The knitting on Vestes is done. The deck is done. The baby sweater is trekking along...

I have a little time for color play.

Fair Isle can be intimidating. Usually the color combo in a pattern is what makes me love it so I just play it safe and adhere to the colors as written. Sometimes, however, I feel the need to switch it up.

I will link to the pattern in a later post because I don't want you to be influenced by the colors prescribed. The yarn is Knit Picks Palette.*

My pattern has nine colors, with a tenth as a 'grounding' color at the hem and neckline. I want four lighter colors for the background, and five darker colors for the foreground. In the following pictures you will see one ball as the hem, four balls for the background and five for the foreground.

Exhibit A:



This was the color scheme I ordered. Online is always tricky and luckily the colors were close to what I expected. But...I'm not crazy about the cream-yellow-green transition in my background.

Exhibit B:



My background transition is better here, but now I don't like the foreground. I think the span from my dakest color to my lightest will create visual confusion when it's knitted.

Exhibit C:



Better for the foreground and background, but I really want my hem to be green and not yellow.

Exhibit D:



Okay, we're closer. But that pale green/dark gold transition in the foreground is a bit too dramatic...

Exhibit E:



Bingo!

Now, I need to do swatches to make sure my guage is okay, and my color choices work.

The lesson to learn here is that it's easy and fun to mess around with color.

*Oyster, Bison, Masala, Sweet Potato, Edamame, Green Tea, Cream, Turmuric, Cornmeal and Semolina