In Search Of Color

The grey weather indemic to a Wisconsin winter has left me craving color in a downright visceral way. I woke up early this morning with a bad dream that involved tornado's and a badly soiled baby diaper - not hard to analyze that one, I guess - and found myself reaching for my beading supplies. I made this:


I also discovered that in dim winter morning light, even with overhead lighting, I really need to have my reading glasses to accomplish anything involving pearls. But the interesting thing was how eagerly I was reaching for anything, everything jewel-toned. I need some rich, deep color in the middle of this very grey season.

Once I finished the necklace and decided I didn't have enough time for matching earrings, I put it on and tried to get dressed. That's when I realized that my winter wardrobe (excluding the Holiday drama) really boils down to shades of grey, black, and oatmeal. You'd think that being the queen of the second-hand impulse purchase, I'd have every color imaginable in there; but even the blues and greens were muted slates and olives. Nothing that actually worked with the new necklace. I ended up with another grey ensemble and a garnet necklace that comes nowhere near satisfying my craving.
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And so I feel some purely selfish silk dying coming on tonight. I have a silk scarf blank with rayon velvet, a twin to the origins of the pleated raspberry scarf Mari received for Christmas. I'm thinking tones of saffron - warm, bright, and reminiscent of very good karma.