The Yarnia Compromise

***Originally published on November 4, 2014***

Here is a stellar example of the benefits that come from blending your own yarns, like we do here at Yarnia.

This week, I decided to get started on this vest that I want to make for Jesse’s Christmas present.  It’s been years since I’ve made him anything, he’s a dapper guy, and though I still dutifully heed the freakishly accurate warnings about The Sweater Curse, this guy deserves a vest.

I knew I had my heart set on an earthy, heathered brown — a blend of something wonderfully warm and soft, like merino/alpaca.  What I hadn’t realized was that the pattern I finally landed on, with the perfect fit and construction, called for stripes!

Of course, you could follow this pattern exactly as-is and leave the stripes out, but once I read through the pattern I realized that while I don’t like the stark contrast of the stripes in the model, I think some subtle, earthy stripes would give it just the sophisticated touch it needs.

The green was a no-brainer — we have the most gorgeous tonal, heathered green in both merino AND alpaca, that I knew would be perfect blended together in the sport weight that this calls for.  But I was totally stumped by the browns: should I go with a light, chocolatey brown, or a deep, dark brown?  I put it to an Instagram vote.