the blue blog archives: indecision

Crisis time again. As hinted at in my last post, I started the front of greensleeves. I cast on one half of the front (the cable splits at the bottom) and started the moss stitch in green and the cable in the purple tweed. Result: I was not as thrilled with it as I had hoped. At first I thought it might be because the purple doesn't quite match the blue flecks in the green tweed, so I tried switching to the blue Manos yarn that I originally planned to use with the green tweed. That didn't really do it for me either. Next, I tried some of the tweedy yarn left over from the boys' giranimals jackets and it still wasn't quite right. I'm beginnng to think that loving the idea of doing a different color on the cable doesn't equal loving the result. Maybe switching colors makes the cable seem too bold or breaks up the panel too much. I'm not sure what bothers me about it, but something does.

Of all the yarns I tried out I liked the purple the best, so I ripped out the other test swatches, put the purple swatch on scrap yarn and then cast on for the other side of the front using just the green. The more I knit the monochromatic version, the more I like it, but my inner knitting masochist is starting to pout. I think I'm strong enough to overrule the inner masochist and actually let this project be easy, but I'm not yet convinced about which swatch I like best.

posted by alison at 7:16 am | in greensleeves

Comments

I prefer the plain green one. The Legende does look good in the other picture but my vote would be for plain green....

Posted by: kerrie at March 10, 2003 7:34 AM

How about doing the cable in both colors? Would that be easy or too hard to figure out.

Posted by: Chris at March 10, 2003 8:37 AM

I like the all-green swatch too. Do you have enough yarn to consider that option? If you might not, then maybe you could use a yarn with only a slightly deeper shade of your green so it pops just slightly, but gives you that almost monochromatic look.

Posted by: Leigh at March 10, 2003 9:13 AM

i like the green... it's just so pretty! the purple is nice too but just not quite as compelling... :)

Posted by: carolyn at March 10, 2003 9:18 AM

Another vote for all green! The purple IS nice but green is nicer. ;)

Posted by: ~Jo~ at March 10, 2003 9:31 AM

i love purple. it is my fave color. but i have to say that the monochromatic look is the better looking swatch. Good luck!!

Posted by: deb at March 10, 2003 9:31 AM

Looking back at the picture of Able, I think that the monochromatic version might be best. Also, and this may be just awful, but, everytime I see green and purple I can't help but think Incredible Hulk so I'm biased against that combination. (Am I the only one with this association?) However, I don't think you could really know until you started the cable to see how the the two halves interact. Maybe just a mini-swatches to test the cables.

Posted by: michelle at March 10, 2003 10:12 AM

I prefer the green version, definitely... I'm sure you'll be satisfied with the result. Don't refuse to knit something easy... before starting the second Dale !

Posted by: Clémence at March 10, 2003 1:07 PM

M is for Monochromatic and Masochistic. Hmmmmm. I'm more of a monochromatic chica myself so that's what I'd have to vote for . . .

Posted by: Kerstin at March 10, 2003 1:11 PM

Another checkmark in the green column here!

Posted by: Kim at March 10, 2003 2:05 PM

If it were *my* sweater, I would be more likely to wear it if done all in green. So that's my vote, helpful or not....!

Posted by: claudia at March 10, 2003 3:11 PM

well...I'd go for the plain green too!

Posted by: noemi at March 10, 2003 6:58 PM

I'm going to drive you nuts in that I like both. I agree, the only true test is to do a mini swatch cable, say 6-9 rows, including a cross-over at row 3. This is the only true way you will see if the purple/green combo will work.

Finally - how subtle/bold do you want?? All green is more subtle, but the purple blend is very bold & in a whole sweater will probably pull it off.

Sorry, in a way that I'm not saying - me too, green only :-))

Posted by: Peter at March 10, 2003 7:21 PM

Green.... but I am worried. Will you have enough?

Posted by: Melissa at March 10, 2003 7:51 PM

Wow! Practically a unanimous decision for green. The Knitsmiths also preferred the all green version. I'm surprised, since the picture of the other swatch came out so well that I almost thought it was silly to post my doubts about it. But you all have confirmed what I was sensing. Thanks so much for helping me choose!

Posted by: alison at March 10, 2003 11:54 PM