Introducing Winter White, the first Color of the Month for 2024! It's become a tradition for me to tackle soft/neutral colorways in January. I'm definitely more inspired by soft neutrals this time of year when natures palette goes white, but also creatively it's a challenge to show restraint and create something interesting and captivating with as little as possible.
This months limited edition yarn is a very softly dyed variegated colorway. Winter White starts with a natural wool base and then I pour on the smallest amount of dye you in imagine in different blends of champagne, orchid, baby blue, aqua and silver gray. The final yarn is a soft silvery variegated colorway with pops of purple and icy blue. I put in a surprisingly large amount of work to create such a softly colored yarn- but I think that's what makes it so special! Look how beautiful this dye pot looks in the afternoon sun at the studio!
It took me several tries to get the right amount of dye on this yarn to create the effect I envisioned. As you can see below when you compare my first attempt of dyeing this months colorway. I thought I was using a small amount of dye but as you can see comparing the two yarns, the first yarn (the yarn cake) is quite dark compared to the final iteration of the colorway!
When I designed this colorway, I had the intention of using it alone for a sweater, but if you are looking to pair this colorway with something for the permanent collection or something from your ontheround stash, I would recommend past color of the month colorways Sugarplum Fairy or Elusive Purple Pumpkin, After Midnight, Emerald City, Wayward, Hemlock, or Shadow.
I spent a good portion of my morning scouring Ravelry to find the perfect sweater to pair with this months colorway. I didn't add a single sweater to my wardrobe in 2023 and instead focused on smaller projects and accessories. I wanted to take some time to really think about what I want to wear and add to my wardrobe. I am interested in trying a drop shoulder design, slightly oversized (for maximum cozy), enough detail to make the knitting fun but not complicated, and definitely a turtleneck because you know I love a cowl and I want to use my Plush DK base because it's just the right amount of drape without taking an eternity to knit. I found plenty of options to fit most my requirements, but most of them used a combination of yarns held together, particularly mohair, which was a bit frustrating. I don't carry mohair anymore because it is very expensive and doesn't sell particularly well for me, also i do not enjoy dyeing it AT ALL and I like wearing it even less. For me mohair is a sensory nightmare and also way too warm and I don't know if you know this about me, but I don't do anything I don't like, these are just facts. Thankfully I was able to remain focused and find a pattern that I think it going to be *perfect* for what I have in mind and really show off this gorgeous colorway! The design is called Maniototo by Allison Jane Designs if you would like to check it out for yourself. I hope to cast on later this week once I finish up cowl I am crocheting. I was able to get guage on the color swatch I made for this colorway, so I'll be ready to go as soon as I get my dyed!
Winter White is available throughout the month of January on Nimble Sock, Plush Single, Plush DK, and Plush Bulky.