The Blue Variant: On the Needles Now

In color theory, value is the term for the lightness or darkness of a color.  Consider a black and white photo of a Dr. Who scarf.  From that photo you could make a chart giving numbers from 1 to 7, lightest to darkest, then make a monochromatic scarf in any hue.

Check out Tara Wheeler's Blue Variant.  These are the instructions I'm following, based on the Season 13 scarf.

One challenge I found was really determining the lightness or darkness of a color.  Is charcoal grey darker or lighter than navy?  Too cheap to buy a value filter in the quilting department of a craft store, I tried the following scientific method of determining value:

Me: April, when I pull these two skeins from behind my back I want you to quickly tell me which one is darker.  Don't think or look at color, just darkness, OK? Go! (shows daughter yarn)

April: (Pauses to think, despite being told not to, because that's the way everyone in our family is) This is really hard.  They both look equally dark.

Me: (sigh) That's exactly what I thought.


I finally just decided navy was darker and committed to that decision by casting on with navy as my #7 (darkest) yarn.

I will post progress later.

Season 12 Scarf Finished!

Yes, it is done and placed for sale on etsy.  This scarf was knit in breaks between teaching classes, while waiting in the car at carpool, and at the end of a long day as I watched a movie at home.  I honestly don't know what non-knitters do with their hands all day!

These scarves are always fun--trying to find the right colors, keeping track of all the color changes--even weaving in all the loose ends.

Now I have a Blue Variant on the needles as well as a Season 18 adaptation (worsted acrylic instead of chenille--cheaper and easier to knit, but just as colorful.)