4KCBWDay4

Today is about color.  So, the first item on the list is my favorite colors for knitted or crocheted items.  I guess this depends on who the items are for.  I prefer basics for my son, dark colors for my hubby, bright girly colors for my daughter, and neutrals for myself.  At least, this is what I tend to lean towards when planning projects.  I like patterns for myself that are softer or neutral in color, which fits, since I wear mostly blacks and greys.  I do occasionally throw in a bright color, but at least 50% of my closet is black.  It never fails.  When I shop, I generally look for neutral colors: black, grey, white, cream.

My stash is extremely varied these days: it actually leans more towards winter shades, as almost everyone in my immediate family is a winter, with the possible exception of my daughter.  I think she's a little too young to have a season.  But not for much longer.  I find a lot of bright jewel-tones in my stash.  Here's an example:

Little Man's Birthday Sweater

My first attempt at Gemini

My Miss Babs Test Knit Yarn

Skelf

This is a sample of what I have.  I have been given yarn that is bright as well; one year for Christmas my brother and sister-in-law gave me some gold and some dark pink yarn.  I've picked up a couple of skeins of sock yarn - mostly in dark jewel tones or neutrals (like black).  These are for me.  If the project is for someone else, I usually try to find something that reminds me of that person.  Like this project for Christmas:

This yarn actually has too much yellow for me personally (I'm not a yellow/orange kind of person), but for the intended recipient, it's perfect.  I do use colors I like for others' projects, even if I wouldn't necessarily wear it myself.  I could possibly wear these socks, as they would be socks, but I don't know that I would pick this for myself.

As this relates to my house, the house of the Monkey, color can be a challenge.  Sometimes a color and a pattern clash.  Take that lovely MadelineTosh sock yarn above: the yarn is loud.  It has a voice of its own.  To put too much of a pattern in it would be an atrocity, and the yarn would tell you.  So would everyone else.  Color is definitely my challenge: sometimes I look for only shades of grey.  I get caught up in the lovely subtleties of neutrals.  I have branched out in recent months, and surprisingly, I like it.  Colorwork is one of my challenges too - I attempted twice to knit some colorwork gloves, and my tension is way too tight.  I think it has to do with my stress level.  In any case, maybe if I can get to it this year, I'll attempt some more colorwork.