I’m sure everyone has tons of spare time on their hands right now (I know I do!), but I didn’t want to miss highlighting these assorted interesting developments. Peruse them over the weekend or come back and catch up anytime!
— My hilarious friends at Mason-Dixon Knitting have published “A Coloring book for Knitters,” which makes me laugh because when I first heard about the coloring book trend, my response was “Those people need to learn to knit!” Apparently a lot of people would like to do both! So hooray for all things that make people happy, especially if it involves Kay and Ann.
— Holy cow, YES!, to the Tweed Project. I’ll have this whole outfit for starters, please.
— Nice piece on the return of the small-batch business
— Great tutorial on how to make a lined Stowe Bag — I’ma try this one of these days
— I’m eager to listen to Gretchen Jones on Seamwork Radio
— Have you heard about the Karl Lagerfeld fair-isle ripoff scandal? So shameful. (Thx, Danielle)
— And what are your thoughts on the Pantone Color(s) of the Year?
I also know the big question on everyone’s mind right now is Is there still time to shop for Christmas at Fringe Supply Co.?? There is! The Field Bag colors have been restocked this morning (including the elusive army green), as have the loom kits, bonsai scissors and rosewood crochet hooks. There are tons of great options for stocking stuffers and hostess gifts. And yes, there’s time. For US orders, we ship every weekday via USPS Priority Mail, which is a 2-Day delivery to most addresses. So as long as USPS hits their marks, you could in theory order up through early Monday morning and have your package by Christmas Eve. But obviously, allowing more time is better! So get those orders in ASAP!
Have a wonderful weekend—
.
PREVIOUSLY: Elsewhere
Always great and fun stuff here! You’re widening my world – making the world wide web work the way I think it should: bringing us all together for good reasons. Thank you so much Karen!
Pantone Colors of the Year? What were they thinking? Maybe this is exciting to someone. I can still make use of last year’s rich, versatile, Marsala. In fact the 2016 colors would combine well with Marsala.
Pantone’s “rose quartz” color of the year is what my family used to call “ugly pink”. I like pink, but this one just looks like old lady to me.
Oh, wow, that link to the Tweed Project! Gorgeous photos, styling…and the pieces are just superb. And the color(s) of the year is kind of a giggle. And thanks for the links for more weekend reading, Karen.
As for the tutorial on the Stowe bag, I have been making mine with box corners (google “how to make a box corner” if you don’t know what that is) and it makes for a much neater interior. The shape is the same, but you don’t have any lumps and folds on the inside. And if you clean-finish the trimmed seams, you really have a beautiful interior. I am a little surprised that the pattern doesn’t call for this, and would be interested to hear Jen’s response.
Correction: Googling “how to SEW a box corner” will get you better results.
Thanks for the tip Clare. I bought the Stowe pattern yesterday and look forward to maybe using a blue stripe ticking fabric.
You are very welcome, Di.
I just made one last gift Stowe this morning, and I cut the pocket pieces as one long piece instead of two (to eliminate the bottom seam). And then after sewing the bottom seam in the two main pieces, I basted the one long pocket piece to it, as in the pattern. Then I did all the top stitching that forms the pockets. This basically eliminates that chunky seam running across the interior floor of the bag, giving it even more of a clean, lined look. If I had a blog, I’d do a tutorial as it is much easier to show than explain. Drat… :-[
I designed it based on the classic plastic bag shape that folds flat, for that reason. I like how you can open it up to have a nice square bottom (especially if you’ve used a sturdy fabric, as we did with the original bag in 2012) yet still have it lay flat when not in use. But certainly trimming off the corner gussets and having the boxed bottom be permanent is an option, along with myriad other modifications. Which is what makes it fun! Your bags look great, and I’m thrilled you love it that way!
I love the Pantone Colors of the Year. In fact, I love it so much that I immediately put together three colors of KP Pallette for the Germinate Shawl that I’ve been wanting to make. Then again, I love soft sugary colors as much as I love my glittering jewel tone colors. I just use the softer ones for accents.
I bought two balls of pink “Grace” Rowan kidsilk haze and the kind person threw in a ball of “Heavenly” blue for free. They match the Pantone color exactly so maybe I will make a scarf with both!
That sounds like it should make a pretty scarf. I’m glad I’m not the only one who likes those colors together.
Pantone Colors of the Year? Oh, PUKE!
2016 PANTONE COLOR OF THE YEAR
There is only ONE color in Pantone’s 2016 Color of the Year that would work well enough for me. Major Brown. That is pretty sad! All I can say is, I AM SO GLAD I stocked up on yarn with the Holiday sales. Otherwise, I would have to go around NAKED.
I am with Laurel K… What were they thinking? I have been waiting for Pantone to wake up and smell the coffee. These colors do NOTHING for so many people. Do they even consider that when they decide on their pallet??? NOPE!
People fall into one of four basic categories; Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn, which are then broken into the following category’s:
Deep; Winter or Autumn
Light; Spring or Summer
Clear; Winter or Spring
Soft; Summer or Autumn
Warm; Autumn or Spring
Cool; Winter or Summer
If you are interested in learning more, here is one link of hundreds on color theory:
http://www.prettyyourworld.com/colortheory.html
Okay, I am off to read the other happier articles. They look very interesting! Thank you Karen.
Happy Knitting, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!
MJ, the SKEINdinavian
Pantone colors – ugh! Not for me, though I know there are folks who will love and look great in those colors. That would not be me. As the other MJ said, I’m off to other articles!
Love colouring and even better the illustrations in The Coloring Book for Knitters are done by Juliana Horner, daughter of the lovely Anna Maria Horner.
I’m with those who find the Pantone colours…gaggy, might be a good word for it. Well, that’s one less thing I need to worry about. And the Karl Lagerfeld debacle? C’mon, Karl. Pay up and stop stealing.
I just posted about the Pantone colors, had fun finding yarns in those shades. That being said, like many, they are not my colours at all. Actually I think we get about a week of excitement on Pantone every season, then move on to something else. The Coloring Book for Knitters is a great gift idea.
The thing about the Pantone color of the year choice is that it’s not just about clothes and what looks good on who. It’s about larger trends in color across a wide swath of applications — interior and exterior house paint, countertops, accessories, housewares (it’s especially true of dishware)…all the way down to things like the color of the binding on blank books. Some years the color they choose is a better clothes color — this just seems to not be one of those years for a lot of people.
Just found your blog! So happy I did!! I don’t like those new Pantone colors all that much!
I saw that coloring book mentioned on another blog I read – and immediately put it on my wishlist! I’ve always loved to color and still do (even at age 65)!! Not sure when I’ll color on it as I’m so busy knitting all the time. But I’ll do it somehow!!
Linda in VA
Here’s an update on the Chanel Fair Isle scandal from NYTimes: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/12/fashion/called-out-for-copying-chanel-does-the-right-thing.html?action=click&contentCollection=fashion&module=NextInCollection®ion=Footer&pgtype=article&rref=collection%2Fcolumn%2Fon-the-runway
Thanks for linking this! It’s nice they’re crediting her, and she seems content with that, but if they’re going to acknowledge that they’re her designs, it seems appropriate to me that she should share in the revenue.
Pantone’s colors?
Boring, dull, unexpected to be sure – really? Tune in next time
The Pantone colors gave me a total flashback to my childhood (born 1967, for reference), when my younger sister and I had a long run of coloring every page in our coloring books with palettes based on Crayola salmon and periwinkle. For some reason we’d decided that was the most beautiful color combination.
I confess, the Pantone colors do nothing for me. If they are a reflection of what is going to be available, I’m going to be frustrated, since pastel-ish colors like those are rather boring to me. Fortunately, there is usually no lack of the basic colors, but I’m going to be upset if there are no deep reds or purples available.
I confess, it feels to me like they are trying to hard; trying to turn their color of the year into a societal statement?
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