A question for the ages
Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 12:36PM I recently posed this question on our Facebook page, and want to ask here, too. My reason for asking is sevenfold:
1. I am avoiding painting my dining room for the 19th time, and would rather sit here by the fire creating polls on my laptop than get up and do it.
2. I am a naturally curious person. I like to know things. Knowing things is sometimes more fun than doing things, like painting my dining room.
3. I know which colors I like, but it's important to me to make other people happy with my yarn, so this is useful information. If you all say that you hate all colors and just want to be subversive, for example, I will know to just close up shop, drink a skim mocha, and cry myself to sleep each night for the next seven weeks.
4. I am finalizing selections for my new colorway collection, and this could help me if I'm waffling between two selections. If I know that 80% of you prefer jewel tones and not neutrals, that could be a deciding factor.
5. It's useful to the yarn shops I work with. Some of the owners heavily favor one palette (hey, we all do it), and it's sometimes nice to be able to say, "Well, when I surveyed my readers, they said they really like bright colors, much moreso than earth tones," (or vice versa).
6. Some of you don't use Facebook, or aren't a fan of our Facebook page, and I want your opinion to count, too.
7. You can anonymously leave comments here on the blog, whereas everyone can see who you are on Facebook. Some people feel more comfortable behind the veil of anonymity.
So, here's the question. Pick an answer. If you're having trouble deciding, go with your first instinct, not the answer you came up after doing some hard math using data from the Excel spreadsheet you use to store all your stash info.
And feel free to tell me why you picked the answer you did in the comments section. The more info you give me, the better chance I'll have at knocking this collection out of the park. (Oh, and if you answered on Facebook, feel free to answer here as well.)
Reader Comments (17)
Argh...I wanted to vote for at least 3 options. And now I'm feeling bad for going with jewel tones because earth tones is getting no love, and I'm sitting here sewing a mossy green ribbon onto a milk chocolate brown hat... And most of what's next to me qualifies as vibrant. I am a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.
It's been gray and restrained and muted and unpleasant both outside and inside, and a beautiful cheerful jewel tone sounds like heaven right now. Something clear and bright and bringing with it the promise of better, brighter times. "I can see clearly now - the rain is gone...I can see all obstacles in my way. Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind...gonna be a bright (bright!) bright, Sun-Shiny day."
Jen you're so funny! I gave earth tones some love, never fear. See I felt bad that I didn't pick jewel tones or vibrant. I love them as well, I just feel more comfortable with my earth tones. :-) Reds and greens and browns, those are me. And turquoise. Love me some turquoise.
While I love jewel tones, I am finding that they often overcome whatever pattern they are being knit into. Lately I find I am drawn to yarns that are a blend very subtle tints -- ivory, pale gray, pale bronze, pale gold. And I have come to love jewel tones that are heathered so they are not quite to jewel-like.
It's difficult to stay neutral to this question. I prefer neutral colors when I wear something, but I like knit with crazy colors as well.
A little bit of everything should be the best choice!
Come check out my stash! But you better like blues and greens and reds! Bright, clear colors.
Have also learned that it isn't worth it for me to knit with a color I don't like - absolutely kills the experience for me.
If I order something online and find I don't like the "real" color, it goes straight into the charity box.
Vibrant would be my second choice out of the poll options. I tend to summarize my own color preferences as "water shades or jewel tones," but a friend who'd seen a lot of pictures of my knitting referred to me as having a "macaw's eye" for bright bright colors.
I like a little of everything. I make mostly sweaters and cardigans, so I mostly use any shade of blue, pale purples, chocolate browns, or gray. I usually stay away from pinks but I am looking for the perfect shade of raspberry.
I answered Jewel Box, but I actually like knitting in anything that's not white. Probably I could like white too, if the yarn were tasty enough. :)
I could have voted for all except the Vibrant Hue option (wait , I love turquoise but not lime greens and pinks). But I did go with Jewel Box. For knitting that has cables or lace I like subtle shade shifts so the pattern stands out.
I could easily check more than one choice. I love jewel tones, but also neutrals, earth tones, vibrant and subdued colours. I love colour, period. I'll knit with all and any colours.
Okay, so I didn't make it any easier for you, did I?
LOL - GOOD QUESTION!!!!
I go for the earthtones and wish that neutrals could have been thrown in with that. And WHY, you ask?? Because, in the end, those are the colors I wear. Those are the colors that the people I know wear. The jewel tones are lovely! I go to them and ooo and aaahhh and pick them up and hug them - but in the end - it's the earth tones that come home with me. It's not only the practical aspect but also that there is something calming and warm and cozy about the earth tones. (The ET's) The muted tones can look kind of dirty and the vibrant tones could be combined with the jewels.
However - when in doubt - pick green. If green is an option, it IS God's will. LOL
Earthtones and Jewel tones equally here. I don't do pastels. Other than that I love all the other colors.
Earth tones make me feel warm and cozy, that is why I chose earth tones. When I'm knitting with them I think about where I might have seen them in my yard, out my window, at the beach, in the sky, etc and I have an immediate connection.
I chose Jewel Box, but if you add some really good blues to the Earthy Tones, I'd be all over that.
I chose Jewel Box, but was torn between that and Vibrant Hues! It's winter, I like brights and lots of them, but I look good in jewel tones!
You didn't have an option for 'all of them' either -- I like many different things, all at the same time! I do MUCH prefer some sort of variegation, even if it is just tone-on-tone, than a flat color.
It was hard picking just one because what I lean toward is beautiful, evocative color, whatever tone it may be. I've been drawn toward yarns with wit and depth to both their dye jobs and naming. Although I'm a jewel-tone person, a recent favorite was called Hound Dog and it's exactly the color of an old, beloved hound: browns, greys, smidge of black and white with a little hint of fawn.