Originally posted 2009-02-12 05:37:12. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Needlepoint mystery projects are lots of fun, but they pose challenges for the stitcher. Since you don’t know what the finished project looks like, you pick color by faith that it all will work out.
Designers give you their color and thread choices, but what if you don’t like them?
Then you have to pick your own. Yesterday’s post talked about picking a color scheme based on an overdye. Since most mystery projects these days use an overdyed thread, this is easy to do, but for the ANG Stitch of the Month Mystery Project, I took another approach, I shopped pretty much completely from my stash.
I had an idea for a color scheme based on one I had seen in a book about kimono. Happily there is an overdye, Spruce from The Caron Collection, which is similar. It’s mostly teal, but it has sparks of pink and orchid (pale red-violet). I had used these hot pinks in a project recently, so I knew I had these threads on hand.
First I pulled everything in my stash in these colors and put them in piles by colors. I had scrap bag threads, knitting yarns and threads of every kind, including a partial skein of Dinky Dyes with just two threads left.
Then I took the list from the project and looked at it. My first concern was to figure out which of my colors I would assign to which of the threads. Since I had the fewest teals, I made that the color I thought had the fewest metallics. I assigned those threads first. For each thread in the list I pulled the thread from my pile which was most similar. Vineyard Silk become an unidentified Silk & Ivory. Floss became Pebbly Perle, pearl became Elegance.
I moved to the darker pink next. For this color the silks were the biggest problems as two shades were needed. I could only find one in my stash, so the second is Mandarin Floss. Three metallics are needed and I could find only two, so Panache (which also attracts attention) is my third metallic.
Finally I did the hot pinks, worried these were going to be the biggest problem (they were the smallest pile). I needed one silk and only had a little bit of one, so I’m probably going to use Panache. I had a Silk & Ivory for the Vineyard Silk, found three metallics and am using Neon Rays Plus for the Fyrewerks.
As a final check I put all my chosen threads together along with the skein of Spruce I bought to be sure the choices were harmonious, they were. So I have my threads.
I know that the textures of some of the threads I’ve chosen are far from the originals. For example, Panache is too shiny for a silk and not metallic at all. Neon Rays Plus only has glints of metallic, while Fyre Werks is a very sparkly thread. But part of the fun of doing this project will be to see how this works out.
I have also given myself permission to buy and substitute floss if needed.
I’m so excited about getting started it has given wings to finishing the stitching on my plate, so I can work on these challenges over the weekend.
Related posts:
Janet, it is so wonderful to be able to look over your shoulder as you select these threads and colors! I am loving every minute of this, and am hoping that I can be inspired to do the same with my next project! Love your selections so far!
[...] Choosing a Color Scheme Based on Your Stash [...]
[...] Choosing a Color Scheme Based on Your Stash Needlepoint mystery projects are lots of fun, but they pose… [...]