I finished knitting my long-sleeved TV jumper a couple of weeks ago and decided that instead of sewing it together and knitting the collar to completely finish it and make it wearable, I would knit the second sock of my yellow and red beady bed socks.
The wool is the Rowan pure wool 4 ply. I really like it for it's old-fashioned look when it's knitted up. Some of the more expensive wools are so smooth and feel great, but sometimes I like the roughness of a retro-type wool. Especially for socks.
I'm not sure if I'll keep these or pass them on as a present. I may be tempted to keep them for myself. I only have one other pair of bed socks, and in winter they're just the right thing.
I also made a start on my winter mittens, BUT, oh, I don't like these two colours combined at all. I've knitted a good enough amount, to give it a good enough chance of growing on me, and there have been moments when I've thought I could be swayed, but most of the time I look at it thinking, hm, it doesn't quite go together. I think it's the hand-dyed effect of the orange wool, offset by the light purple. If the orange was a flat colour, or the purple was darker it would stand more of a chance, but as it is...NOPE.
It's a shame because I was really enjoying knitting two colours again and making the mittens, and I knitted this up quite quickly.
So now I'm thinking of ditching the orange all together and exchanging it for a flat green. Green main colour, with purple snowflakes and contrast.
The SENSIBLE thing to do would be to take my purple wool and purple coat into John Lewis and hold them up to several balls of green wool (or another colour if it looks right) and see which is the best combination.
I remember when I was knitting my white and green mittens, and my purple and blue mittens, I thought the colours were so amazing together, I loved the combination while I was knitting them, as well as the finished product, and I just don't feel that way about the orange and purple mittens as they are.
I'll probably use the orange wool for more socks. I do love it. It's such a warming, cheerful colour.
