Color Starved

Based upon the previous posts that focused on colorful photographs and yarns, you would assume that I knit brightly, or at least a variety of, colored things. You would be wrong. I won't take all the blame though. Here is a quick shot of knitted fabric from my three latest major sweater projects. 

Three neutrals. Two of them (on either side) are labeled "taupe". The middle one is a straightforward "brown". I tried to talk my mother out of the left one, but in the end, she was right. It was the best choice for the yarn she wanted and the use of the bulky coat that may end up covering up many colors of blouses. The middle is the one for me and was intended as a quick, chunky, cropped knit cross-body top, but like all planned quick things, it is still not finished. Nor did it end up the color I wanted, because it needed more yarn than I had in that color and I refused to spend any money on new chunkier yarn. (I'm currently in an anti-chunky yarn phase.) Finally, the one on the right...well it will be perfect. I am committed to making it so. It will be for one of my brothers. He chose the pattern from a line up, color and all, and it will look exactly like this (minus all the mismatched buttons):

Copyright: Creative Knitting magazine, Spruce Cove Pullover by Michael Brian McNorril 

You know, just like all my knitting projects look exactly like the models. (Ha!) Seriously, he will make it look good, regardless. He's blessed that way. (Dang it.)

I'm still working on the yoke, not yet joined for the body.

The yarn is Vanna's Choice (Lion Brand) in Taupe because he needed something that could withstand a man's man single father (ladies, if you pass a brief screening process, I'll give out his phone number) and the washing machine. He chops wood because his main source of home heat is a wood fire place (it's a very nice house, did I mention he's single). He has a nice toddler daughter and wants more (oh, he's single), children, that is. (He's 34 this year and has a very nice paying, steady job with benefits.)

Anyway, it appears I may be suffering from color blindness. Or, I will be if I knit one more sweater out of a neutral color. Most of my projects are chosen and planned as gifts. What is the best color for a gifted garment? A neutral. Mom loves taupey-brown colors (I do, too), but there can only be so much, right? I will work on a Henley sweater for Dad, but he's already picked out a dark brown heather or tweed...still more brown. 

And projects for myself? Well, my wardrobe runs the gamut of black to grey, and purple. Plus a few browns. And some reds. But I don't wear red sweaters. Not Santa-red anyway. In my fashion defense, I do collect colorful scarves.

Let's get to the point. I want to make this next:

Copyright: Lloyd, Lisa. A Fine Fleece: Knitting with Handspun Yarns. New York: Potter Craft, 2008. (page 41)

This is Fylingdales by Lisa Lloyd (Ravelry link) and I am in love with it. In fact, I'm in love with her entire book, A Fine Fleece.

I don't have a color chosen yet, but it will not be brown or grey. I promise. Maybe...purple.

P.S. Apologies for all the italics. One of those writing moods, you know?