19 March 2016

Druidstone Socks

Druidstone Socks by Moira Ravenscroft, Wyndlestraw Designs
In my last blogpost, I was looking at one of the key colours which Pantone has forecast for this year, "Stormy Weather". They describe this colour as:

"Reminiscent of the sky on a grey, overcast day, Stormy Weather is dependable, cool and above all, constant. Implying quality and luxury, it is a powerful blue‐grey that is strong, protective and enduring."

​In other words, it's a perfect colour for men's socks.
Knit Picks Stroll Tonal, Col 26598 Train Station, photo for blogpost by Moira Ravenscroft, Wyndlestraw Designs
There are many wonderful blacks and greys around in the yarn stores right now and the photo above shows one of my favourites. This is Knit Picks "Stroll Tonal", Col #26598 Train Station.

The colours in the blend range from a rich coal black to mid-tones of dark steel and highlights of smokey grey. When worked up into socks, the lighter grey tones form into neat bands of colour – enough for interest but not distracting and blotchy.
Druidstone Socks by Moira Ravenscroft, Wyndlestraw Designs
And here's a pair of socks made with this yarn. These are the Druidstone Socks and they have been worked in a wide rib design from our Reversible Knitting Stitches book. This is a very elastic stitch which is very comfy to wear.

The socks have extra shaping around the ankle and arch to give a well-fitting design, and feature a turn-back cuff for extra warmth around the ankle.
Druidstone Socks by Moira Ravenscroft, Wyndlestraw Designs
The pattern also includes a straight sock which would be an excellent option for a day at the office. These are worked in Knit Picks Stroll Solid yarn #23696 Ash, with the top edge picked out in a contrasting black colour.

The Druidstone Socks pattern includes a range of sizes for both men and women. The photo at the top of this blog includes a women's sock in Knit Picks Stroll Tonal #26140 Pacific. The overall colour of these socks is a deep cerulean blue but with shades of denim and stormy blue skies – the colour of the sea after the stormy weather has passed!

For more information about the Druidstone Socks pattern, please click here. The pattern is available for immediate download from the site.

Happy Knitting!

Moira
Keywords: Patterns/Accessories,
grey, gray, black, mens socks, women’s socks, colour, color, 

10 March 2016

The future of colour

Menswear Colours for Fall-Winter 2015-2016, photo for blogpost by Moira Ravenscroft, Wyndlestraw Designs
Have you ever wondered how the colour of yarn in your local yarn store gradually shifts from season to season, the bright blue of several years ago now nowhere in sight? Well it's all to do with colour forecasting.

The photo above, for example, shows a menswear forecast which was put out several years ago for the season we are in now, Autumn/Winter 2015‐2016. In this, we see a slightly improbable mix of bright colours contrasting with greys and browns.
Menswear colours for Fall-Winter 2015-2016, photo for blogpost by Moira Ravenscroft, Wyndlestraw Designs
And here are the colours that we finally saw in the shops – significantly toned down, but still recognisable as deriving from the earlier predictions.

So the colour combinations that we see now start life at least two or three years earlier. Colour forecasting companies, yarn manufacturers and fashion designers meet at events such as Pitti Filati in Florence several years before the start of the season and discuss how the mood of fashion is evolving. Are things becoming more upbeat and flashy, or is there a movement towards a calmer pace of life and softer shades?

The feedback and reactions from these trade shows gradually leads to a consensus on colour choices. Sometimes these can be wildly different from previous years, but usually they are just subtle shifts in tone so you can add "this year's colour" to pep up your favourite item from the previous year.
FW 2014-2015 Aluminum, photo for blogpost by Moira Ravenscroft, Wyndlestraw Designs
Let's look at grey for example. The photo here shows Pantone #16‐1107 "Aluminum" (or as I would say it, Aluminium ‐ oh what a difference an extra "i" can make!)

This was a key colour for the Fall/Winter 2014/2015 season and worked well with one of the major themes for that year, "Masculine Pieces".

It was a steel grey shade but with a warm mid‐tone giving it a feeling of restraint and calm.
FW 2015-2016 Stormy Weather, photo for blogpost by Moira Ravenscroft, Wyndlestraw Designs
And here is the grey shade one year later on: Pantone #18‐4214 "Stormy Weather", an altogether harder, bluer tint. ​As it says on the Pantone forecast, this is reminiscent of the sky on a grey, overcast day – cool, constant, dependable, powerful.
FW 2015-2016 Stormy Weather, photo for blogpost by Moira Ravenscroft, Wyndlestraw Designs
Textile manufacturers, yarn companies and fashion designers draw on these colour influences for their inspiration as they plan ahead.

​Then over the next few months, 6 or 8 "themes" start to consolidate for each season.

Shortly afterwards, we start to see magazine photos and catwalk shows for the coming season, and the local yarn stores have similar colours so you can make matching items. Magic!
So I am going to start a blog series all about different seasonal colours with ideas for updating your colours along with the fashion forecasters. In the next blogpost, I'll be featuring a pair of socks using a lovely grey‐mix yarn that will be perfect for that  "Stormy Weather" look, so please join me then.

Until then ‐ Happy Knitting!

Moira
Keywords: Colour Notes,
colour forecasting, color, Pantone, grey, gray,

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