Hello! How is your Sunday going? If you need some inspiring audio to accompany your weekend knitting, I have three great listens for you today. First up is a brilliant episode of Radiolab, which blog reader, Julie, kindly recommended, all about colour. (thanks, Julie!)
This hour long episode is a fascinating listen throughout, but without doubt its top highlight for me is the panel’s discussion of the colour perception of different creatures, such as the truly remarkable mantis shrimp, with illustrative musical accompaniment, including (yes) a chromatic hallelujah chorus. Find the episode on the Radiolab website or youtube)
Those who are, as I am, fond of goats, will enjoy the first 10 minutes of this episode of Farming Today with its delightful story of Alan, the egg-delivering goat, who brings daily joy to the inhabitants of the village of Sibford Ferris with his owner, Sue Sabin. I woke up to this story the other day: the best start to a Friday ever!
I’ve experienced my own very powerful, personal experience with forgiveness, and I’m a great admirer of Marina Cantacuzino and the work she does with the Forgiveness Project. This week I listened to one of the episodes of Marina’s Radio 4 series for the second time: it’s the important story of how the organiser of a British far-right, racist group grew to question his beliefs–and his identity–through the friendship and compassion shown to him by another man, a muslim, and former jihadist. At a moment of global division and hatred, it’s a hopeful and uplifting listen.
If you have any ideas for future Sunday links that I and other blog readers might enjoy, please do share, like Julie did, in the comments.
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I’m not sure how you feel about Kaffe Fassett, the designer who introduced many of us to the possibilities of colour work in knitting. I remember Richard Rutt wrote that Kaffe had a great sense of colour but lacked skill in construction [I’m paraphrasing] Anyway I’m so old that I can remember listening to Kaffe on Desert Island Discs in 1990. It’s still available for anybody who’s interested on BBC Sounds.: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p009402w
Stunning!
Hi Kate – I’ve been loving your colourwork pieces, and of course the photos that accompany them, in addition to your sweater designs. While not truly a “colour” topic, could you possibly do some instruction pieces on HOW to design a stranded colourwork sweater, top down? I always like to take the ideas of others and create my own but I’m stumped here. Is there a formula for pattern increases (smaller to larger?) or is there a special way to chart these? Could you recommend a book that deals with this? Thanks for your wonderful blogs! G
I first heard that Radiolab episode in 2011 or 2012 and I still regularly think about the Mantis shrimp (and that chromatic chorus) all the time.
I rather feel the last decade of my life has been a little less colourful for NOT knowing about the Mantis shrimp until now
Good morning, A couple of emails ago, I think it was the intro of your upcoming book, you had an image of a butterfly. The background of the butterfly was a sea glass color. I have often used references in your emails for color inspiration for my sweaters. I wanted to do this with the butterfly but I have lost it. Is it possible to resend me that email? I would be so grateful. It was beyond beyond. Thanks, Nancy
I still have that email, Nancy. If you don’t get it any other way, send me a mail to dawn at maclew dot nl and I’ll send it to you.
Hi Nancy, here’s the link – it’s the Spanish Moon moth (knitted by Max Alexander)
https://kddandco.com/2024/02/03/announcing-colour-at-work/
Thank you so much for your help.
I absolutely loved this little film from the Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/news/ng-interactive/2024/jan/31/rowdy-flock-a-daughter-her-dreams-and-a-sheep-farm-in-norway
That Radiolab episode was the inspiration for one of my favorite web comics of all time from The Oatmeal. https://theoatmeal.com/comics/mantis_shrimp
“Genghis Khan bathed in sherbet ice cream” YES!