QUESTION my dear friends:
Whaddya’ll think of the colors? This is my attempt to emulate the original Ram Horn’s Cardigan by Meg Swansen from Meg Swansen’s Knitting which uses Unspun Icelandic Wool. This is just plain ol’ Cascade 220 and I was kinda surprised that these were only these were the only few shades of black to gray that they had.
This is the sweater coloring in the book.
Not too bad a match right?
The only question I have for you guys is how does the top part of my swatch look? Do you think it’s too muted? I really like the progression of the black to the dark gray, but I’m kinda iffy about the silver. Does it blend in too much?
You see, that’s the last darkest gray they have, and I have all the yarn already, I just hope it works out, because if not….. I’ll have to do a yarn search all over again.
Please let me know what ya’ll think.
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
At first I found the silver hard on the eyes, but after a minute or so it looked better……there was an adjustment that needed to be made. I think it will work especially that there will be more of the silver,eh?
I think the silver is fine. If you want a better idea, though, try shrinking the photograph of your swatch until the swirls in the swatch photo are the same size as the swirls in the sweater photo and compare the two then.
I like it! The light gray is subtle, but you can still see the pattern well.
http://www.cascadeyarns.com/graphics/220Wool11.jpg
http://www.cascadeyarns.com/graphics/220Wool12.jpg
These are the grays that Cascade 220 comes in… I think the heathered ones would blend together better.
The swatch is beautiful though!
Hey Kanny,
It’s been so long, commenting on your new blog. How are you been?
I think it works fine! Cascade 220 is great choice of yarn but wooly yarn like Unspun Icelandic Wool they use in pattern – I think heathered yarn is much better in this Ram Horn’s Cardigan when you knit with it.
How about Bartlett Yarn’s Worst weight?
http://www.bartlettyarns.com/store/CCat.cfm?c_id=35&category=Worstedweightyarns
This yarn is softer twist and more bloom than traditional worsted yarns.
Thay have a White/Black/Charcoal/Oattmal/Oxford all in heathered colored yarn, so would blend together better.
It’s almost same price as Cascade220, Is sells $7.50 for 210yd.
Hope this yarn help you out!!!
I think the Cascade looks good Ken! If anything, I think the middle gray could be a bit lighter to achieve the best result of the gradient. I love this pattern!
Beautiful work, but I don’t think the gradient really works. The change in value between the dark and light grays is so much greater than the change in value between the black and the dark gray. Your swatch divides in half visually, instead of in thirds like the original. I remember seeing a sweater somewhere with black to white even gradient stripes made out of some yarn from New Zealand. If I can figure out where it was I’ll come back and let you know.
I totallly LOVE the swirl design and absolutely it’s beautiful work at a good gauge for the pattern and the yarn….but I must agree with Mill and Stan that the change between the dark gray and black isn’t strong enough. However I think at least some of the lack of contrast may be due to the fact that there’s only half a repeat of the gray: when I cover up the bottom half of the black on the computer screen the dark gray pops out more. I’d re-swatch before thinking about changing yarn if it were me (but an excuse to get More Yarn is never a bad thing either.)
I think your swatch works OK, but just differently than the shades in the picture of the sweather. I went through all the Cascade 220 color cards looking for colors for a man’s shawl and was disappointed that there weren’t more gradations of the neutrals.
I really like the progression of color – though I’ve made this sweater and will warn you about not making the neck shaping too soon – it sits *really* low on my neck which I don’t like!