Help Me Choose a Color For My First Shawl?

#1

I’m dying to buy the yarn to start the KA for Sun Ray Shawl, but I can’t make up my mind about the color, there are so many beautiful Peruvian Highland Wool colors. Also, I’ve never bought this yarn before, so I don’t know if those colors really all look the way they do online.

Also, I’ve never made a shawl before, so I don’t know if I’ll be happier with a “safe” neutral color like the one the model wears (top link) or a dusty blue or dusty green. Ooooooooooooor whether I should plunge and go for a yummy color like Grand Canyon, Claret, Eggplant, Sapphire, Teal, etc. etc. etc…that yarn has so many scrumptious colors!!!

#2

I do a lot of lace knitting and if this is your first lace project I would recommend a lighter shade mainly because it is easier to see the stitches. Try to pick a color that contrasts with the color of the needles you will be using just for good measure.

Shawls look lovely in many colors. Even though neutral colors may seem dull, they really do a good job of showing the lace off. And they coordinate with a lot of other colors. On the other hand working with a color you love can get you through the dull parts of the knitting so there is a trade off. In choosing a color I would take into consideration the outfits that you would be wearing with it.

Whether or not the color you see on the website matches the real color depends entirely on your particular computer. I have seen people say that they find the colors on the website match the actual yarn well but I have had some real surprises in that area myself.

#3

Thank you so much! This is supposed to be a simple pattern, so hopefully it won’t be boring. I’ve never done lace work, but I tend to agree the lighter would show it off better, especially if it’s more of a winter shawl, since we tend to wear lighter colors in summer and darker in winter, so the shawl would show up better on dark clothing if it were lighter.

Now I only have about 20 LIGHT colors I love to choose from!!! :doh:

#4

i like the dusky lavender, starlight blue, lace pink and celedon… but they are all pretty…tough choices :heart:

#5

Think about what you wear most often and pick a color that goes with it well. You don’t wanna spend all that time on something only to find it doesn’t go with anything you wear. :slight_smile:

#6

Thanks all, I’ve narrowed it down to

Celadon:

or
Victorian Violet:

or
Serengeti Sand:

:cheering:

#7

Now, purple is my favorite color, so I’d usually recommend that. But for wear-a-bility (is that a word? :shrug: ) purposes, I like the celadon!!! :inlove:

#8

i’m liking the violet myself, it is more of a bluey violet, so it would go with a lot of stuff. i really want to make this shawl, but can’t right now, too many other projects. maybe someday!

#9

:muah: Thanks all. I’m torn between the celadon and violet too. And afraid to go with the safer Serengeti Sand :wall:

Oh well, maybe hubby can help me decide, I always used to take him fabric shopping with me for my quilts, he has a great eye for color. He picked out our curtain fabrics on eBay and it PERFECTLY matched my walls! Go fig! :shrug:

#10

I love the celadon. I think it would go with more than the lilac shade (unless you wear a lot of gray, blue or purple).

Misty

#11

I’m boring…I’d go with a neutral so I could wear it with as much as possible.

#12

Have you bought your yarn yet?
Because I have many of the colors you mentioned in my stash! I also have the swatch cards.
Before i had the swatches, I too had ordered some serengeti sand and it is actually much “browner” than I thought it would be.
Anywho, just yell if you have any questions about the shades and I’ll be happy to help compare them for you :teehee:

#13

Gosh, thanks!!! Oh, and I love you pup!

I’m not going with Serengeti sand, I think it will be Celadon. I like that it’s slightly blue and not just light green like the Celery. And it’s still light enough to show up as lace work. What are your thoughts?

I also considered Victorian Violet, it looks like a very light lavender color.

#14

Here are my thoughts: (this is fun!)
I have celery and celadon in my stash, in fact I’m attaching a zoomed in photo of a fairisle project (which I gave up on and turned into a pillow).

Celery: gorgeous shade, loooove it.

Celadon: again, gorgeous. Looks more blue-grey under flourescent light. I noticed that when I was knitting with it, and again tonight. BUT, by day, a fabulous blue. Those two colors look cool together btw, they “go”. I love them both equally, and I love them both a LOT.

Now, I do NOT have Victorian Violet in my stash, but let me tell you, that it looks beautiful on the swatch card. Reason being, it is a beautiful light violet shade AND it isn’t a “baby violet” as in “look at this adorable baby blanket I just made, it’s PURPLE!” NO. This is a slightly more subdued shade, and it is gorgeous.

That is what I LOVE about Elann and their colors, there are so many to choose from!

Ok, so in the photo, there are several stripes of celadon and celery (and squares and triangles) look dead center, the celery is right next to the celadon.
Also, harder to see, next to the “dusty rose” is “seashell pink” which would be a more subtle shade than “lace pink”. Lace pink is much more vibrant. Just fyi.

I don’t think I’ve really helped, because I really like all 3 colors! Me myself, I’d go with celadon. Very versatile. But I do love that celery…and the violet is gorgeous…

Why don’t you just knit 3 shawls! :roflhard:

#15

Ayayayayay! Thanks! :muah: I may have to!

Every time I think I have a color nailed down, I get cold feet! :wall:

I’m BIG into color, so I’ve had to shy away from the gorgeous colors and taking the advice of someone here who said, and I agree, that lacework looks best in lighter colors. The colors that are REALLY yummy are Arizona Clay, Boysenberry, Sapphire, Tapestry Blue, Dusty Teal, Turquoise (would match one of my bedrooms ;)). So much yarn, so little time!

Let’s just say it’s a tie between Celadon & Victorian Violet.

So how did you get these color cards? Did it come with an order or did you have to ask for them?

#16

Oh I forgot to mention:
I took that photo in very good natural lighting, so the colors look especially vibrant.
I have also found that the online photos are a bit washed out, so a color that seems very light may not be so light in real life.
For instance the Violet color you posted a pic of; looks very very light on my monitor, and is not QUITE so light on my swatch card.
I was also just thinking; in a lacey pattern, any of them would be great.

#17

They have the color cards for sale, on their website, on the same page as the yarn I do believe…
I am a color freak too. I spend half my life just comtemplating “color”. But it is very fun!