What do you do when you receive yarn and the color disappoints? For a week I waited patiently for a yarn order and when I received Deborah Norville's Everyday yarn in the color Violet Heather I was unimpressed with how little it looked heathered. It's hard to get a good picture of this color of purple, but below is a picture that shows the ever so slight amount of black (or dark gray) that is in this yarn. If you can't see it, it's not you. I have to look hard and tell myself it's actually there before I think I can see it.
Seriously now... would you call this heathered?
The violet is really much darker than this picture shows and in normal lighting the heathering is completely unnoticeable. The flash used puts a bit of a shine on this yarn that simply isn't there in normal lighting. What may look like a bit of heathering is really the contrast created by the shine on the purple. What isn't shining is basically what is black (or dark gray) - or shadows.
So what's a person to do? It's not worth it to send it back. And I didn't need any more plain purple yarn.
I let it stew for a bit, knowing I wouldn't be using the yarn for the project I had hoped to make with it. But then I got an idea. Combine it with another yarn to make something of a different heathered look. And that's what I did. I added some laceweight Loops & Threads Woolike in the color Mauve and this is what I got:
Not bad! The purple is still a bit darker than this picture shows, but the mauve lifts the dark purple to something prettier than it appears by itself. Though the purple is actually darker, this picture is a fairly accurate representation of how the tones in the two yarns work together. I'm still not making what I had hoped to make with this yarn, but I think this casual poncho will be kind of fun in this new colorway I created. I may only wear it around the house, but I look forward to having something easy I can toss on temporarily to cover chilly arms. And just in time, too. We're beginning to enjoy evening temps in the 50's. A little early for fallish weather, but it's glorious nonetheless.
I love combining yarns to achieve better effects. Your combination works really well.
ReplyDeleteI think what you came up with is brilliant! Love how you've chosen to use it too. Awesome!
ReplyDeleteWell what you did with it is awesome!!!!!! What a great idea!
ReplyDeleteI think the flash shows the heathering more than you see in person. With that said, it's rare that I order yarn without having seen it up close somewhere first (Knit Picks is probably the only exception to this) so I probably shouldn't talk.
ReplyDeleteWell aren't you the clever one! You must have read my thoughts as to the camera shining on the purple as opposed to a true heathered yarn. So sorry you were disappointed in it and I can't say as I blame you a bit but boy do I love how you made lemonade out of lemons! It is gorgeous with the combination of yarns. I would have never thought of that but I will be looking at my yarns with new eyes now! Great job!
ReplyDeleteI do like how you combined the other yarn to add interest. I get annoyed by people calling heathered yarns tweeds and non heathered yarns heathers.
ReplyDeleteWell done on turning what was a disappointment into something useable for a project even if it's not the one you were expecting. I would have expected something quite different as well if I had ordered a heathered yarn as well.
ReplyDeleteA great combination with an even more lovely finish. To imitate something 'Sam I am' said above ^ you have made raspberryade with a bunch of raspberries.
ReplyDeleteI think you did a brilliant job of fixing your disappointment with the yarn. I rarely buy yarn on line because I feel the need to see it in the daylight and feel it. I am surprised how different yarn can look from the store lighting to daylight.
ReplyDeleteThat would be disappointing, but I sure like your solution!
ReplyDeleteHappy Days,
Jenn