Yarn Talk (again)

Helloooo!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm back with some more Yarn Talk folks, it's all hotting up rather beautifully here in the Attic as I'm teetering on the very brink of beginning my new blanket. As you know, I went Jaunting off last week to purchase the blanket yarn. I thought I had it all sussed then. I thought to myself, well now, the Yarn is In The Bag, I'm all set! Just need to spend a few days familiarising myself with the colours (fondling, smooching, arranging, stacking etc etc) then I can get going. Hooky hooky here I come.

But selecting colours for a blanket is quite a Big Deal and even when one has experience in these matters  (and I do think I qualify as reasonably Experienced here) it is still possible to make mistakes. Maybe not big, huge, whopping blunders, but more along the lines of Second Thoughts. Yes I had second thoughts about my colour selection and the more I stacked, arranged, re-arranged and familiarised myself with the colours I'd chosen the more certain I was that I needed to tweak it a little. At least one colour had to go. Possibly two.

And this my friends is where shopping at a Local Yarn Shop is sooooo good. Cos I was able to contact the lovely ladies in the yarn shop and tell them I made a teensy mistake. I was able to ask about a couple of different colours that hadn't been on the shelf at the time of selection. I was able to ask (very nicely) if I could return and have a second go at choosing my colours, make a few swapsies. And they were more than happy to help me out. Which of course meant I needed to make a second Jaunt With Intent, how dreadful. NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Haahaa!!! Returning to the shop yesterday was even better than the first time. And it enabled me to take a few more pics to share with you too.

This is their entire stock of Baby Cashmerino. The colour range is spectacular. Shall we take a closer look?

Top left corner. Not a huge number of colours here that float my boat, but a few balls came down. The baby pink, the golden yellow, the maroony red.

Top right corner. Ooooo hotting up here, I adore this end of the colour spectrum. Hot reds and oranges, vibrant pinks, pretty purples. They zing and sing and shout out to be included.

Bottom right corner. Blues and greens, this is my familiar territory. Turquoise, teal, aqua, leaf and grass. These are my "soul colours", the colours of the land and sea. Every single thing I make contains a mix of these colours.

Bottom left corner. This section is a bit stormy for me, I don't really tend to do greys or dark school uniform colours. I do like the vivid blue though, and yes that pale minty green is pretty.

So this was the yarn selection that ended up In The Bag.

Fifteen colours in total.

A fair balance between the hot red/orange/pink/purple colours and the cooler greens/blues I'd say.

I'm sure you remember me showing you these balls don't you?

Remember me telling you that one was being changed?

Remember me asking if you thought you could pick out the colour?

Of course you remember.

Here's the answer then.....................................................

Do you see which one is now gone?

I took out the pale baby pink and replaced it with a luscious, rich red.

Scroll up and down, check it out. Pale Pink out. Rich Red in.

Not many of you picked out the pink :: the most popular colours for the chop were the bright orange (too in yer face), the maroony red (too dark) and the mid blue (too similar to the turquoise). But to me, these are all vital colours. The dark adds drama and the bright adds zing. Drama and Zing are both essential elements in my opinion. And the blues, wellll, they are my soul colours after all, so I do tend to go heavy on this colour range. That's just my personal quirk.

I ended up having a big tussle over that unusual rather acidic green (bottom centre), but decided at the last minute to keep it in. Ditto the pale minty green. I also had a really, really good look at the other colours on the shelf and decided to add in a few more...three to be precise.

I added in a beautiful pale aqua, a vibrant leafy green and an interesting slate blue. So now there are eighteen colours in total.

This morning I took lots of yarn infested photos and I'm in the process of writing about it for you. Writing about the colours and my own personal way of selecting and playing with them. Don't be expecting theoretical stuff involving colour wheels though. It's more heart and soul stuff with me.

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Comments

[Susan Johnson]

Hello from Deatsville, Alabama in The U.S.A. I'm a beginner to the Crochet World and just haven't got picking out my yarn down. Thank you for sharing your own indecision in this.

[Paula Kolarik]

I am oooohing and aaaahing at your yarn and my mouth is salivating! haha! I recently started teaching myself how to crochet this summer and I cannot get enough of all the wonderful vibrant colors! I love your blog so much, I love being in your attic! <3 Have a wonderful day!!!

[Corine]

I am officially jealous. I want a local yarnshop, too.
Very pretty, those colours.

[my website]

That list includes: Plumas, Butte, Lassen, Shasta, Sierra, Tehama and Yuba counties my website when looking for your house loan there could be some terms used which you are certainly not acquainted with.

[Phil LaVigne]

Thanks for posting all this "Eye Candy".........beautiful..........

[Joanie]

If you don't mind how much did you spend on the yarn in total.? I love the colors.

[Rainy Day Crafter]

It's funny, but once you said it was the pink it really stood out amongst the other colours, and I'd got it totally wrong, lol! I love your new colours and they all look great together. Looking forward to your post about how you choose your colours - I definitely need some help on that score! :)

[Jill]

Ooh, picking colours and making it work is such a skill. (I haven't got it!) Enjoy the 'hooky' and I look forward to seeing the work in progress. x

[Melle Pimpin]

Thanks for all colors ! It's a pleasure for me to regulary visit your blog...

[Mo - North East Scotland]

Hoping all is well with you and your lovely family Lucy. Haven't heard from you all week, and as you did hint that 'things' would be moving along, I have become a trifle concerned at no words having appeared.
Wishing you all love and wellness
Mo xhugx

[Samantha]

Oh my, look at all that yarn! I love it, and I love all the colours you chose!

[vanessa]

It's always such a joy to pop by here Lucy! I hope that you have the most super duper weekend and the sun stays shining your way!

Much Love

Vanessa xxx

[beckycafe]

Ahem....I've been jazzed all week....just waiting.....to see....the new blanket projet revealed........as well as the new photos of completed projects.....

I'm desperate for new BIG poject...well, not really, still weaving in the ends on a king size blanket made of four GIGANTIC grany squares, and am only on stipe number 5 of my granny stripe blanket....and making the heck out of boot toppers.....but you get the point! SPILL, DEAR LUCY!!

[Lynne Kovan]

You were very good to GO BACK to the wool shop! I tend to get into a bit of a frezy in wool shops. I come out breathless and broke. Often I have bought wool that will never be knitted. You are an example to us all!! love your blog by the way

[Lorelei Barkley]

Ohhh Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino is just bliss. I love the colour range and have been building a little (BIG) colour collection of my own! Can't wait to see what you are making with them. I have another stash waiting to be made into some african flowers too. So lovely to crochet with.

[Cristina]

Yummy yarn !!!! makes every heart jump with excitement !!! And talking about excitement...Im waiting for the Postman to arrive with a selection of Debbie Bliss Andes ! Im gonna make myself the lovely japanese flowers scarf !!! cant wait ! I got the same colours as yours but changed only one...Im so crazy that I also bought a lime green coat, cos it looks so good against it !!! I spent about 2 or 3 hours looking for a pattern on the net, it's quite a gem to find, but I did in the end !!

[Tiiti]

Please, go check this: http://ceitaspasaule.blogspot.com/search/label/tamborde%C4%B7a%20process

How wonderful colours and a huge work!!!! :)

[Debra]

Would you share the color names and the pattern you are going to use? It would be a fun crochet-along. Love your blog!

[Wendy]

love the red you have added

[Kristen N]

Colors always seem to stump me. I am continually amazed at how colors are chosen... Except for the first row of stitches, color is the most important decision in a blanket (and it always terrifies me). Can't wait to hear more about how you pick the colors and see what this yarn turns into.

Oh so jealous of your yarn store - I'm in Texas, only have local craft stores with minimal yarn selections. Probably would spend more than I have in one like yours! Love your blog - it inspires me in so many ways. Thank you for always sharing your love of life with all of us.

[Sarah M]

Love your color selection. But your yarn basket is what really caught my eye. Is the pattern your own or did you find it someplace? I would love to make one :)

[laurak]

ok- really the yarn is beautiful, but can you please address the amazing red shoes in the previous post- from my research, it seems that you bought them from tina at the quiet home- but... what brand are those lovely, magical red shoes- I covet them deeply- please address this very necessary bit of data in a future post
with gratitude
laura k

[Elaine]

Ooooo what a beautiful shop, my local craft shop (Vibes and Scribes here in Cork) does an amazing selection of yarn I love nothing better than a visit to fondle the goodness. Cripes they must think I'm a nutter.....

[~Renee @CreatingCottage]

I would love to know more about the bag they are in. Did I miss a tutorial on that one - it's adorable.

[Lue]

I'm interested to know roughly how many balls it will take to crochet a single blanket. Using a basic stripped pattern.