attitude. Just like my husband when he takes the dogs on their daily walk!!

CharmingPetProducts put this on the label:

Grampa Gimpy Hip was born in the old country, although he can't quite recall which country that was exactly.  Most of his day is spent entertaining young chicken whippersnappers with stories of yesteryear, the vast majority of which are wildly inaccurate and historically impossible...(more)

This is my 500th post, and it seemed proper to mark it with Gene's birthday.

Shalom Cardigan and a Sturdy Knit Edging

This cap sleeve cardigan, knit in chunky weight wool, was a very easy knit and had just enough variation in stitches to make it interesting.  It is a free Ravelry download and is called the Shalom Cardigan.  Designer Meghan McFarlane says of this design:

Shalom is a simple knitted cardigan with a striking appearance. This triple-yoked sweater is seamlessly knit in the round, top down, with a single button closure. The cap sleeves bow out slightly from the body to create a more dramatic shape.

On McFarlane's page on Ravelry, a picture of the Shalom Cardigan:

Paula, The Knitting Piper, pod caster and blogger, explained a different way to bind off stitches and I incorporated it into the Shalom Cardigan for the sleeve and bottom edges.  It is both more attractive and sturdier than any other bind off method I have used.  Here are her instructions:

My Favorite Edging for Nearly Everything

Knit to the next to the last stitch.

Yarn forward and leave it there.
Slip last stitch.
Turn work.
Knit into back of first stitch.

Then continue to slip over that stitch which you have knit into the back, creating the bind off.

Close up of the bound off edge: (disregard the blue background)

My modified and finished Shalom:

The picture is too dark and I really should have ironed that turtle neck for the picture.  Oh, well.

...here is the actual yarn color: