Is anyone interested in a challenge to kick off the year?

 

Here's the story of how I came to this  challenge:

 

I was totally onboard for the past few years with Pantone's color picks - illuminating yellow and ultimate grey of '21; the very peri(winkle) of '22 and even the magenta of '23 I liked (which may surprise those of you who know I am not a particular fan of pinks)!

 

But I can't say I was happy to learn last week that "peach fuzz" is this year's choice!  Looking at the color wheel, "peach fuzz" is the tint of yellow-orange on the color wheel. From a color theory standpoint, a "tint" is a color (hue) with a lot of "white" in it. Even tho' I appreciate that some people like them, tints have never made my heart race the way deeply saturated clear colors or "shades" of colors (shades are hues that have black in them) do. 

 

So it being a "tint" was my first mark against it!

 

And while I do love a good orange, the "hue" family which peach fuzz is related to, I prefer the red-orange side of orange to the yellow-orange side of the wheel! 

 

Mark 2 against it!

 

So while I usually take Pantone's color pick as a basis of what colors to order for the coming season, I'm not likely to order any yarns in peach fuzz this year - unless. of course,  I hear an outcry from you all for it!

 

But I thought that maybe its choice as color of the year deserved some recognition.  So I decided to host another Fiber Challenge for store customers and base the "challenge" around "peach fuzz"

 

Fiber Challenges are something I've hosted here in the past to bring customers together around an event that helps them step out of their comfort zone, learn something about color and fiber and have some fun. Each one I've offered has been a bit different in how I organized it and each one has been a challenge for participants! But each one has also been a really rewarding experience for those participants as a way to nudge/force them out of their preconceived biases about color and design and look at their fiber choices in a new light!  If you want to see what participants in some of the past challenges have created, check out this page.

 

I remembered that a "peach fuzz" color of Elemental Shetland which I'd put on Clearance in the fall never sold,  so I pulled that from the closet and started to play with the color wheel on Saturday.  And I've come up with the Pantone Peach Fuzz Challenge.

 

I'm hoping to find 9 more (4 are already on board) local knitters, crocheters, nalbinders or weavers who are willing to rise to the challenge of working outside their comfort zone and are willing to join us to explore color (including peach fuzz, of course).   The event  launches this Saturday, January 20th and ends with the Great Reveal on Saturday March 16th, so participants have 2 months to complete this small project.

 

You never know, after all, if when you push out of your comfort zone that the experience won't help you discover something amazing!

 

Should you accept the challenge - 

 

 

-I'll give you the yarn which is 4 sks of Elemental Shetland

 

 (chosen by random draw which color wheel element you get!)

 

-You choose to knit, crochet, nalbind or weave whatever accessory you like (you have enough yarn for a hat, cowl, mittens, wrist warmers, etc)

 

-the design is your choice -you can do stranded knitting, mosaic/slip stitch, tunisian crochet, even stripes, twill, plaine weave

 

- each participant must use each of the colors in their bundle  (including the "peach fuzz"!).

 

-you must be done by Mar 16 and commit to bringing your finished item to the Reveal Event on that date

 

-you get to keep your item and you earn a store discount for participating

 

 

Will you join us for the challenge? Email me at northeastfiberarts@gmail.com or call the store if you're interested in joining the challenge. There are 8 spots still available.

 

You can find more details about the Pantone Peach Fuzz Challenge here.  And if you want to see photos from

past challenges (like the photo shown here), check out this page here!

 

It really is amazing to work thru a challenge like this - you learn a lot about color and about yourself while doing it and when we gather together to share with each other our end products it is always amazing and inspiring to see what everyone has done with the same materials/challenge.  

 

It may sound intimidating, but there are no critics involved. It's just a bunch of other fiber fanatics that have chosen to push themselves out of their comfort zone in the company of other fiber fanatics willing to do the same. So we all learn from each other's experience. 

 

I hope another 9 of you will join us!  Oops....just became aware that 2 more registered while I was writing this, so we're looking for another 7 to participate. Please email or call to register. Please do not register if you can't be here this Saturday at 1pm (for maybe an hour) and then come back again on Sat Mar 16th (1 pm).

​

Three new colors of Moonshine alpaca/silk/merino by Juniper Moon arrived.

 

Along with 2 new colors of Noro Ito and a couple new vibrant Tsuido colors -

 Plus new &Make aran and dk colors as well as new colors of Lore - all from Fiber Co.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And a new felting kit to needle felt 3 trivets,  designed by