A long time ago, I painted this:
I was not impressed with my handpainting skills or my choice of colors. I spun a little bit of it and put it away. Months passed.
In October, I was playing with my carder and thought I’d put some of that silk through it to see if blending could make it a prettier color. I predicted some shade of purple.
One pass through the carder
The above color reminded me of veiny anatomy textbook illustrations. I thought I’d send the silk through the carder again.
The colors muddied a little, which was expected, but – hey – mauve! Not bad!
I bet it’d look better if it were blended with wool of a different color… but what color? Something else in the purplish category? Something neutral (white, grey, black)? What do you think?
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Purplish, definitely. Although, maybe you just want to spin with alternating bits of roving from the mauve stuff and then some purplish roving to get an interesting variegation. But then, I’m still new enough to this that I’m not sure what would happen.
Comment by bibliotecaria 12.09.05 @ 8:49 amI kind of like the veiny one on top – but it could spin up peculiar.
Somthing in a blue to match that kind of french blue that runs through it.
Sadly, I have no instinct for color at all – I would lean towards something neutral. I could be way off base though!
Comment by PumpkinMama 12.09.05 @ 9:15 amIt might look nice blended with some blue. That way the final color might be a bit purpleish.
Comment by Emily 12.09.05 @ 9:18 amI rather like the french blue suggestion which would seem to bring out the other colors.
Comment by Cathy 12.09.05 @ 9:48 amI was also going to say blue, and I’m glad to see other people saying the same thing because I tend to have no color sense…
Comment by CarolineF 12.09.05 @ 9:58 amIt really depends on what you what as a result. Matching is good, but I think I’d like to see that silk running through some black merino.
Comment by Charleen 12.09.05 @ 10:14 amI meant to add that it is very interesting to me to see what has happened as you have carded it. The most adventurous I have gotten with colors is Koolaid rainbow dyeing (see my farm site http://www.windyridgefarm.org fleece page>projects2 page) and the transformation of your project is lovely!
Comment by Windyridge 12.09.05 @ 11:41 amI haven’t a clue. I am still amazed at the top picture! Very shiney and pretty.
Comment by Beth 12.09.05 @ 11:41 amIt looks more like a soft coral than a mauve to me. For a mauve I guess I would say purple but for a coral, I’d go for turquiose.
It does look lovely though :)
Comment by Robbyn 12.09.05 @ 11:57 amI’m thinking a nice electric blue. As intense as cobalt, but lighter. Mmmm. :)
Comment by Rosemary 12.09.05 @ 10:12 pmClassic color additive trivia: Did you know the first synthetic organic dye ever made (c. 1856) was named mauve? I wonder if the creator went through a similar blending process…
Comment by CJ 12.10.05 @ 5:59 pmI totally vote for mixing it with a black or a dark brown – I think it would also be totally scrummy with a natural (brown) BFL – mmmm – I do love me that BFL. Or a Black Alpaca mixed with that silk would have an incredible drape, and feel luxurious. Just my 2 cents – and of course – sample, you never really know until you try.
Abi
Comment by Abigale 12.15.05 @ 3:39 pmWell, I don’t spin but I am an artist..and I DO knit..so, after careful consideration, I say..remember your summer spinnings that are posted here..and think about that when you decide what to add to your blend..
what about spinning it the way it is and then twisting it with a white mohair or–spinning it with a white angora????? or a thin strand of something shiny?