Today's Happenings

Casting Off

Hello! Welcome back to the blog! We've now finished our little style section, having looked at colour, texture, thickness and aesthetic. So, today's post will just be a little summary of it all as well as a few final tips and an exciting announcement - more on that soon.

Based on what we have looked at in the past month, I have decided to rank the best things that I have learnt from looking into style more - here are my top ten lessons.

10: A plain white bedroom isn't always best - whilst people often expect this to be a great option because it is plain and therefore doesn't keep you up all night, it actually is believed to evoke stress because of the fact that it is under stimulating. Instead of just plain white or cream, why not combine it with cool, pastel colours such as mint green and lilac?

9: Thin yarn comes with both troubles and joys - before I looked into it more and started using it more frequently, I always thought that thinner yarn was a no-go as it is so fiddly and mistakes are much easier to see in it. Whilst that is true, it can be quite important, as it can be used to make intricate details and lace patterns.

8: If you want to spark your creativity, you NEED colour - remember in the first post of this section, where I shared survey results about the impacts of colour on people? Well, most of the people that described themselves as creative had a lot more colour in their lives. It didn't mean that they had no monochrome at all - in fact, all the participants of the survey said that they often wear black. It just proved that it is great to have a bit of vibrancy in your day-to-day. In the post about aesthetic, I learnt even more about the importance of colour for inspiration. Now, I try to go outside, look out my window or even look at pictures of natural landscapes whenever I can.

7: All crafters have different opinions on yarn thickness - this may sound like a weird one, but when I was a bit younger, I thought that people universally loved thicker yarns but hated thinner yarns, but from talking to people and researching for this blog, I can confirm that that is just not true. Everybody is different - some people want a quick project, whilst some people want to take their time making something delicate.

6: Researching your yarn fibre is key - All yarn fibres have different qualities, so knowing what you're working with is an absolute must before any project. If you want to know a little more about the material you have got, check out our post from three weeks ago, which explains the pros and cons of some popular fibres.

5: My personal taste - I have learnt tons about the kinds of colours and patterns I like through doing this. For example, until I started this, I never realised quite how much I like green! I'm also particularly drawn to pastels but I do like vibrant things too. However, the thing I've noticed the most is how much I'm drawn to gradients - I don't know why but I just love them.

4: The environmental impact of knitting - I knew that knitting and fashion did impact the environment but I didn't know all the details and for that reason, I'm very grateful that I've had the chance to learn so much about it. The most popular fibres, acrylic and cotton, are not the best for the environment; however, bamboo and natural wool are great alternatives to these. Also, in general, knitting is great for the planet as it's not like fast fashion; you're unlikely to throw away a homemade and heartfelt jumper after just a couple wears.

3. Aesthetic is more than just "pretty" - I'll be honest here, before I actually did any research on aesthetic, I had only ever heard it being used by teenagers or in PE when they talked about dance or gymnastic movements that looked good. When you hear about it in these contexts, it's easy to forget that aesthetic is not about society's ideas on beauty; it's about your ideas on beauty.

2. The beauty of the world - I know this sounds incredibly cheesy but it is true! As I started going on more walks both to boost my fitness and to get colour inspiration, I started to realise how pretty the outside world is. Also, being stuck indoors again, I'm trying to pay more attention to my indoor surroundings too and, being a very messy person, there's a lot for me to see! Whilst it is a mess, I still love everything about my little space (most of the time).

1. The importance of being yourself - I never realised quite how few people wear their favourite colours on a regular basis, something which I found out in the survey I carried out last month. Come to think of it, I don't really either. So, from now on, I'm going to try and incorporate my favourite colours into as many of my knitting and crochet projects as I can! 

Now it's time for my special announcement, which I'm super excited about! 

Based on everything I've learnt over the course of this section, I've decided to create four colour schemes in Stylecraft Special - three in double knit and one in chunky. Today, I will be revealing these to you and will give you the opportunity to vote on which is your favourite. Then, next week, I will announce the palette that has triumphed and we will be selling this at a discounted price of £10. Here are the options:

Option One: Skies

My first colour scheme, which I have called skies, is inspired by my nature photography that I mentioned in last week's post. The colours in this selection are:

• Shrimp
• Candyfloss 
• Saffron
• Aster
• Lobelia

Option Two: Joy

My next colour scheme, Joy, is based on a flag (see if you can guess which one!) and I decided to name it Joy because of the happiness that the colours gave me. I also gave it that name because of the joy I felt after being able to find all the colours that I needed, as I was a bit worried that I wouldn't be able to find the right ones! The colours in this scheme are:

• Copper
• Spice
• White
• Magenta
• Violet

Option Three: Drift

Remember in the first blog post of this section, where I looked at what colours were best for sleeping? Well, Drift is based on that post, containing a range of neutrals and cool pastels that are proven to increase relaxation and lead to better sleep. The colours in this set are:

• Cream
• Silver
• Lincoln
• Storm Blue
• Lavender

Option Four: Basics

Finally, we have our chunky option (I thought it would be wrong to stick to just one thickness after having done a whole post rating different thicknesses). I decided to call this one Basics because I had picked simple primary colours - though the red is a little more of a brick shade - and black and white. Here are the precise colour names:

• Black
• White
• Copper
• Gold
• Empire

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Can't wait until next week to announce the winning colour scheme, but until then, happy crafting!

Caiti