Not So Mellow Grellow. . .

When I received my latest Rowan Magazine 55 in the mail, I immediately fell in love with Dia by Martin Storey.  If I'd had the colours in my stash, I would have knit it exactly as it appeared.  I really like warm colours for a summer top.

However, since I'm trying to do some serious stashbusting this year, after going through my cotton, linen and hemp options this was the best colour combo I could come up with:

It is very, very bright.  Maybe too intense for me. I think using the zingy, almost neon yellow made the pattern go from a spicy Spanish/Moorish feel to a pop art geometric one,  and it seemed more appropriate to go with short sleeves, which was fairly easy to adapt.  I just measured where I wanted the sleeves to be, sewed up the sides and picked up stitches, doing six rounds of 2 x 2 rib to match the neck.

It definitely was a satisfying and fun pattern to knit and I do think the colours go well together; I'm just not sure that they really look well on me.   I wore it today when it was cloudy and gray and a bit chilly and I felt very self-conscious that I was somehow too bright.  I may change my mind on a sunny summer afternoon though - it could look nice over a flowing cotton skirt.  Someday I will knit this again in wool with the full sleeves because it would make a lovely fall sweater.