Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Think Pink - A Better Way of Life

Have you heard this saying before? “Think Pink, it’s a better way of life.” Here at our farmhouse, Julia is constantly reminding me of this. She heard it on the Eloise Christmastime Movie many years ago which has been replayed numerous times each Christmas season. It has become Julia’s mantra. I do love a girl with a color opinion, I must say! Diana Vreeland, the fashion icon, made an even more famous statement about pink. She said “Pink is the navy blue of India.” I love that, don’t you?

Color is a big thing here at our house – the walls, the fabrics, the knitwear designs, the paintings…. I like lots of colors, you all know that. For years, I got away with making and buying Julia's clothes in my own color aesthetic. Milk it I did….. I figured it wouldn’t last and I was right. Around about the age of seven, Julia began taking a real interest in the color pink. The interest grew and grew. Back then, if it wasn’t pink, she wouldn’t wear it. I expected pink to morph into a love of purple. Well, I am still waiting…. No purple love in her life yet. Julia will still only wear clothes that are pink – especially sweaters and tops. Pants, I can get away with neutral shades of denim, black, brown and an occasional purple. But “Pink Rules” around our house, as I am constantly reminded.

I’m trying to take the pink thing in stride. I’m not much of a pink girl. I wear lots of dark colors mostly because they don’t show the dirt and I’m a pretty lazy dresser and shopper. I hate to shop. Both The Farmer and I are wearing clothes that we’ve had for probably 15 years. Just the other day, he sadly said, “I guess I’ve got to throw this shirt away.” I looked at it – the collar was frayed, there were rips caused by some kind of farming implement from the shoulder to the chest. I agreed and sadly it hit the trash can, not even good enough to give to the Salvation Army. Julia mentioned that we should save it for next year’s scarecrow. “Yes Honey, what a great idea,” I responded. But then I decided it was best to toss the shirt because by next summer there surely would be another “scarecrow worthy” shirt. Besides, by then, I would never remember where I had put the tattered thing.

Back to the pink thing. I’ve been busy knitting every night in anticipation of the holidays and the incoming cold weather. In my vague memory, I remembered that the mitten situation for Julia wasn’t very good. Last year she wore two different pairs of pinkish handmade mittens and by the end of the year there was only one of each pair left. Better get busy Mom, I said to myself. And besides, the school has sent home warning notes about sending in your child with proper warm hats and mittens.

Here is what I came up with.

I decided to make Julia a new Winter Wonderland Hat and Mitten Set. I couldn’t use the same exact color as last year’s set – that would give me no reason to write about it nor show you all a new color combination possibility. I pulled out a different shade of pinkish yarn from my Julia stash. Actually it isn’t very pink at all but a lovely autumn inspired faded rose called Berry Berry. “What do you think Julia? Will you wear this?” She answered “Yes Mommy, it looks pink to me.” Ah, success.


For the past two nights I have been knitting madly away using 2 skeins of my Julia Yarn in NHJ 0124 Berry Berry and one skein of my Best Foot Forward Sock Yarn in Color NBF 7329 Fruit Salad. I eeked out the mittens with just a few inches left of one skein. There was a bit more leftover from the hat which I could have used if the mitten yarn ran out.


This set is made using 1 strand of a worsted weight yarn and two strands of standard sock yarn. I chose to wind all the yarns into one ball to make it easier to knit from. First I wound the Julia with 1 strand of the sock yarn. Then I wound this new ball into another ball adding a second strand of sock yarn. After winding both balls of Julia with two strands of sock yarn, I still have more sock yarn. Boy, does sock yarn go a long way!

For my crochet flowers, I used an odd ball of Julia Lady’s Mantle NHJ 3961. The French knots are made of Julia Pretty Pink NHJ 8141. This morning it turned cold and the Winter Wonderland Set was put into warming service. I’m hoping they last a few months because I’ve got other projects to knit. If need be though, I know I can make a pair of mittens in a night and a hat the second night. The crocheted and embroidered flower trim took another hour and a half or so. I so love a big gauged project!

If you’re looking for a quick knit for a Christmas gift and you have some worsted weight wool and odds and ends of sock yarn sitting in your stash, hop on over to my Shop Page to purchase and download my Winter Wonderland Pattern.


Has anyone else heard any more fun quotes about pink? Do you have any pink girls living at your house? It seems our cat Mr. Hannah seems to like pink too!

18 comments:

Deborah said...

Julia looks so happy in her pink hat and mittens! I like the pink song in the musical Funny Face. I'm not a pink girl myself, but it surely is a nice accent now and then.

Kar said...

What a great set you came up with. Julia is one lucky girl! :)

xxxx

Virginia G said...

"Think PINK! Think pink...

Now, I wouldn't presume to tell a woman

what a woman oughtta think,

But tell her if she's gotta think: think pink!" (Think Pink from Funny Face)

I love that song. :)

Yep. I have a 4-year-old, and honestly, my home looks like pink had a little too much to drink and came home and threw up. Everywhere.

I am not a pink person at all, and when she was a baby, my husband and I banned all pink clothing, toys, etc...

Nana said...

Lovely knitting, pattern, colors, daughter, kitty & blog! I'm new to your site.

I admire your daughter's claim to pink and sticking with it.

When my daughter was expecting her 2nd child last year, we were so hoping for a girl. Even after the 1st ultrasound, we kept our hopes up.

I did everything in pink...blogged in pink...sewed in pink. And it worked! We were blessed with Catelyn Olivia!

Pink rules!

Sooze said...

The pink love may never morph. My 23 year old girl is STILL a pink girl. Has been from the moment she understood "Pink".

Love the hat and mitten set!

Willow said...

Pink girls have more fun?

We girls here at willow's Cottage go through pink stages. Right now, none of us are in a pink stage; I think their current color is orange.

deb said...

I'm with Julia. I'm think pink grown-up. After getting married and then having a son, pink kind of went to the back burner. But then I decided to go back to embracing the pink. I'm a knitter and a quilter and love pink. Everyone knows if it's pink, it's mom's. There is even a thing called "pink noise". It's from the atmosphere and is supposed to make people happy. I agree!

Gudrun Johnston said...

Those are just gorgeous and lovely shade of pink indeed! Is that one of the kittens all grown up?

marit said...

What a lovely set!
I have two daughters, but they have never been pink...just occasionally they will buy and wear some pink. I don't min, because I'm not pink at all! But my sister has three daughters, and the youngest- a 7yearold- is PINK, and has been ever since she could point at her clothes-LOL!

Traci F said...

I love the set - so girly! I have four PINK girls in my house ages 14 to 3 and they all love PINK. My poor husband!

Beth from Upstate NY said...

My little sweetie was a pink girl for years. Now, at 14, she's wearing "black, until somebody comes up with something darker." Enjoy the pink years while you can.

Elva Undine said...

"Pink is the navy blue of India" is fabulous!

As a redhead, I have an odd relationship with pink (stemming from this ridiculous pink sweater vest with a Big Bird logo where an alligator would be). I preferred purple growing up, but now at nearly 30 I am beginning to understand what shades of pink I can wear. It's certainly a color that's fraught with drama!

Heather L. said...

What a great post! Here at our house we are thinking pink right now in a big way. After a string of 3 boys in a row we found out Tuesday that we are having a GIRL!!!!! My oldest (the only other girl) is ecstatic (and I'm probably even more excited). Our Christmas decorations will definately be including pink. :)

Love the new hat and mitten set!

Michele in Maine said...

My 11 year old daughter isn't too crazy about pink (she's a green girl), but my 3 year old niece loves pink! She won't wear anything else. pink tutus, pink piglet outfits, it's all pink, all the time!

great photos of Julia, by the way!

Ellen said...

My 18 year old teases me about how she was not allowed to wear pink or own a Barbie. Maybe I too should knit her a pink mitten and hat set. You have mixed a lovely shade.

Wanted to share a trick with you, maybe you already know this one: wind your sock yarn on a ball winder, and as you pull it off the winder hold the center hole with some kind of place holder, like a drinking straw. Slip your other two strands of yarn up through the hole, eliminate the place holder, and pull all three strands as one. The sock yarn will wrap itself around the other two strands, giving your three ply just a tiny bit of twist.

Cheers!

Anonymous said...

I gave a sincere hurray when the first dress appeared for our first daughter some 35 yrs ago that WASN'T Pink! We'd been unundated with it. I do like the color and wear it but who knew that would be all (but the one) that came in the door as baby gifts! She also would wear nothing but dresses from the time she was old eought to express herself! After she grew up she favored a different shade and much less of it, but to make up for that she turned out to be super girly!

My second daughter hated pink and still refuses to consider anything, no matter what it is, with even a suggestion of pink in it! She was also a dress hater and would only wear pants....so much for all the hand me down (and mainly pink) dresses from the first daughter! My second did, finally, develop a rather sophisticated version of feminitiy that involves lots of black and red. although she is much less girly than her older sister, her style is none the less distinctive.

I am a total romantic and and can wear pink, no pink was worn by me as a child -- and I had solid navy blue Winter and striped Baby Blue and White Summer uniforms to wear to school until I was 10 1/2. Moving to the US and out of a school that required uniforms opened up the entire color arena...but I'm an Easter Egg kind of girl when it comes to color and Pink runs along with that!

So let's hear it for Pink---it's a happy color Julia! :D

--elizaduckie

Anonymous said...

When my son was in preschool, he had a friend who loved pink. Her dad summed up her philosophy: "If it's not pink, it's not worth having."
Love the mittens and hat! I'm not a big pink lover,(red is my fave) but I'd wear them. I was rather relieved that my daughter didn't like pink when she was little (although she looks great in pale pink, with her flaming red hair). Lime green has always been her favorite.

Susan R. said...

How Hannah has grown - Julia was right; she's a beauty.

Great pattern and great use of patterned sock yarn.

Hope the whole family - both human and animal - have a great holiday.

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