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donna_loomis

Color dilemma

donna_loomis
16 years ago

DD is expecting her second baby (a boy) in early August. I have been happily knitting away for him. I am nearly finished with a log cabin baby blanket done in pastels: white, yellow, mint green, baby blue, and a variegated yellow/mint green/baby blue. I think it's lovely. I showed it to her the other night and asked for her opinion on how she would like the squares arranged (there are at least a dozen possibilities). She played with the squares and came up with one that she liked best. My grandson asked who I was making it for and I told him it was for his little brother. DD spotted my Vogue Book of Baby Blankets and began leafing through it and spotted a blanket she fell in love with. She asked if I would make it for her. Of course, I said yes. Babies need more than one blanket, right? But she wants me to make it in GRAY. She went to Michael's and looked, but couldn't find just the right yarn. She didn't like the colors of Cotton-Ease, which was the yarn I suggested. So, I told her we could look through my stash and see what we could come up with. Darn it, I had forgotten about the Red Heart Shetland Chunky in Oxford Gray that I bought a couple of years ago to make a sweater for myself and never got around to. She spotted it and squealed with joy, saying that it was just perfect. And there's more than enough to make the blanket. I was hoping to present it to her at her shower, but I'm afraid that everyone will ooh and ahhh over the blanket, then go home and say, "What was her mother thinking? GRAY?"

I can't find that particular brand anywhere, but I discovered that Joanns has Patons Shetland Chunky and in some really nice colors. Tonight she is going with me to see the colors. I'm hoping to at least convince her to let me alternate the squares with another color. But unless she chooses blue, I just don't think there's any way it's going to look like a baby blanket. At the same time, it really is all about her and if she really wants gray, I guess it's gray.

I guess I'm not really asking for advice. Just needed to get it off my chest.

Comments (11)

  • marvel
    16 years ago

    Hey, Donna, maybe a solution would be to tie small, baby blue (checked?) ribbons, like in a quilt, where the squares meet. She could remove the ribbons easy enough to suit her taste later, and for the shower, make it look and feel better to you, too. You're such a thoughtful Mommy and Grandmommy! Who knows, she may like it better with the baby look, and still be able to use it without the ribbons for when he is more of a "little man".

  • threejsmom
    16 years ago

    I know you're not really asking for advice but maybe you can convince your daughter that babies see primary colors better (seems like I read that somewhere a long time ago when my kids were little) , Marvel's idea of ribbons is a great one - you could also maybe weave it into the knitter fabric but it can be removed later. Maybe she'll like it so much that you won't have to!

  • profsusan
    16 years ago

    tell us what the pattern looks like and perhaps we can offer more suggestions that could work - at first I thought the gray was for the big brother

  • donna_loomis
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    After one square is placed, the next is rotated 45 degrees, and so on.

  • sheilajoyce_gw
    16 years ago

    I appreciate your concerns, Donna. You are making this afghan to provide a loving gift to your daughter as well as grandchild. If grey will make your DD happy, who cares what others will think? You are her mom, so make her happy. (It's not like she is making some very poor decision that will be a disaster. It is just a baby blanket, and she wants a grey one. So????) But of course, you don't have to give it to her at her baby shower. You could give her something else at the shower, such as a sweater, hat and matching booties.

    It does seem like I hear of more new moms these days that do not want baby pastel colors, especially for little boys. For them, I usually make something in crayon colors of red, yellow and blue unless they have specific colors in mind.

  • donna_loomis
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Thanks, Sheila. I know, it shouldn't matter to me what others think of the gift, when I know it's exactly what she wants. I'm not the world's fastest knitter and the shower is at the beginning of June, so most likely, this will be the gift I give at her shower. I have other things I want to make, but I know I won't have them all done before then. And since she requested this blanket, I have pretty much put other projects on hold to complete this first. She did look at the Patons Shetland Chunky and decided she would like a medium blue as a contrast, so I ordered it. But now I'm feeling as if I've manipulated her a bit, so I will make a couple of blue squares and then we'll lay them out with the gray and I'll let her make the final decision.

  • profsusan
    16 years ago

    the square is very nice and the gray is a nice shade. Of course we think more in baby colors or primary colors (I have also used them) but you want her to be happy. The blue is a nice accent if she does like it. Bottom line is what she wants - you on the other hand need to keep a "happy face" when she opens it so others don't see your true feelings. You can make a fuss about actually finishing it in time for the shower since you knew how much she wanted this lovely gray blanket for the baby. I remember my son when he was young - wore gray and black sweatclothes for years. We didn't allow him to paint his room black when he was in elementary school. Now is does wear other colors (at age 31) but he is still conservative in his shades. We all have our favorites, that's what makes this an interesting planet. Enjoy it, you have plenty of other things to make in other colors!

  • marvel
    16 years ago

    That is a nice pattern, Donna, and it is light gray (baby grey?) and not Charcoal :) at least.
    As long as your daughter knows you really would be happiest with what she really likes best, you'll both be pleased. I think the wording Profsusan suggested would work. Tie it all up with a big blue bow and wide blue ribbon as presentation. I still like my little ribbon idea, will be fun hearing what she and you work out. You sure are doing a nice job of knitting.

  • foggyj
    16 years ago

    Any chance of making a blue edge around it, some blue stripes between the squares? The ribbons are a cute idea. Seeing as how many things in life seem to be changing from the "norm", this is no different. Light gray is rather pretty actually. JMO

  • OklaMoni
    16 years ago

    Mine wasn't for a baby, but for our German exchange student. Dani came to us after a disastrous experience with her first family. She was very timid, quiet and shy. After admiring both daughters afghans I offered to make her one as well. I gave her several patterns to choose from and then we shopped for yarn at walmart.

    ARGH, she chose a very tough pattern, and a tough color (tough for me, as I really didn't care for the color at all). I started on this afghan right away, and it took me till three days before she flew back home to get it finished. There were 5 stitches that needed knitting together every so many rows.... They were killers.

    Dani still has and treasures this afghan 12 years later. I know it is at the bottom of her bed all winter long.

    Donna, all that really matters, is that your daughter will love it. I think it is really nice of you to let her make the final decision before you add the blue squares.

    Moni

  • peaches12345
    16 years ago

    Don't you just hate knitting with a yarn color you don't like? I do, too. It just makes the project seem so long to finish.

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