Explorations in color and other homeworky things

So earlier this week, I decided I'd start my color study pictures. They are definitely (ETA: *not*!) the awesome pics everyone else takes and posts to their blogs, but nevertheless...they will kind of give you an idea.

In thinking about colors around me, I decided to take a pic of what I wore to work that day. If you can believe it, yes, I did actually wear ALL these colors-at the same time! Black shoes, brown sweater skirt, black sweater top, my new slouch beret I finished knitting not long ago...and yes, my Seal Rock Leyburns! Yeah, I tend to be a bit eccentric in my dress...


And earlier in the day, I had taken a picture of my commute...
I guess I never thought about how much gray is all over and around me! I am surrounded by gray. But guess what? You may not notice, but I do...all the bright red lights that poke out of the gray!
We City Folk likes us our neutrals, blacks and grays! But you can't keep out the glimmers of blue peeking through the clouds.

It's supposed to be depressing, but I really don't notice. I don't know if it is because I grew up in the foggier, less sunny part of San Francisco and am used of the grays, but it doesn't bother me. Maybe I can appreciate the splashes of color here and there because of this. But don't show my too many clear colors at once-it is much too bright for my senses!

Hmmm...I wonder if maybe that is why clear colors don't speak to me the way they do to someone like, say, Fiberfish Cece. Maybe colors and brightness is all relative. For someone like myself who is around lots of gray concrete, a muted background with all of us dressed in our black/gray camouflage, perhaps the clear colors just scream at us because it is so polar-opposite.

I mean, "Freddy's House" /Freddy Moran was never something I quite 'got'. You had to really be into the clear colors and mixed prints to love her stuff. I think I saw a picture of her house once and all I could think was, "I appreciate the unique style, but nothing I would ever think or want to do." Plain and simple-I guess brights are out of my comfort zone. It takes very little for me to call something 'color'.

Thinking back, I remember when I took my first cake decorating classes. There was one woman who always colored her icing BRIGHT; I mean garish-bright. Like Tammy Faye Baker eye-make-up bright. I could never understand how she could not realize that perhaps she needed to let up on the paste coloring a bit. Me? Just a tad bit of color did the trick for me-muted, subtle...that's how I liked it! Grayed-out colors are my love!

So about that other part of my homework...I'm not saying what this is, other than it's my knit project homework...
I hope it works out the way I'm planning for it to work out. I'll show more as it progresses...

And speaking of color...look what came in the mail yesterday...

My final Seven Deadly S(p)ins kit--LUST! I love this yarn! So maybe I'm not so into grays or muted afterall? I LOVE this red-but must admit that often too much red on me makes me feel too conspicuous. See? It goes back to my "City Camouflage" mentality! I must admit that I'm not much of a pink person, either. But why does this pink work for me? I think it is the cooler tone and the darker shade of pink. The green? Well...I already expressed how I love me some green! Just about any green, really. Least fav green? Probably Kelly Green. But this green is so gorgeous with the blue tones.

So see? My color study homework has been going on in my head all along!

Obsessive Knitting...that will make you GREEN with ENVY!!!

OK, so I just spoiled for anyone in the Seven Deadly Spins Club! It was a 50/50 chance we'd be getting Envy and not Lust, but I figured most of you know I'm not the blog to go to if avoiding spoilers. Besides, I think most of us have our kits anyway!

In case I have just spoiled and you don't want to see anymore, do not read further. I will do a little spacing inbetween this portion and the pic...



SPOILER WARNING!!!!



SPOILER WARNING!!!!




SPOILER WARNING!!!!


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I received my 7 Deadly Spins Kit yesterday morning. It is so gorgeous that I HAD to cast-on for this one immediately: fingerless beaded gloves! A Syvia Harding pattern paired with gorgeous "Houseblend" yarn for the Unique Sheep, dyed in a beautiful "Celedon Green" (that's how *I'm* describing it!) color!

This kit came complete with beads and hook. We also got a green pen and hand lotion!

So I have been obsessed with working on these and am having a hard time putting them down-and believe me, I need to since I need to be working on housework! But they are so addictive it's not even funny!


It is a DK weight yarn of alpaca, silk and I think merino. Very soft and very luscious!

And guess who's in town? It's my canine neice, Nico!!!

And a last picture to share of Lil' Emp's picture he took today...

He caught a pic of the squirrel we'd seen in the park today, after it had been scared up the tree. The Emp had fun using the camera at the aquarium today; we stopped by there for a couple of hours to check it out. We got in on our family pass, so it was a quick in and out for a short visit.

Where does the weekend go, I ask?!

Glorious GREED!

And here it is! My recent Seven Deadly S(p)ins Club shipment--GREED! This yarn is a "Tinsel Toes" yarn (merino/tencel) in the colorway Precious Metals! The pattern is for a beaded clutch and comes complete with the silk lining, beads, button--everything to make it! And, of course, there are extra goodies: chocolate coins, bracelets, a currency bill stitch marker, and magnetic bookmark.

I'm not much of a 'yellow' person, but this is a wonderful color combination and is perfect for the theme and pattern!

Yarn Pr0n Friday filled with PRIDE!

Yep! That would be my latest Seven Deadly S(p)ins shipment-PRIDE! And look how gorgeous this kit is! FOUR gradated skeins of Unique Sheep "Luxe" (75/25 superwash merino/silk light fingering weight) : Pride 1, 2, 3 and 4! The pattern is a shawl designed by Merike Saarniit called "Syncopated Lace". Not just a pattern, but also included are the lace charts and color changing instructions. Looks pretty intimidating to me...

I also received a plastic pouch, a retractable brush, stitch markers, candies, and a 15% off Unique Sheep coupon from WoolGirl Jen!

So I am still on spending hiatus, but that doesn't stop any of my pre-0rdered kits! I also received a late birthday gift from a friend-another LYS gift certificate! YAY! (Yes, a BMFA gift certificate would have been even more coveted, but hey, I can't ask for the world! I'm just appreciative of her thoughtfulness and well...I can't expect a knitting neophyte to know about BMFA, now can I?)

So...yet another project to add to the cue. Dying to do that cute Sloth hat from last shipment, but with all my other projects I have going...well...you know...I probably have to start posting "what I didn't cast on" photos akin to my past 'what I didn't buy' photos!

Just when you thought I was behaving...

Attention! The content of this entry has Seven Deadly S(p)ins #2 Spoiler content!!!

But first,
I have to confess to this purchase from Little Knits that just arrived in the mail!

FlyDyed Monarch in "Petrol", above...Nartian had told me she had heard the yarn is quite similar to STR. I have to admit that it is the first sock yarn I've found thusfar that is quite similar. It is labeled a '3-ply sportweight', but feels like its thickness is between STR lightweight and medium weight. STR heavyweight is supposed to be 'sportweight', so who knows? It is tightly twisted like STR. This 4.5 oz skein has 370 yards. OK, I just checked Blue Moon Fiber Arts and their lightweight is also put-up at 4.5 oz per skeins, and is listed at 360 yds, so this one is a tad thinner, it would seem...

And here is the second skein of yarn I purchased (and wasn't I good to only buy TWO skeins?!) This is Wool in the Woods Cherub in "Amethyst Fairy Forest". To me, it feels like a chubbier, sturdier, smooshy. Its put-up is 100g and has 400 yds. It's got fluff, but seems to have more 'sproing' than Dream in Color Smooshy. You see, I feel like Dream in Color Smooshy is soooo smooshy, that you have to really knit it tight to get a firm fabric. This Cherub seems to have loft, but seems to have more strength and thickness where it would create a firm fabric without my having to go down to 00 needles!
So this purchase was within my rules: I didn't have either of these types/brand yarns yet, so I got one! (I allow myself to purchase a skein of sock yarn if I don't own that type yet...)

And now for the SEVEN DEADLY SPINS #2!!! Sorry if I'm "spoiling" for someone, but at least I'm trying to warn ahead of time these days...

I am always impressed at how nicely things are packed, that I have to get a picture of it before I open everything up!

And here it is all opened! A washcloth/soapsack pattern with some Pima Petite cotton yarn! The colorway is 'Peace' and is a very calming blue. The washcloth has an adorable sheep design on it, and the sack is adorable, too! Let's see...a chocolate sheep, tea bags, a sheep stitch marker, honey-scented beeswax candle, bath salts, mini sheep soaps (my FAV of the swag!), "Peace" of Mind Milk and Honey soap bar! Man, are we spoiled or what?
The Seven Deadly S(p)ins group at Ravelry had some members expressing a bit of disappointment over this 'spin' on "Wrath" whereby the theme was "Peace", the flip side of Wrath. I can see their point in that they were expecting the kits to be a bit more 'edgy', but all I can say is I am THRILLED with this package! I would have gotten a kick out of something more evil, but I think the creativity in turnig the Wrath into Peace is fun and the kit fit the bill perfectly! I'm kind of relieved to see a washcloth pattern, since sometimes I need a small, quick project to kick me into gear. With this kit, I can see myself not having the guilt I sometimes do when I get my sock kits and know there is no way I'll be getting the kit done anytime soon. And besides that, the sheep design on the washcloth is stinkin' cute!-the kinda design I would have picked out myself (vs. some of the ones that are less detailed and a bit more kitchy...) I don't know, maybe someone else would find this kitchy, but I think it looks great!