Designing Redbud

While finishing up a number of projects, my mind has wandered, in its restless way, to the future. I've decided to stop coloring my hair, having just finished the excellent and thought-provoking Going Gray by Anne Kreamer, and I've been thinking about colors that would flatter a softer hair color. (Man, is THIS a freighted subject! I'm not at all sure that I'm ready to go gray--in fact, I don't really know how much gray I've got at this point. In my mind, I'm Emmylou Harris. In reality? Lord only knows. I'll keep you posted.)

I saw a photo in a magazine recently that set my thoughts to designing a V-neck pullover. I'm calling this design "Redbud" after all the flowering shrubs that show up in spring: redbud, flowering quince, crab apple, cherry. I think these gray-ed pinks and browns could be lovely in a sweater.

I begin a project by pulling out any and all colors from my collection that are found in the photo that inspires me:

Then I start swatching for color and value:

I figure out what I like and don't like--these are nowhere near what I'm looking for at this point--and then swatch again:

My next swatch will start to look more like a normal swatch, although I won't be ready to swatch in the motif yet.

Meanwhile, I've been searching for motifs that would seem to fit the color story and the garment I have in mind. I found something like what I want in the out-of-print marvel called Swedish Sweaters by Britt-Marie Christofferson, with shaping refinements from Sweater Design in Plain English by Maggie Righetti. 

In the meantime, I've been spinning some yarn for striped socks. I purchased 5 colors of roving (described as "New Zealand Wool"). Half of this was mixed into batts that were run through the carder twice. The other half was carded in the short strips method (see Deb Menz' Color in Spinning or Jo Reeve's Ashford Book of Carding for details). I'm now plying my sadly inconsistent singles together, using a lot of twist, as suggested by Abby Franquemont in her recent workshop at the Spinning Loft (as reported by my buddy Greg, but seeming to be supported by Abby's article in Spin-Off magazine).

Comments

[martha in mobile]

Thank you for showing us your inspiration process. I've always wondered how that works. I can't wait to see how Redbud develops! As for going gray, good for you! Dyed hair looks a little flat, in my opinion. But perhaps that's just my rationalization for not dyeing my hair (I'm currently about 15% gray).

[Nancy J]

Seeing the projects as you finish them will be delightful! And the new project...very exciting. I love reading and seeing how the creative process works for different people. I haven't gone back to coloring my hair as I did periodically from 15-35 (it always went to the same color, regardless of what color it was dyed) but I promise, no more permanents! After last year's worst permanent ever given plus not being able to attempt to style it after the flight, I'm more than ready for my hair to be natural once more!

[Barb]

I was thinking about the hair topic just last week. I tried to get my son to tell me if the back of my head had as many white roots as the front, but of course in the man-like manner he declined to commit.
Your process for picking colors is amazing...much forethought and wonderful results.

[Naomi]

I'm not there and may never get there with the gray hair thing. I *think* it would be nice to go natural but..no. It is not going to happen anytime soon. I would have to cut all my hair off - can you imagine my grow out? Does she talk about the reality of going gray - how you actually transition/do it?

As always, your color work always inspires me. It makes me want to look through magazines, photography books and find something that speaks to me, then get out my spindrift and start swatching-the colors you have going remind me of what I was trying to go for in my version of Luskentyre! Thanks for sharing your process!

[Northmoon]

I love my grey hair. I guess I'm lucky that it looks good - someone recently asked me who did my highlights. I'd have to answer highlights by God! So I say go for it, be real, spend your time and money on wool not hair dying.

Love the spring color pallette too. Can't wait to see the project.

[Erika]

This looks like it's going to be a beautiful sweater. I love the inspiration photo. This makes me want to work on my swatch again from your class at Madrona. It's just sitting there, and I've become so sidetracked. Maybe tonight... :)
Looking forward to seeing the progress on your Redbud sweater!

[CarolineF]

I am totally with Naomi - even if some of us wanted to go back to grey (or in my case WHITE by now I'm pretty sure since I've been dyeing it for 15 years), how do you practically do it if you have dyed hair down to your waist?? It's not like I'm making a nice little hardly-noticeable transition from sandy brown to grey, either, so it could grow down gradually and sneak up on everyone. I always thought I'd have a long white braid when I'm in my 60s, so I have 10 years to figure out how I can get from this to that...but yikes!

The colors in your swatch remind me of an embroidered pillow I have on my couch that was done by my great grandmother - light green fabric with fuschia colored flowers and bright green leaves.

[Ryan]

TMK and I have a good friend who had been dyeing her hair for years. It was short, sort of in a bowl cut, and always looked dry and a little straw-like. We didn't think too much about it because we figured that was just the texture of hair she'd been born with. Then she stopped dyeing it, and it grew out into a beautiful, radiant, soft, silver-gray head of hair, and she just looked like a completely different woman. Hope this encourages you (says someone who is panicking because her gray roots are showing as we speak. Time to go to the salon!)!

[Barb]

The grey thing - it took me oh 10 years to stop dying then dye then finally stop dying and the key to successfully wearing grey wonderfully is to change your clothes color pallette (no more black) to compliment the lighter grey hair color - and oh by the way, lighter skin color too. So, your makeup- if you wear any - like eye pencil and lipstick has to change and go paler to make the transition go wonderfully. I'm happy now, but until I made these changes I felt so uncomfortable in my own skin. By the way, the wonderful colors you are swatching would look lovely on a person going grey - perhaps leave out the darkest dark - no color darker than a midpoint/medium value and the bright intense colors like fushia tone down to a clear but milder rose. You can probably guess that my own experience going grey (and getting paler after menopause) was a teensy bit traumatic but as you can see I put a lot of thought into this and it finally does work. I'm 56.

[linda]

Those redbud colors are great. The ones around here have been absolutely spectacular this year - I've had a couple of conversations with friends about it.

My spinning bug has been biting harder lately too. You're inspiring me....

[JoVE]

Both of those projects look very promising. I read that article about twist in Spin-Off and began to wonder whether I'd been doing it right at all. Maybe I need to get the spinning wheel out again and play. I love those colours you have, for both the sweater and the socks.

[Lynn]

Thanks for the book suggestion. I dyed my hair for 10 years, decided the color was too harsh for my face (even tho it was my original hair color) and let it grow out. I have waist length hair and it took about 4 years until it was completely gone. Turns out I have silver in the front and still brown in the back. I get lots of compliments on it, but.... I'm considering dyeing it again -- something dramatic in a lighter shade. It's just dull to me. I have been wearing much brighter colors because I think my face/hair is too washed out and if I wear lighter colors I look like wallpaper. I will read the Going Gray book before I opt for the dye pot again.

To answer some of the other comments about growing out dye with long hair -- I just let it grow. I got some comments from women about "what are you doing differently with your hair?" and when I told them I'd stopped dyeing it and was letting it grow out, they just said "oh" and changed the subject. For people who see you regularly, it is a gradual change. It's more startling for people who don't see you often. I find it funny that I am now using the same "silver enhancing" shampoo that my mother uses.

[teri p]

so, how is it that you swatch in the diagonal pattern. i am just learning how to design and woudl love any helpful tips and hints. i think i am going about it the wrong way, and woudl love some insight into a process. i love your color selections. and regardless of what color and how much gray, i think those colors will look fantastic
teri

[Doreen]

Just a thought on the hair color transition - instead of just stopping why not dye one more time in a much lighter shade with highlights so when the roots do grow the difference is is not too startling. And it gives you time to adjust to the lighter shade.