Yarn Choice - Part I, Color
As you’ve probably discovered through personal knitting, the choice of yarn can make or break a design. But the color, too, has a definite impact.
#13 Side Lace Vest from Noro Knitting Magazine, Issue 16
Don’t get me wrong, I love everything about this design. I love the simplicity of the knitting: two rectangles with some simple lace and ribbing. I love the fact that it laces up the sides, making it easy to wear and versatile enough layer in any season. I like that the back is slightly longer than the front. It’s great for beginner lace knitters.
But what I wish is that it were in a solid, not a gradient, as I had envisioned. Don’t get me wrong, I really adore Noro’s yarns and they are known for their fantastic gradients, but this one would really shine in a solid.
Original swatch for Side Lace Vest
Original submission sketch
So why isn’t it a solid? When you work with a publication, you rarely get a choice of the yarn and rarer still do you get a choice of color. In over 60 instances of working with books or magazines, I can count on less than one hand when I was given that option.
I still love it, though, and intend to make one soon.
Briny water
Towards the marsh and the forest beyond.
My new favorite spot is where the Nissequogue River meets the LI Sound at a beach at the end of Old Dock Road.
Living on an island, I have lots of beautiful bodies of water all around me. Quite a few are within walking distance of my house. But early last fall, I took a photography class and one of our lessons was at this place. It’s as close to idyllic as you can get. A stretch of quiet beach for walking that leads to a forest. Cliffs to the south. Colorful marshes to the west. Tons of birds. Unusual shells. I’ve been back a dozen times since my first visit. Great for practicing all those new photography skills.
Oh, and the briny water? The Nissequogue River is freshwater. The LI Sound, saltwater. Where they meet = briny…and so, that’s why there’s all that wildlife here that you don’t always get in other parts of the island.