I vote A. Pretty, subtle, lovely.

I have to say I like the way A matches your handspun best

I liked both the darker pink center and the paler pink, but I liked the darker pink better. I think the paler pink won't offer enough contrast to the lovely bamboo variegated yarn. For my taste, the green is too much different. YMMV

Sarah

subtle and understated. A. absolutely

Yes again to A, subtley gorgeous

I have to go with A. The others would be too jarring, I think.

Option C!

The green - definitely the green. I didn't even have to look at the other pics to know...I guess that makes me like Joe?
Whatever you use - it will be scrumpdilicious!

A gets my vote, too...

A, i think.
but C could also work.
men are not so helpful in certain situations.
have a good trip!

C.

Or b.

Um. Maybe a.

No, c. definitely. Yes.

Unless you think b would be better.

NO! C. Really. That was my gut reaction.

My second gut reaction is "Glad I am not having to make this decision. I would either miss the plane or have 3 balls of yarn with me and be dithering for hours and not have a damn thing knitted."

Good luck!

The green. Gives it an edge/attitude.

Pink, definitely. The green is too much of a contrast, and the fuscia just doesn't do it for me.

My first comment ever, mostly by virtue of the fact that there aren't already 500 comments. I vote C. The pale pink is too subtle. The green is too different. The darker pink matches, but is different enough to give a nice contrast.

You have to go with the green. Anything else will be way too girly. And we can't have girly.

A-it is a nice subtle difference w/o crossing the line into garish

I go for the elegantly rich and choose C - the contrast is just enough without being too little or too different.

deep pink. please...

A is my pick. It's a pretty color and compliments the hand spun beautifully.

Green

I think A is the winner as well. The high contrast on the other two could really backfire, IMO. But I am not known to have fabulous color sense, so take it for what its worth. The handspun is beautiful, though:)

May I suggest a swatch?

B matches the best, hands down. C is way too dark, and A looks almost brown next to the wool you spun.

B is beautifully organically contrasty!

K, I asked my boyfriend and he said "green". A is just to "safe", C is "too drastic", B "blends in nicely". So there.

I vote A. It would blend very subtlely. Or if you don't want subtle, go C.

Green or pale pink are my votes.

I vote for C. I think it will make the pale "beloved" yarn look like the lighter edges of a bleeding heart blossom. Gorgeous.

I'd say A because it's subtle and doesn't take away from the gorgeous handspun. Second choice would be C which compliments it by doing a deeper pink. B is my last choice because, much as I love green as a rule, I think it takes away from the Beloved yarn. Just my opinion!

A is best. Subtly different, but different enough.
B would be lost in translation. You don't want to have to go around explaining the shawl (bleeding heart green) all the time, right? Or you do, but then my opinion is: don't.
C. Whore's panties. You said it better than I.

Just my opinions, of course....

"A" gets my vote.

A. Definitely A. I think the other two colors contrast so well that they will overwhelm your beloved. The pale pink will let the pretty handspun steal the show.

Definately the A!!

Option B!

I'm joining all those who said "A". The others are just too much contrast.

Oh my goodness no wonder Joe stays out of these decisions. This is one big dilemma as I like all of them. For me it would have to be either the B or C. for you ---whatever turns your crank is good and what ever it is it WILL be lovely. I don't think that there is a bad choice to be made. That's what you get for finding all this beautiful stuff in your stash. Please let us know what you do eventually decide . I'm no help at all am I ??

A.... or possibly C. A is matchy and C is complimentary. B is too contrast-y.

B
I like the green, I was thinking green all along. The handspun border will suggest the flowers coming out from the foliage. There is a bit of green in the handspun isn't there?

Go with the green. The pale pink is too washed out--it's a different value than the bleeding heart. The dark is way, way too dark, although your description of it is a tad...um...unusual... Annie

I say A. Go with A!

Either A with your original pattern idea, or scrap the original pattern idea and think of something new that will use all of them.

I pick C.

B. It brings out the tiny bit of green in the handspun and that looks really nice

I think b looks good

Green, definitely choice B. But looks like A is outvoting the others. I'm sure what ever you decide will be lovely.

All are lovely. Alone I love C, but with the bleeding heart homespun, I vote for A.
I am so very impressed with the speed of your spinning/plying. Clearly you are a dedicated if fickle person.

I like the pale pink too. Never did like pink and green together, and I don't think the darker pink actually blends with it - it seems like a bit of a clash.

Definitely A. Although the other colors are beautiful, I think A lets the handspun take center stage (and this is coming from a person who would almost always pick green over pink!).

I like A and C. But A more than C. I don't like B with it and green is my fave color and I'm so not a pink person. So that should say something. But yeah, I'd either go with A & C, or just A.

I vote for B. I saw a beautiful scarf in a shop recently that used that color combination. It was so lovely that I almost bought a $30 skein of yarn to duplicate it.

I like A. It sets off the stubtle varigation of your handspun. The green seems a little too "off", like it's in competition with the paler pink. The dark pink seems a little overpowering, too. It's just my thoughts, though. You're the knitter!

C! C! C!

A was way too subtle and B just wasn't quite right (and green is my favorite color).

To me A looks like a the good bits of color got washed out. IMHO truly the best shade would be a pink about halfway between A and C.

Girl, that's a tough one, especially when looking through my monitor. My first choice would be A with B a close second. Choice A would flow together for a subtle and soft romantic effect. Although B would be more contrasting and might make your bleeding heart yarn pop, but kind of reminds me of baby blanket colors.

I vote A. Definitely A.

A! I think the others are just too different to work (though I am sure if you pick one of the others I'll be proven wrong in a fit of stunningness!)

I vote for C. I can see it now. Dark pink on the outside and light pink on the inside - not whore's panties at all.

It will be so beautiful.

C. But all of them are good choices. Do you want to bring out the pink/rose of the bleeding heart, or surround it with the leafy bits?

just to add my idea:
A next the border and shifting to the darker C in the middle (next the grafting.)

I vote for A. It totally compliments your gorgeous handspun. To my eye, the other colors overpower your yarn and say "look at me instead of that beauty over there". Choice A compliments, but doesn't compete.

I like the pale pink, wonderfully subtle, definitely.

That's a really tough choice! I think A, the pale pink would give your handspun the most chance to shine, but I don't think there's a bad choice in the bunch!

A or maybe B. Definitely not C.

I pick B. I love green and I love that shade and I think it will showcase your yarn instead of hide it like the light pink :)

I'm thinkin' the green.

I was so excited to hear my three year old say "A B C yarn" when she saw your picture that I granted her my vote. I quote: "C yarn" why" "because C is kind of a pretty color".

I really like A.

Though, in the last picture, you can see some lovely green in your bleeding heart yarn - if there's more of that, I think the green would be divine.

I am totally blown away by "B"'s suggestion of a swatch, and think that's a fabulous idea, though I would never have thought of it, being the swatch-hater that I am.

Take all three colors with you, and swatch them together. (Or simply start knitting with the handspun, which would work just as well.) I would tend toward A, but I can't really make a decision until I had seen the handspun knit up in pattern, so I would know how the various colors would play with the solid. Maybe C would really pick up the darker notes in the handspun . . . maybe A would let it shine . . .

So, there's my vote. ;o) Have fun!

Absolutely A. By the way, the handspun is beautiful, absolutely to die for! Good luck with the stole/shawl.

hard choice. definitely not the third. It depends on if you want it to be close to the actual plant (which would be the second one) or if you want to keep it analogous for the most part (which would be the first one). I like green, and I think going with the plant idea would be really cool, and it would be a good contrast to your yarn (complementary colors (red/green-but not christmassey) and whatnot). So I vote green

A.

Definitely, absolutely A! The handspun is just so lovely and soft and delicate that I fear the darker colors would overpower it. If not A then I'd go with C.

The green looks a bit different in the two pictures. If the paler one is more accurate, go with the green. Otherwise, A all the way.

Can't wait to see it, no matter what you choose.

I vote A. The others overpower a little to much.

I vote A!!!

A all the way.

C

A is just too close--but not close enough. I worry you'd get into it and decide they don't match enough. And I worry the green will be too stark a contrast.

I think the nicely saturated pink will set off the ends beautifully. Best of luck on your choice!!! We'll be watching...

A or B. C is the wrong shade entirely. B isn't the right shade of green on my monitor, but it's better than C. (If B really is the same as the darker green in yesterday's picture, then I'd go with B.)

C!!

C!!! Have a great trip!

I vote C, except maybe it'll be too old-fashioned-looking? So if we've got instant runoff voting, my order would be:

C
A
B

What about knitting the ends in saturated pink and the middle in lighter pink? Except I suppose you might not have enough lighter pink...

You know that the only satisfactory solution will be to spin more yarn...

C or possibly B, but not A. But you can always swatch to be sure! :-) Just lovely, lovely stuff... thanks for sharing.

That is the best rationale for having a blog yet!

Okay, I go with knit up the handspun, then swatch the other colors to see what really goes best. My first inclination is with lavender (D?), then A, then B, then C, but it is really hard to tell at this point, so... take them all!!!

I vote for c (I think) a looks too woosy foosy suble. But maybe pink is too bring??? sampling?? ach here's my indecisive problem... I get stuck here myself, and then UCK@! SAMPLING has to come into it. Sorry about that. The yarns are lovely, especially your handspun. I Just got a spindle and will try it out in a week or so... so many project, so little time. I resisted spinning until I saw all the great yarns by beginners on Craftster.net.

A, definitely.

I like A. C isn't bad, but I like the subtlety of A.

No matter what the other choices in any given project, I will always pick the deep pink -- so don't go by me! Which is to say, do what YOU want, in your heart of hearts. Remember, it's only yarn.

You're just going to have to do 3 little 2-part swatches. just enough to get a feel for the how the colors really look next to one another. The green looks close, but I also like the pale pink. No whore's panties please. just swatch a few rows of each together and see how they REALLY look next to each other.

A, for sure. The handspun/C combo reminds me too much of little girls knickers - you know, the ones with the contrast bands and the little bow on the front?
And B, well, its very pretty and could work, but its just not for me.

Green, most definitely.

I think you should use the green one as it brings out other colors in the muted yarn

Definitely go with the subtle look! Beautiful!

A.
I like the other 2 colors with your handspun more, but I think that if you are using the handspun as a border, you should use A as a center piece. You don't want to lose the beauty of the handspun, and the darker colors will sort of dominate it, unfortunately.

I like the A it does not overpower the Bleeding Heart but compliments it, looks softer and not bold. The Bleeding Heart is so beautiful. Have a great trip!

A!!!

Light pink, but can you somehow weave in bits of the dark pink and the green and use them as accents, more in the proportions that bleeding hearts are in real life? The reason that B and C are too jarring and A is to light is because real flowers have many hues and tones all in one. Duplicate that!

I love green, and I have an epic hate for pink.

In spite of that, I really think that the light pink (A) is the best choice. By blending rather than contrasting, I think it will allow your lovely handspun to take centre stage.

C. Unless A is more heathery than it looks on my screen.

Just gotta mention that Anne Hansen (the designer) is SUPER accessible for questions about her designs! Actually... I should have looked to see if she commented already... lol!

Hmm... i just want to wave my magic wand and make that 'A' yarn match better! Really I would go with a pink, but i would seriously love to see it match your beloved better than it does. Though if you are stash-thinning for any reason then I would definitely go with the pink... just go for it! :) Can't wait to see!

I should also say, that I am also glad that you are coming to the Chapters store in Kingston again,it will be nice to see you again, and have a good laugh and a nite out

C, definitely C. Imaging the center being the stem from whence the hearts lie bleeding...

I like the green one. It is soft and lovely with the pink.

A; let the handspun be the star of the show.

I like the green one. It is soft and lovely with the pink.

A!
AA!
AAA!

I vote for A : ) I think the other colors compete too much with your lovely handspun.

the plain yarn should definitely go in the border (like the plain color of the leaves in the real plant). it would be really neat to also use the second color in the side borders, to make an entire frame for the center, but what a pain in the arse THAT would be (i wouldn't actually do it, being a lazy knitter ,myself). the light pink "goes" better with the handspun, and recedes from it a bit which will make the center pop. but it is a bit fey.

the green is classier but it overtakes the handspun too much i think . . .

so; that's what the designer would do . . waffle for as long as you have, and then go with the first choice after all. and believe me, i have.

C!

I had a whole reasoning behind option A, but then Vellan's comment above said exactly what I was going to.

AAAAAAA

option A!

definitely A

I vote for A. pink!

For standalone knitting, C would be my preference. But I honestly think A goes better with the handspun a scosh better than B does.

A, fer sure. . . Somehow the other two just don't work as well. But that's IMHO, of course.

I think A is very, very pretty and would go perfectly with your handspun!

Is it wrong that I want to vote for C strictly because of my new favorite descriptor, "whore's panties"?

Honestly though, I think A looks better. And I don't even like pastels, so that means something.

oh yeah, and someone on ravelry already made a scarf-sized bleeding hearts so you might be able to wheedle her scheme from her.

A matches best I think.

a...definitely. I agree with the first comment from Gina. (Somehow the other two bring to my mind a crocheted poncho. Not that there's anything wrong with a crocheted poncho!) A

A A AAAA!!!
The other two look contrived.

The green, definitely. It's the leaves of the flower.

I'm going to say A. And then I'm going to explain why and I hope my understanding of aesthetic makes sense when translating into words, but basically, the green and the fushcia are too "heavy" in comparison to the lighter bleeding heart yarn. If you could reverse them so that the bleeding heart yarn were the core and the solid were the edging, then I would say to go with the "heavier" color. But as it is... I just feel like the colors wouldn't balance with the proportions they way they are.

So... A.

I would go with B for sure, but I like blues and greens a lot. If I couldn't have B, I think I'd pick A. C is so intense, I think your eye would be drawn to it instead of the fancy yarn. Good luck choosing! =)

I really agree with those saying "swatch" though I am far too impatient to swatch anything.

Definitely A... the paleness of it will set off the depth of the bleeding heart yarn beautifully.

Live dangerously. C. For sure. The green looks too much like a baby's sweater, the pink is too matchy-matchy.

B. GREEN! B. GREEN! BBBBBBB.

The green!!

However, I do like the light pink as well. Just not C.

And that handspun is gorgeous. <3

B!!

I think that would make it just lovely! It would look like the flowers growing out of the foliage! PLUS - the green brings out the green in the handspun and keeps it from being too pink.

(I also liked "d" - lavender. Just cause I love lavender.)

Regardless - pretty pretty yarn! and excellent job spinning! Very very nice and a perfect match. I don't blame you at all for wanting the perfect yarn to match the beloved. (You haven't said but I'm assuming that you are unable to get more roving in that colorway? Or - I'm not a spinner at all so I don't know about this - would it be too difficult to spin something that matches what you've already spun since it wasn't all done at the same time?)

Like there's something wrong with a whore's underpants? I think you want a brighter pink than a, not so dark as c. Go and shop.

My recent attempts at purchasing yarn on-line makes me a bit hesitant to offer an opinion (I opened the box that arrived this afternoon and said "You call that "cosmos"? why? It looks mucky to me. As a matter of fact, it looks like the other yarn I ordered which is named raisin) but I will.... I vote for the subtle pink (as seen in the first photo) or for the darker pink (as seen in the last photo). Oh well, I'm probably not much help after two glasses of wine.

A!! I think the darker colors would take away from your handspun and the pattern. But of course that's just in my head, who knows what it would look like in reality.

A.

C, I like the contrast.

A.

A. It let's the handspun realy shine and is pretty in its own right and I like the subtlety.

My first choice is A, my second is C. Beautiful yarn!

I vote A, but have often been accused of being a woosie-pants, colorwise. (Well, OK, I haven't been, but I could be.)

I vote for C. All the yarns are gorgeous though!

Its gotta be A - contrast in garments often makes them look like granny's afghan... Save the others for another time.

I vote for A. The other colors are too bold. Your bleeding heart handspun should be the center of attention; therefore, the soft pink will compliment, but not draw attention from, the handspun.

Mary G. in Texas

B ... I know I'm in the minority, but I love green and green hues are considered neutral so they will go with anything and complement the gorgeous handspun as a stem and leaf color. I can't wait to see the stole when it's done.

AAAAAAAAA!!

Is this really helping more than Joe? Quickly scanning the comments, it seems we are divided. However, if you're taking a more technical poll, I'd like to vote B.

A is trying to hard to "match" the handspun (and failing). And I think C is a bit too bold. But green is lovely foliage to your beautiful bleeding hearts. It can only be B.

I'm so not a green person, so you know I'm honest when I say, "go with the green, it looks lovely with it..."

The light pink looks muddy next to your homespun, The dark pink is jarring, and the green is OK. Can't you find a clear light pink that isn't so brony yellow?

The dark pink definitely because it's also variegated with will make little waves of color similar to the lighter handspun. Plus the green in the handspun will look more exciting, so to speak, if there is less of it in comparison. Do you want to look like a leaf or a flower? C!

i vote for.....SWATCHING! Yarn in balls doesn't really look like yarn knitted up. I'd have to see it in action if I were making this.

B, the green one. I was thinking A for a while, but am afraid that it will look dirty against the main color (I think from the last picture it mostly, but not quite matches...).

I think C is too much, but B would be lovely.

I like the whore's panties!
By the way, let me tell you how jealous I am - I planted some bleeding hearts and they never bloomed and never came back :(

yeah, A.

(she said whore's panties--hehehe)

I'd also do an end first, and then the middle - so you are seeing it up close. A scarf is almost a swatch anyways :-)

A. It's beautifully subtle and blends the best with your handspun.

A. But I'm really bad at that sort of thing. I think I wish you had more of the homespun. That's my favorite. Sorry, I'm no help.

I vote A. Which surprises me, because I am usually all about contrast...

A or C. But I suck at design.

I'm with you and Joe....I just do not know.

I so love your blog. Makes me happy every day. I vote for A. Will be fabulous. Lorraine.

My first instinct is to say "Use all three!" However, if you're choosing just one, I'd have to go with A. I think it goes best with your handspun.

Don't listen to all those people who said A. You will regret it. You said it yourself, "too woosie-pants washed out." C is the one.

I like the green, but I think the pink would work best for the design. A!

Well, based on the way you described constructing the piece... I don't like any of them terribly much. I love the idea of all of those colors generally, because they all pick up elements of color in the handspun. However, I don't like something about the idea of a darker shade in the middle with the lighter around the outside. I get what you're doing, trying to have a lot of the impact with the lovely leafy motif and your yarn, but I feel that the big block of solid color in the middle would distract from subtle variegation.

I personally would either switch out the variegated on the edge for the dark pink or the green, or stick with the variegated around the edge and have the lighter pink in the middle :)

C!

I think with A, your handspun will just blend in and get lost. It's too close in color -- the bleeding heart yarn will fade away and be hard to notice.

B is, as you said, too unrelated to work. The contrast is a little jarring. If it was a REALLY deep green, like the actual color of the leaves on the plant, you might be able to pull it off, but as it is, nope. Doesn't work.

C, on the other hand, is fairly close to the darker part of the actual flower. More toned down, of course, but as you said earlier today, if it were too close it'd be garish. It feels like it's in the same color family as your handspun, without washing it out. In fact, it'll make your yarn really pop. I think it'll be the perfect background to showcase the handspun, and C will gracefully take the back seat (behind your neck) while the real star of the show is on display up front.

Of course, I'm basing this strongly worded opinion on what I'm seeing through a computer monitor, so take everything I've said with a large grain of salt. And I know that whatever the Harlot chooses will not only look right, it will look like the only possible choice! Such is the glamour of the Harlot...

so.... unplying and plying it with something else is out of the question? you'd double your yardage.

or, i may just be that sort of insane.

Option A, but only if there is enough contrast so that your handspun doesn't get overwhelmed.

I think you should knit a little of the homespun then try the colors with it to see which color dominates. Sometimes there is a surprise in the way the variegated turns out.

I'd probably sample unplying the light pink and the green and replying them a strand of each together. To mute out the pink/green thing.

Since you're on your way already most likely to LA and that's not possible, I'd go for pink. Although it pains me as I am aesthetically allergic to baby pink especially. I was subjected to carnation pink bedrooms - whilst moving every 2-3 years growing up - for my entire childhood.

i vote for c!

This asking for opinions isn't going to help you, you know :-) because you're getting votes for all three. I actually think there is no wrong choice - any of the three will look lovely, but if I had to choose, my own personal choice would be for the green.

A. Absolutely A. Affirmative on the A choice.

A!

A.
Definitely A.
(Unless of course you prefer B or C)

A, definitely. The other two have the potential to overpower the handspun.

Two part answer - A or B if you follow the stated plan.

But why follow the stated plan when you could use intarsia to make a frame out of one yarn and do the middle of the stole in another? In that case, you'd want the frame to be darker, I think, yet the motifs on the outer edge are clearly flowers, so...whore's panties.

Gotta say C. I'm all about the statement, how about knitting it lengthwise, and striping in the dark pink, then a fringe?
Cheers, and after London, a trip to Australia sounds like a good idea! Best wishes

I don't comment very often, but I read your blog all the time. You are going to have quite a time trying to pick with hundreds of knitters giving you their opinion. :) But I will add mine. I would pick C, the dark pink. I think the Light pink will either look "dirty/dusty" because it is not variegated, or will just seem to be missing the lighter and darker colors that are in your gorgeous handspun, the green will try to call all the attention to itself, because it is all bold and very bright, and won't let your handspun "shine", but I think C, while in the same color family as the handspun will just support it. But you are likely already on your way to LA, so my input will be totally pointless. It is fun anyway. I don't really have anyone here to discuss these kind of things with.
I love the handspun pink, It is lovely!

Even though it's my favorite color, I don't care for the green in this particular application. I like the (a)pink best - a subtle but not 'girly' combination that really showcases the hand-spun. The (c)pink, while eminently do-able, gives the hand-spun a more lavender cast that I don't think you want. JMNSHO...

Can you "blend" your new yarn into your 'bleeding hearts' yarn? If so, all of them would work. But if it's a hard-line switch from pastel to option A, B, or C, then I say go with A, because it will blend better. But if you subtly worked in (one row at a time) the green or the pink (or both!) then I think you should go with the more contrast-y colours.

A for sure

C. C! C C C!!!

A.

What do you want people to look at, the yarn so gorgeous it nearly gave me the vapors, or the big block of Yikes! in the middle?

A. And my opinion should definitely count a lot, because I'm a random person who reads your blog. Hee.

Definately A, and it's going to be lushcious! Happy travels and just a quick note...I'm taking a Bohus Stickning class from Susanna Hansson at Madrona in August!!!!! I'm so jazzed.
Liz from Brookings, OR

Option A, definitely! And are you coming to LA for an appearance? Where? When? I missed you last year....Gene

Oooh, C. I love C.

How about Stripes of Dark pink, pale pink and green?

Go with the green!

If I had not known this was Bleeding Heart handspun, I would say A for its delicate subtlety.

But I DO know this is Bleeding Heart, so it MUST be B, Green! Because that's what I already had in my head to set off the flower colors.

Did you ever see Miss Congeniality, by the way? "Satan's panties!"

Is it for you? If so, which colors work best with your skin tones?

I love the B, but I'd also pay a lot of attention to Anne Hansen's two comments.

AND I'd do several swatches.

Although I really liked your description of C, both my hubby and I have to vote for A. You want the handspun to sing and the other two choices are too overpowering.

I think A if you're feeling romantic and B if you're feeling nature-y and C... ok, I don't like C.

Right now I'm feeling romantic, so my vote would be for A.

Hmm...my gut is A (I agree that the green and dark pink would be too much a "big block of yikes in the middle" (awesome, Carol!), but it really depends on the qualities of the pinks in each yarn. I'm afraid the pale pink might be too blue, and the handspun too peachy! But that's just me, looking at a computer screen.

I would love either B or C if the garment design had the contrast colour running vertically between two outside bands of handspun, but not with a big middle chunk of colour between two shortish blocks. Too obviously "I didn't have enough yarn, so I threw this stuff in the middle", imo. Which may be what you're doing, but you don't want everyone who looks at it to know that! :P

Option C!
The pale is too washed out with your bleeding heart yarn, and the green is too......something.
Go with C.

definitely A!

I like The pale pink the best. It's gorgeous!

A

i don't know about the rest of everyone, but i'm kinda curious about the whore panties. . .
i like A for the shawl though. . .

C. Definitely C. The deep pink is just enough contrast without outshining the handspun. Pale pink is too washed out and green is too much contrast (even though it goes against my inherent color nature to say anything remotely derogatory about green in any way).
So, anyway, C. :)

I love A!

A. so subtle. so lovely.

A or C. While I just love green, I'm not feelin' it here.

A is lovely and subtle, and C is lovely but more daring. I don't really like B at all. Mostly I just want to steal the handspun. :p

B. I think that A is close but not close enough; so it looks awkward. C is too dark to really go well with all the colours of the handspun. Better to stay with B since its lighter.

B! Definitely B. Then you have the whole bleeding heart/plant/greenery thing going and it offsets the pinky pink pink pink pink PINK of it all. Not that I don't like pink. Okay, I lied, I don't like pink. Except in small doses like this. Gorgeous!

Okay, here's some dissent: I'm not fond of a center that is *that* different from the edges. Is there remotely enough of your handspun to do the center in a mix of yours and A? That would make the mix look more deliberate and less patchwork. I just think any mostly-solid-looking yarn is going to look strange in the center of your handspun (which is gorgeous). Any time I've tried to make a piece with a variegated and a matching solid, I've been less than thrilled with the results.

Sometimes, seeing a clever-name coincidence might *not* be a sign the universe wants you to seize on the coincidence. A coincidence is not always an omen.

I vote for whore panties!

(Really, I just wanted to post that!)

My gut reaction was A...but I worried about it sending out an Easter Egg vibe. You know, something that reminds a person of a little girl's easter dress with lots of big flowers...or a pink easter bunny with rainbow ears.

And then I looked at the last pic with all of the options around the handspun...B. B is a much better choice I think...I dunno, though, colors always make me nervous, and with the handspun a bit variagated...anything is risky. C, though a lovely color, I think is right out, too different for it to look right next to the handspun.

I dunno, don't pay any attention to me, you have plenty of other voters before me and you've probably already made a decision. I just like to spin my wheels.

I like C best. A would also work, but I think the handspun would get lost. C would highlight it, IMHO. Definitely not the green. So, I vote C.

C is really much too bright. I would go either with A or B. Personally I like the contrast that B makes (and what the heck, I prefer green overall as a color to pink) but if you wanted a more overall subtle and put together look I'd say go with A.

Can't you just make it really, really skinny?

If not, go with B. A doesn't look right to me, neither does C. I think it would look lovely, especially if you gradually brought B in with some intarsia.

I vote A or B. I like B best, but then I lurve green and loathe pink in most of its forms. I liek the way the green makes the pink pop, and then I get all metaphorical and think about the flowers springing from a lush bed of foliage, etc etc.

But the light pink is also nice. Are you definitely, definitely going to knit the borders in the precious? Would your colour choice change that (ie, would you knit the centre in the precious, if you chose the green?)

Can't wait to see!

Dude, bring them all to LA (you know you're going to anyway- It's a long flight and you might change your mind) and I will tell you in person. Over beer and japanese food.

Hmmm. I like the green, but the deep pink is good too. And it's close to a whore's panties.

Whore's panties!!!! And thanks for giving me a chance to say that :) I also vote for tiny swatches, maybe a longish piece of the precious with little squares laid down in the middle to give you some kind of idea about what the colors will look like together...jat

I vote C. Go with the gut reaction every time. : )

Green, definately the green. Much more "artsy" looking.

I like A. The pink is close enough but different enough that it doesn't look like a mistake (or the wrong dyelot), but harmonizes beautifully.

If you really hate that, my second choice would be B. And you should take into account that I really don't like green.

C is WAY too strong, and is going to wash out your beautiful handspun and will make it look like something that faded and doesn't go with the rest.

The original handspun is a beautiful, delicate color that should not be overwhelmed. Keep the rest of it beautiful and delicate.

If it helps, I'm a professional artist.

A or B, definitely. While the darker pink (C) is really lovely, I think the value contrast is too great between it and your handspun, especially done all in one "center" block of your stole.
I'm actually kinda leaning towards the green, as an extension of your colorway.....

It's late, but I really looked at the three colors and thought about the combinations, stressing and worrying about the three beautiful choices, but then I looked away, and then calmly looked back, and my initial/immediate non- obsessing thought was: the green is my favorite!Have a great trip!

B!!!

A...definitely.
2nd option...C.
I'm not a fan of the green with the handspun.
Regardless the choice, it will be lovely. It always is.

A! Beautifully subtle.

I go with A!

OMG- Wow such brilliant minds. I'm amazed at the creative problem solving. I was going to pick A. because the other colors are clearly going to jump out of the bleeding heart pastel range. But wow- I never would have thought of intarsia or knitting lengthwise and blending B. & C.

On my monitor, B is the best choice. (A is also good but maybe a little too sweet.) C is too dark and saturated.

Umm...have ya tried swatching yet??? A little experimental swatching never hurt anyone.

And when you are done that - go green or go home.

Use the whore's panties color combo, just so you can say whore's panties to someone in the future.

A! I think the boldness of B and C would draw too much attention away from the handspun.

Woosie-pants A, of course!

My first instinct was A, because it really does seem to match almost perfectly, like it was meant for this purpose.

but then, I like B because of the stark contrast. Plus it's just a really pretty green.

Of course, I really wanted to choose C, because I wanted to be able to say "pick the whore's panties!" Though I suppose that's not entirely helpful, now is it?

I think the green--part of the pattern looks like it should be leaves. Maybe you could divide it up that way. It would look like a painting, I think.

Although I like C, I'm afraid it would make the variegated look as if it were 'tacked on' because you ran out....so A is my choice. Yes, the pale, Springlike A is better. Choose A!

Green. It looks like a vine with flowers on the ends. They are all beautiful.

A - definitely. The darker colors will overshadow the beautiful handspun, diminishing its subtleties and soft interplay of colors. With the green, the shawl might look like what a cowboy's mistress would wear in an old western; and the dark pink... some kind of panties for sure! A will showcase the handspun, which IS already, face it, "feminine" - so make it classy feminine! It's OK once in a great while.

Whoa, I'm not sure this is gonna make it easier. I think you should use them all together too, but after reading the designer's comment I see that that is just wrong. I like A. But B or C could be good too.

To recap, A. Mostly.

Is it too late to vote? I favor bold contrasts and would pick either B or C, not A. Good luck.
Paul

Definitely A - lace needs a subtle colour choice for yarn.

A. Definitely A. The other two will stick out like a sore thumb.

I definitely prefer C. For me, green is out.
A is also pretty, but I love the darker pink in C.

I really like C.. I don't think A has enough of a contrast and I'm not really a green sort of person. Now if everythin was purple I'd be on my way to LA to stalk ya right out of the yarn....LOL (just kidding)

I completely and totally love "A"

If you are looking for subtle, Elegant and timeless, I think you would be best with A. Good for a night out, and always beautiful.

B is a modern contrast, but not evening material.

C is ok too, bolder than A but less modern than B. But A is most definately the most elegant. It gets my vote.

pink, for sure... both my daughter (15yo) and I agree: it should be A.

Personally, I'd use the Beloved Yarn for the border, make a smaller sub-border in green (stockinet or simple eyelets) and then do the body in C. Or reverse B and C. Either way, I think it needs more than one of them.

I think A. Or maybe B. C might work even more beautifully. But I still think A. Definitely A.

A! AAAAAAA!

I was going to go with C since I go for complementing but contrasting colors over "matchy matchy," but now after reading all the comments, I'm waffling all over the place. Are all these comments supposed to make your decision *easier* ?!?

You know, I was just thinking...I think I would stripe it, I would use the pale pink and the handspun and do 4-5 vertical stripes, using mostly handspun, it would be so subtle and funky and beautiful pick option D! Option D!

A for sure, if the colors on the screen reflect both the yarns accurately.

OK I'm a total dumbarse, I meant horizontally....going the length of the stole. I'll stop cluttering up your comments now!

I hope you go with the green...the darker pink is too strong. I like the above suggestion about doing a second border, but I would use B and A, not B and C.

C!

The green's a little too granny. And not fiesty, bicycling granny, but country club, proper granny. Not enough contrast with the pale pink. Whore's undies it is!! No, really, the deeper rose contrasts beautifully.

I like B the best, but I tend to like greens more than pinks in general. From what I can tell from the pictures, it looks like the green is a very good match for the little bits of green in your handspun, and I like the idea of picking up on little bits of color more than trying to match the larger spanses. Now, I know you didn't ask, so I should just stop there, but were I in your situation--and this is undoubtedly because I have a very "color-inside-the-lines" kind of brain that leans more toward the literal--I would put the handspun on the inside of the scarf with the bleeding heart motif and use the green for the leafy border. But there are plenty who would tell you I am boring and unimaginative, and they may well be right. Of course, the other option is to find the perfect yarn at your next stop. In any case, I am sure that whatever colors or placements you choose, the scarf is going to be gorgeous! I can't wait to see it.

C, or anything but A.

Unless it's going to be a gift for someone very...sweet. Then A.

A.
It makes the green in the handspun pop, rather than fighting the subtle shades or overwhelming them.

And wasn't there a post (or an essay) a while ago about knitting and grannies and time to rock that stereotype?

I'd go for the pale pink, but that's me. I think you'd be happier with the green, if you're the one who will be wearing the shawl. The dark pink doesn't go at all.

I did the exact same thing earlier this year with an expensive, hand-dyed alpaca I didn't have enough of. I used the hand-dyed for the ends, and a lesser yarn for the middle.

I, um, suppose doing maybe teeny tiny extremely small, er, swatches of each together to see if any just wowed you and said "Me, it's got to be me!" wouldn't ever maybe work? Or rule them out before you actually cast on and then find out none of them work? Cause I really don't want you disappointed since the handspun yarn is so beautiful and the project so inspired...

Definitely C!
But now I'm worried that I wear whore's panties...

C, see?

A - not that I'm a pale pink lover but I think it will give the handspun a chance to really shine. I'm afraid either of the other two would fight too much for attention.

I can picture you more with the green than with the other two, so I think that's got to be my vote.

well, use your lovely handspun for the body, the green for the pointy edges and one (or both!) of the pinks for the loops border. it would be lovely.
all those colours go together well.
have a great trip!

I think your handspun yarn is so beautiful that it would be a shame to water it down with something else. It deserves a project all of its own. Such as a hat or a scarf. Perhaps you could take something else from your stash on your trip while you order some more roving to have enough to do the larger piece.

Aren't you glad you asked! : )

KaarenB

A, definitely.

I'd vote for color B, the green. I think it matches best overall, and as bleeding hearts are frequently surrounded by subtle greenery, I think using the green really highlights this remarkable yarn. That roving and the yarn itself are both amazing. Wow. Second place I'd say color A, then C. I think A is close, but not quite right, and color C would overwhelm rather that highlight the yarn. Although, now that I've scrolled up and looked at them again, I'm conflicted, because their all quite lovely. I can't wait to see how it turns out, I'm sure it will be truly lovely.

I would go with the C.

A Elegant, sophisticated (and I don't usually care for pale pink, still...) Most important in my knitterly mind is that A will look "on purpose" and I don't think that the others will.

This rousing chorus of A through C is probably not helping, is it?

While I love the green, I vote C, because I think that daring, bold colors make us better human beings.

oops. sorry for the double post. I got an error message when I tried to post so hit post again. (one more vote for the C) ☺

C!

It's rich, it's vibrant, it SINGS of a gloriously, unabashedly fabulous woman.

I mean, c'mon, what else describes you?

A definitely A

AA
AA AA
AA AA
AAAAAAAA
AA AA

Option C. Because a whore's panties are far more interesting than a yarn that's at best "beautifully subtle" or "sort of good."

But use the Bleeding Heart yarn for the middle, and Whore's Panties for the edge.

As I looked at each choice, I liked each one. After looking at the picture of them all together, I really like the green the best, but I would like to see a small combo (if possible) that also includes some of the dark pink, kind of as an accent. I don't know if the design would lend itself to such a combo, but I just like those colors together. Thanks for the eye candy!

sorry if this eventually posts twice... looks like three of us were sending at 1:21 and mine etherized...
well, use all the yarns. use your lovely handspun for the body, the green for the pointy edges and both the pinks for the loopy border (between the body and the edge). the yarns are so harmonious together.
have a nice trip!

How about unplying the green and pink and re-plying them together? Half and half! And it's the craziest option ergo the best!

I'm totally for A. Personally, I like a border to be similar to or darker unless it's a pure white border on something bright and crazy. And the B is... you know that god-awful wallpaper/bedspread pattern you find in motels sometimes--pink flowers with dark green leaves? The flowers are way too large and gaudy to do anyone any good, and the color combo just screams "kitch"? Yeah, I don't know if you want to be wearing the shawl version of that. -_^

This all begs the question: Do whores even wear panties?

I vote for green. The answer is always green. I love green.

A
The others would look too much like you added on the handspun ends as an after thought.
The only way to work with B or C would be to intarsia them in randomly in the border, to blend the handspun border back to the main section, but that is way beyond my designing mind at the moment.
good luck your choice!

Beautiful all of them! I thought C and my husband (the artist in the family) says A.
Have fun in LA!

I vote A. I'm not even a pink friendly person and I still vote A.

This could get me in trouble, but my gut says... none of them. Green would be lovely, but a pale, barely there green that picks up the hints in your handspun while stepping graciously away from the limelight. A heathered creamy natural would work, too. The light pink is the closest match, but being a plain, flat colour, it seems to pull that amazing yarn down to the realm of the ordinary, and the other two colours will simply dominate it.

I'm into subtle (see: whoozy pants washed out)
If my only choices are as above, I vote for A

I'd prefer a slightly greyed out white, so that the handspun colors sort of float off the piece.

Llinn

basically, if you don't know, that means the yarn needs something else.... and once you do know, you'll KNOW, ya know?

(the Crush never lies. duuude. sweet.)

Embracing my woosie-ness, I vote for "A", the pretty pale pink. Can't wait to see the finished product!

A--without question.

It is probably best I saw this post late. While reading it I kept thinking "anything BUT A". But then while scrolling down, I see that is actually the fav.

Clearly I'm not one to judge. . .

A, I do believe. What about making a small central portion in the Bleeding Heart with that (wonderful - I remember the bleeding hearts in my grandparents' yard in Winnipeg when I was wee) handspun, and working an edging in the other on after?

While normally I would always choose green over pink...I think A looks best in this case.

I would put the colors B and C together and forget about the other two.

:-)

They would all be lovely, but I would go for C - you could call it Whore's Drawers!

C. Absolutely C.

This is not to say that you would have a piece of hideous dreck if you went with A or B (Because you wouldn't. They're lovely.) But C.

Hands down, C.

I would have picked C based on the individual photos but seeing the group photo of the yarns, I would choose B, the green. Its hard to tell. In the individual shots, the green looks much darker - to contrasty. But in the group it stands out to me as being the best choice. Can't wait to see it develop.

Must learn to spin.

I'd say C, but you know how my color tendencies run...

B.

The pale pink is too blah, the dark pink too harsh a contrast. The green sets off the handspun perfectly. Besides, you know how much you love green...

Definitly green. Some may say it will be too contrasty, but I beg to differ. It is a nice soft green and it picks up the green in your handspun that almost gets lost otherwise. Your beautiful handspun has a pink that looks to be a peach-base and the near solid pink, A, looks a little like light candy-apple red. (Could be screen inaccuracy though.) I don't think it would be too granny, not with your tee shirt and Birks. Since you asked my opinion, though, I have never been a fan of lace knit with verigated yarn. Mind you, I'm an old hippy and I love what others would call "busy", but I think the pattern gets lost in the multicolors unless it is really simple. I saw your post some time back when you showed us some of your paintings and our taste is similar. P.S. The solid pink and the whores panties would look good together on another project, perhaps a Christmas gift to a girly girl.

Definitely the deep pink!

I hope you picked A. The green would be lovely, but too jarring.

And that last colour... step away. My friend painted her shutters at her cottage almost that colour and we keep telling her it looks like a Ukranian whorehouse. Well, it does!
(and it was Jim that came up with that, and he's part Uke - imagine, a Newfie-Uke)

I like C. Fuchsia is one of my favorite colors. The light pink is my second choice. Very cool yarn.
Sarah in Houston

I have to go with the whore's panties.

I think A is will wash out the delicate colours of your original skein. I'd go with B or C, both will do well but it depends on how you react to dark pink.

I like the notion of B being the green plant from which the delicate flower springs. So if forced to pick one I'd pick green for you, but if it were me I'd go with C.

By the way, thanks to two cool summers in a row the bleeding heart in my garden is huge this year. It is in full bloom, three feet across, and I love it.

I think the green is nice but I have been on a green kick for awhile. But how would it look with No contrasting color?

I vote for A. But then I am a big woosie-pants who fancies herself as beautifully subtle.

A -- definitely.

Deep Pink! By all means!

C, or A. Depending on how it looks in the flesh. (How helpful is this?). I'd swatch. Any of the three could be great, depending on what you're looking for. But the green does seem off value somehow. Could be the photo. Your handspun is so beautiful!

Whore panties! Whore panties!

After all, you are the Harlot and subtley is underrated.

Hello, loved your recent book, first book i have read that you have written, just beautiful, planning to get another on the weekend
I would choose A, lovely and subtle to go with the hand spun, the other two, too contrasting
Cya Monika

I don't think any of the 3 work. The green is bluer than the green in the hand spun. The pink is close...Do you have a peach yarn? I love the hand spun.

I would say pink if you're doing the stole to keep the flow of the colors going and help the lace stitch stand out. If you were to use the other colors, you would end up losing the stitch definition.

C. Gotta be C. ~x~

C. The light pink is pastel for my taste, and I don't the green is quite close enough. Unless you're making it for someone who loves pastel. Can't wait to see it!

It has to be green. I picks up the greens in the beloved yarn and ya know, most of the a bleeding heart plant is green. Lovely beloved yarn.

I vote for C - embrace your wild side!

I'd go with C!

Green, green, green.

I think you should use the darker pink and also the green together with your "bleeding heart" yarn. I think the pale pink looks washed out compared to the other colors.

C! But then, I like whore's panties.

Reasoning (apart from the fact that everyone should at least one pair of whore's panties) (yes, I just like repeating that phrase. any excuse will do):

a) yes, too washed out. Too close to your handspun colors and also too far, if you understand what I mean.

b) yes, too unrelated. I mean, pretty when sat next to each other, but I think in one knitted garment they won't make enough sense.

c) related (same color family) but not so close that they will look like something went wrong in the wash.

C for first choice. A is good but would agreed with the comment that it may make the whole thing look too pale and washed out. The green is good but may be distracting, you need to emphasise the homespun.

I don't think you should have asked now you have to worry if we are all doing a 'Joe'. What does the cat think?

A. I love A

The whore's pants immediately attracted me, but I love rich dark colours. I have to say though that I think A is the true answer.

A or C depending on whether you want sublety or a more bold piece. Either would go beautifully with your yarn.
Now you've asked us all, the question remains: will you follow the general oppinion or just do as you please? ;)

A all the way. I think the other two are too harsh a contrast to your border choice. My second choice would be B and C is not working for me at all.

A is nice but B could be really interesting if you start at the right spot in your handspun so its not so much of a "line". That could to be too much work, so A is the safest solution.

I'd go with A. It's subtle and stunning.

C!

I vote for B, especially if it's for yourself.

C :)

A!

I vote for A. With maybe a little test swatch first...

B B B B B B B B B B B B B B !!!

But then I'm always partial to green...

I vote for A. But that assumes the colors are showing accurately on my monitor. Second choice is C. Green is too contrasty for my taste.

Btw, you've inspired me to stash clean. (Well, actually, an upcoming move has forced me to stash clean.) (Pictures coming next weekend.) But you've inspired me - its that small space thing - to get it organized. And Plan. (Otherwise, I'll be ordering yarn mid-move. I can just see it.)

Ok just wind up all three and take them with you. You know now (given the hundreds of conflicting bits of advice) that you'll have to try and frog all three until you're satisfied. (and then likely buy something entirely different to get the "perfect" solution.

C, but I am hugely partial to deep pinks...

Green/B

I believe "C" would give the best contrast for the absolutely heavenly yarn you spun!

B the green. I find the light pink too insipid and the darker pink too granny-esque

A is the best match colourwise, but I think C offers more depth to the combination.

Definitely A. The green is too blue (at least on my monitor, LOL) and the dark pink would overwhelm the beautiful skein that you spun.

That really depends on what it is you're looking for.
Do you want to emulate the plant as much as possible? In that case, go for B, the green(this is the option that will most likely draw the eye to the hand spun).
Do you want something subtle, and gentle, that matches well to your hand spun, then go for A (but if you go this route, keep in mind that your hand spun will just blend right into it, and it won't accent it at all).
On the other hand, if you want something that's going to capture the flower itself, rather than the plant as a whole, then you'll want to go for C (this one will most likely draw attention away from the hand spun though).
Each one has it's merits, it all depends on what you're looking for.

My first comment - I pick A!

C. I don't like the "almost exactness" of the colour-match of A. It could like you just couldn't quite match it, instead of beautifully subtle.

I think B would make the most interesting scarf in the end. However, I wouldn't vouch for it looking good without having a look at a swatch first.
PS - Oh my, how long does it take you to read all these comments?

A. Just A. Go for it. A.....

I vote for A!

Mixing handspun and machinespun? Grain and grape.

And you know what that leads to.

(Do the ends on the trip, come home and spin a complementary middle. You know I'm right. And back.)

I looked at the stole. I don't think that two colors will work unless you do a neutral cream. The pattern flows and is drapey and two distinctly different colors will look, in my opinion, just plain odd and maybe even bad. I also agree about mixing hand and mill spun, creates texture issues. Back to the wheel.

C all the way!

My vote is for A. Are you sure we're not all confusing you way more though with our contributions?

A
the other colours are too strong and overpower the pink. A is subtle enough to bring out the pinks in the bleeding heart yard and not swamp them.

It's definitely C that shouts bleeding heart to me.

Have you made a spreadsheet to keep track of all these comments? :) I like A the best followed by C. The green seems too different, but it might look lighter in the pattern. You could.....swatch them together and get a better idea how the stole will flow.

I vote for C - it's a gorgeous combination.

A - how could there be any other option!

All the colours are awesome, but A would compliment the bleeding heart better in my personal opinion - subtle is good sometimes, and will mean it can go with a multitude more things!! :~)

If I had to choose among the stash, I'd choose A, but in reality I'd buy more yarn. Something a little brighter/richer than A but not as dark as c.

I would like to see a swatch. Its between the two pinks. I like the ideas of the darker pink representing the darker part of the flower but I would need to see it.

Which ever you pick will look just fine.

Oh I have to vote C. Not only is it my favorite choice... I just have to giggle and think of "whore's panties" when i look at it. Hee hee!

It's A for me.

We vote A--we being me and my 10-year-old daughter Katie, who adds, "C would be really ugly."

edited to add: Katie did NOT say that. She said, "B would be really ugly."

My vote is for A, more subtle and will let your yarn really shine.

In this situation, I would probably go with option D, which is go buy more yarn. But I really ought to go join Yarnaholics Anonymous one of these days...

I vote A, the others are too overwhelming.

Just for the record...I vote A.

I like A. The contrast between your handspun and the other two colors is just too stark. Someone mentioned something like echoing the nature of the plant before, so I can see the value of using the green, but I still like the subtlety of A best.

woha - are you glad you asked??? I'm going for green. I had to google the pattern to make up my mind and I must confess I dont fully get what you're planning. Green along the model's back and then your beloved along the edges and trim?? I think this will work. By now of course, we're all convinced that any one of these combinations has fans!!

I vote C. I think it would make the contrast just right.

B is a bit too pale in my opinion, and A definitely is.

Not that A and B wouldn't make it gorgeous, of course, just slightly less so.

I vote C, with A second.

A

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

C... whore's panties is the way to go.

I'm late to the game and you've probably already decided, but I hope you went with B. I don't even like green, but I like that one!

The green.

I like B. And I have to predict that the comments will be equally divided and we'll have been no help whatsoever.

I vote A. It's kind of wistful, the whole subtle pink thing. I think your handspun would stand out more with the softer pink.

"C" for sure

A is pretty, but it just doesn't seem like you. Actually, B seems more like you but I don't like it as well. If this isn't a good reason to go shopping, I don't know what is!!!

I am coming out of lurkdom to vote - C, needs some vibrant contrast and you look great with some WOW color and C is WOW color.

I didn't read each comment so sorry if redundant, but this would have been a great moment to insert a poll. Twigg is a good one.

For me, the green.

I don't think I've ever left a comment on your blog before, but I have to jump in on the Bleeding Heart-gate controversy. B is the hands-down winner.

"A" if you're making the shawl for me. :-)
The green is too blue-ish, and the darker
rose color is too much of a contrast.

"A" please ... and happy travels on this
next bunch of cities.

Maryanne / Columbia SC

Actually I would go with a pale lilac!

A.

Won't take the focus off the handspun.

My vote is A. Go for subtle, it will blend more easily.

I wish you'd had time to swatch, though, as the only problem I can forsee is if A turns out to have different undertones to the main yarn.

- Pam

I'll be the one to say 'none of the above'. I think that you should find some yarn that matches the lightest shade in your handspun. Is it ivory or light gray? Hard to tell. In that way the handspun will not be overwhelmed and lost.

Steph,
Shawls are, I think, woosie pants subtle - in the most positive sense. So I vote for the light pink. Second choice dark pink. No green.

Depends what you plan on wearing it with! I love the pink but it's very subtle, I think the green is a great color and looks wonderful but much bolder.

I'm sure by now the decision has been made, but I vote "A".

I like the green.

green!

I like the green the best.

I would go for the green. The dark pink really is a bit whore's panties, and the light pink is too washed out. The green makes a nice contrast and shows off the handspun without blending in too much. But that's just me, I like color contrasts :)

I vote for the A

B, if you don't burn out before you get to this post...Nancy

A. Absolutely A. The others are too high-contrast. Especially for a big block of darker colour. Now, if you were to mix up the dark and light together somehow, stripes or something....maybe, but I still strongly say A.

Go with the green. The light pink looks dirty next to your chosen yarn, and the dark pink has too much contrast.

C, definitely.

not an easy choice, but I vote B. definitely. although all the colours are pretty.

A works best IMHO

Hmmm...I think I'd have to pick A, but if you had something in a lavender sort of purple, I think that would work as well.

I'd pack all three and do some Harlot Swatching! So what if you have to knit it 3 or 4 times? More fun!

I pick C. It really shows off the subtle variations of the other skein, without distracting from it.

B. Definitely B. Joe would be right in just saying green and get on with it. And you're absolutely right that the green is reminiscent of the green leaves, whereas the beautiful handspun is the delicate flowers.

Go for it!

A!!!

A or B. C is too much of a contrast.

I like B

I vote A.. I like that the colors have the same value (color intensity) I think they will flow the most seamlessly into each other!

I vote for C. I think it would "frame" your bleeding heart yarn and make it pop. Anything too subtle and it won't be noticeable.

Definitely A.

B, I think. A is a bit too raspberry to match the pink, and you're right about the tart's ownership of C.

Not even close. It's got to be A.

C - deep gorgeous pink is my vote.

Normally, I'd be green all the way. It's my favourite colour, and my "go to" when in doublt. But... and this is so unlike me, I'd have to vote for A. I think it blends better with the lovely handspun, and the darker colours will take away from the handspun, which should really be the star of the garment.

A... the contrast of the other two would overshadow the handspun

OH A. i really think it will allow the handspun to shine. the others may take center stage.

I'd definitely go for A as well. Certainly not the green (although maybe it looks better in reality than it does on my computer screen!).

A. The other colors are gorgeous, but I think they will detract from the variegation that you like so much in the original yarn, which will really be spread out over the edging.

c), definitely - one step away from whore's panties sounds absolutely perfect to me! P.S. I may steal the term "whore's panties" for the title of an artwork...

I think green, but not THAT green (it's not yellowy enough). If those three were the only yarns in the world, the light pink blends best. But for an IDEAL of the Bleeding Heart Stole, I'd want a nice, leafy green with your gorgeous handspun border growing out of it. Sorry (hee hee!) to encourage any more yarn purchases...

Definitely yarn A. Beautiful and subtle.

Green. No question. Will make the colors pop.

I vote A.

Have a great time in LA!

A. The darker colors will draw the eye away from the varigated yarn. Let us know which one you pick!

Definitely A! Whore's panties!?! I can always count on you to crack me up. Thanks, Stephanie.

I never comment and stay in the background but this time I just have to say something. If you go with two colors I go with "A". Your choice needs to look planned and not like a "make do".

I know I'm a little late in the game, but I vote C. In reality though, any of them would be wounderful.

another vote for A! but you can't go wrong with any of them :)

My vote is A. the others are too dark.....though do you have a soft lavender? I also see that color showing up in the variagation.

A, definitely A...

Whore's panties, (C), yes.

Who is this for? I didn't think you liked pink frilly frou-frou?

Definitely A...I think it's a much softer, more subtle colour that will let the bleeding hearts yarn be the centre of attention (as it should be).

B or C, they would both work, I lean towards C.

A is too pale IMHO

A. Lovely.

A, or possibly B.

C! C! (She says, jumping up and down.) C has a nice punch, and will play beautifully off the subtleties of your homespun. Think of C as the cake and A as the frosting which compliments it so well.

I can see why you can't make up your mind. A would look the most uniform, like it's one piece. I like C for the contrast, though.

Four hundred posts??? This was all in the middle of the night?? Do knitters never sleep? I vote for the pale pink. Although I like the dark pink better, the pale pink would be more subtle and classier. The green just reminds me too much of the two 3lb bags of "100% unknown fibre" that found its way into my stash. (I am sure yours isn't the same stuff, but still)

A. Beautifully subtle.

NO to Green. A or C with a bent toward A. Only you can tell cause I don't know what my monitor is doing to the color.

I vote C - always had a thing for a whore's panties ;)

A. Definitely. A.

I have to say A, although I'm really taken with the idea of the green. But really, A.

A, the light pink. It's subtle and calm and a bit girly. Go for it.

I vote C.

Were it me, I would start knitting to see how the three colors look against it as it looks knit up. They're all pretty colors, I don't think you'll go far wrong with any of them.

Definitely A!

I say, go for the green. Wonderful contrast

A subtle, allows H to shine, B&C overwhelm H. Just MHO.
I fear LA.

An opinion on a wool color? Count me in! I vote A). The green looks too dark in the picture. If it was a same shade but much lighter I would like it. The dark pink looks too dark to me, too. The handspun is so dainty and the pale pink in the middle would complement it without stealing its thunder.

B, definitely. It's a lovely soft green, and goes beautifully with your MC. Like the bleeding hearts and their leaves -- they just go together naturally.

B or C. A is very lovely, but I think if you're going to do different colors, you should DO different colors and that matches too well (I realize you're doing it out of necessity and not necessarily choice! lol). I am partial to pink, but I think the green would really bring out the greens in the handspun.

Option C -- it goes beautifully, and you're not a pale pale pink chica.

I vote a.
I think it will blend the best.

B, green. Too much pink is a little bit boring, and the green is reminiscent of the stem of a plant. VERY pretty.

At first I thought c, but then I realized that it should be A out of all the choices. Delicate, like a bleeding heart. Handle with care.

Instinctively C. It's hard to know through the monitor, but that looks nicest to me.

I vote B or C. The "A" is too light, "C" may be too dark but the green looks good. I noticed most people voted A.

A!

I vote A. I feel the color changes with the contrasting colors might be too jarring. Have a wonderful trip! :-)

AAAAAAAA!
You want a supporting role, not a show stealer.

AAAA!!!

I voted for A, but then again, maybe you should hold out for more roving. The handspun is really too pretty to just look like it was tacked on to the end of a project. It needs to sing by itself.

A, definitely. The other colors are too dark.

Dark pink (C). Light pink comes in a close second.
I like the continuation of the Bleeding Hearts theme, I think the green would take it somewhere else entirely. :)

C! definitely!

I really like the green, (B) but you know, I just don't think its the right one. My gut says the dark pink will be very nice. A better contrast. A is lovely, but I think will be a bit washed out.
I vote C

If you want people to focus on your beautiful bleeding heart yarn - go for A. The others are dark and would pull the eye away from A.. (and I feel like your focal yarn is too nice for that).

Pick B, to represent the leaves.

Umm ...

I like B and C. I hafta pick? C, but only because I think my monitor's doing something weird to B. And .. well .. I love the thought of the vibrant fuschia - which is also another beautiful flower similar to a bleeding heart - and that gorgeous gorgeous handspun.

I vote B as a first choice -- I think the contrast will call attention to the pink. Second place A -- lovely subtle combo.

Absolutely A! B is too unrelated and C is way to whore's panties-ish. :)

B!! who is counting the votes?? that's going to be a big job.............

A

Definitely A

It would subtle, but perfect and would be ever so delicate a scarf!

I think it needs B. If you use A, it will wash out the pretty variations of the wool/seacell. and C is just too bright.

I vote for the non-existant "D", which would be a light lavender. :)

I am a green person too...so B is my vote.

Definitely A...go for the subtle......

THE NEXT MORNING...I still think the green is too blue. The value of the pink is too intense. If you could find the same hue of pink but of the same value as the green. A is dull next to the handspun. Do you have any more of the natural color you plied with.That would be the most subtle. What ever color you choose the handspun needs to be allowed to sparkle. Swatch.

I'm going to vote for A, though I can certainly see the appeal of B and C. As a stole, you want it to look of a piece, which A will give you. And keep in mind that most of A/B/C will be wrapped around your back, so that it's the prettypretty handspun that you get to admire all the time you're wearing the stole. "Whore's panties" - hehehe.

Even though I love green, I think A would work best. On the other hand, I'm so clueless about color that I need my husband to tell me what shades look good on me.

I vote A. But I'm colour deaf.

I would do C on the border and the bleeding heart in the middle (I think that the dark pink is too strong and will detract from the b/h the otherway)
OR your B?H border like you said with the green in the middle.

You are right, I think the pink is too wishy-washy. If it can't be THE SAME make it DIFFERENT. not a poor attempt at neither... :)

B, with C a close second.

I love the green !!! How about one other entry, an ivory or off white? Best of luck, wonderful colorway

A gets my vote.

A!

Much more subtle, so that the attention is on the handspun.

:D

Ok, I had to look up the pattern to decide.
B or C. I keep changing my mind with the 2, but green looks more like a sure bet.

Go with A if you really want the handspun to sing. If you want the handspun to look like an afterthought to embellish the solid shades then go with C. From the picture B is too jarring a colour choice.

Gosh, am I ever late to this party! But I vote for A - delicate and subtle and beautiful.

WHORE'S PANTIES! Um... I mean C!

I LOVE C! C gets my vote. Goodluck :)

i agree with both Leslie and Knittaroo that the edging would work better in contrast... B on the border and then, is there a way to intermingle C with yours instead of making big ol' blocks??

I love the dark pink for this shawl, especially given the photo of the handspun beside the actual flowers -- the dark pink does a beautiful job of pulling in the darker flower pink to your gorgeously muted handspun.

So I vote C. :) (and failing that, go A, but A just seems like it makes the whole thing more baby-gift in feel. Which is fine, if that's what you're going for. :))

I definitely vote for option A. The pink is a beautiful color and looks like it was meant to go with the main color yarn. It will be subtle in a totally gorgeous way!

totally casting my vote for option "A". I am the color authority at my house, and I have a formally trained eye, seriously. Also? I totally went to Nathania's shop Purlescence the other day, and bought two balls of yarn to alter an ready made pull-over into a cardigan. The (loathed) pull-over had been moping at the bottom of the laundry pile in it's unloved state for over three years. I had not looked at it in all that time. But I bought two balls of yarn that I thought would help me make it into a cardigan that I'd actually sometimes want to wear. And you know what? When I got home with those two balls of yarn, they totally matched the rather odd muddy brown, and the tomatoey orange in the pull-over. So you can totally trust me on this one. Use the "A".

I vote for the green. I don't like the pale pink because I don't think it will show off the yarn you spun enough, it'll just disappear.

The green will look like the leaves, very pretty.

Oh, and by the way? You owe me a coffee. I just spit my morning coffee all over my keyboard when I read about choice C being "whore's panties." (Thanks for the giggle fit.)

A! Definitely A!

A

I like the concept of green best, but that is the WRONG green...so my vote unfortunately is none of them! I think you need less sage and more celery...

You must have some white lace weight to do a squiggle shawl. I know you have white lace wight in alpaca, or did you give that to me??? So I say "D". I know, I know. There was no "D". O.K. then "A".

The darker colors will draw attention away from your handspun by the stark contrast in colors!

Therefore: A

I think A is beautiful. BTW we share the same B-day... can't wait to KIP to celebrate!

Green Green Green

A is too pale - C is just not right

There looks to be enough green in your homespun yarn to be picked up and accented by the green center yarn.

A definitely, otherwise the focus will be on the stripes and not the pretty handspun on the edges

If the green were a little paler, a little yellower, I'd say green. I think C will overpower the gorgeousness of the Beloved Yarn. The A would be the best choice to showcase the Beloved yarn. :)

I pick C. I could tell, scrolling through the comments, that I am definitely in the minority though. But I like C.

I'm all over option C. That dark pink just works sooooooo well with the one you already have.

A.....gets my vote. Beautiful yarn!

Go green! B!

Choice A. What an elegant wrap it will be. I'm impressed that the size of your stash enables so many choices. Clearly, my own stash must be increased. You are an inspiration, Stephanie.

My thought would be definitely the GREEN and if possible use it to go around the handspun at the ends. the best I can do is say use the green in this kind of shape < and the handspun from the right side of the <. That way it will look kind of like the foliage surrounding the flower at the bud end.

I pick C - the dark pink shows off the heart part of the flower.

A. I think the others will provide a stronger contrast than you'll end up liking in a project like this.

I vote B.

A is too pale. C is too harsh a contrast. B is "just right."

I would choose A in order to play up the colors in your lovely bleeding heart yarn. It would also help to make it so that the finished scarf would be more easily worn with different clothes.

A, for sure!

A for subtle and understated with elegance. B for daring and reckless-ness (your daughters might steal it). C never ever.

Just me. :)

C

A
Even though my favorite color is green.

A is really nice. Green would be ok...but I am not sure about that red. A is going to be my vote.

You probably don't need another opinion but I'd go with A.

A- The subtly is I think what you want. Remember what you said yesterday about we can't mimic nature exactly or it becomes over the top.

B. Tho there's a light purple/mauve-ish color in the bleeding heart yearn that would look nice too....

C gets my vote.

Definitely not C and the green only in a paler shade as in the handspun. The pink is the prettiest, or a white as in the handspun would be pretty as they would both set off the handspun, rather than overpower it.

None of the above. Don't mean to be difficult, but I think there is something better in the stash that you haven't found.

A gets my vote. Subtle and oh so lovely!
Wishing you a safe happy trip!

A, with C as a second choice.

A. Definitely A.

And how are you going to tally all of these results? I wonder if your "webmaster" could develop a voting button for you. :-)

I know - you're already gone, but I sure hope you took Yarn C - the deep pink one - with you. That would be my choice.

I am assuming that you've packed all three, because no matter what happens you'll second (and third) guess your decision. From the internet photo's I agree that the dark pink is a bit like a whore's panties; which leaves options 1 & 2....would be easier to choose with a swatch..... (I'm leaning Green)

Might be too late, but I vote A.

Delurking for the most important things ;).
All three of the colors are lovely, and together they are beautiful--I'm worried that the green is too blue to match the handspun, which looks more lime-y (that's rich, coming from someone in Britain!). And while the dark pink has subtle variegation that makes it similar to the handspun, it's a bold contrast in color--perhaps jarring from farther away. So my vote is A!

It may be my monitor, but I'm not really sure I like any of them as an option. Your handspun is quite fetching and I think deserves to stand alone.

My two cents.

I think not B; it doesn't feel like the right green. But I don't know if A or C is better. Probably A.

green, definitly green

Definitely go with C.
The others are too pale.
C mimicks the fuchsia colored outer petals on the Bleeding Hearts flowers. It will bring out the best in the other yarns.
A and B are too flat and washed out looking.

Of course you won't know though until you've swatched all 3 combinations.

A. Most definitely. And I understand your "woosie-pants" concern, as I usually avoid paler shades, but you need something to take a backseat to that drop-dead gorgeous handspun.

"A" all the way. Although I do like the whole "whore's panties" thing.

A. Subtle and pretty.

I vote for A. Very classy.

A, my opinion. Green seems unrelated to yarn, although it went well with the photographed plant in the yard! Color C would wash out the colors in your yarn.

Going with a minority here, but C. It brings out the darker hues of the hand dyed.

My gut reaction was A, but then I saw C. However, A is still my choice, because from a distance the shawl will look white and green or white and dark pink. With A the tonality will carry nicely and not be jarring from far away. A lovely complement to a lovely handspun. A!

Blue NO Green....ooops watched way too much Monthy Python growing up it seems!

I think either B or C. B would look more "organic" to the piece, but C would be an exciting variation... I think A is too matchy-matchy. Yes, that is a technical term. Good luck deciding!

Whoops, meant to say that with the green or the dark pink, from a distance the shawl will look white and green or white and dark pink. The coffee has NOT kicked in yet.

Option C, dark pink.

Definitely C

A

A. Definitely A. The subtleties of your gorgeous handspun don't get overwhelmed and don't have to compete with something darker which will draw the eye to it.

I vote for B and C. What if you had green in the center, followed by the dark pink on each end, and then your fabulous "bleeding heart" for the edging? I think that would mirror your plant nicely :-)

I like A, the pale pink. It just delights me, somehow, that it is such a good match. Makes me feel all blissfull. Green's not bad.

Green. Always green.

I vote for C.

A is the better choice, in my humble opinion.

A

A definitely A!

Here's a crazy thought. What if you swatch to see what you like better? (At comment number 500 and something, it can't possibly be original, can it?) Then frog your swatch and re-use the yarn. I think it's hard to tell how the handspun will be when it's knit vs. in the ball. Pooling and all that.

A all the way.

C! dude, you're going to have a lot of votes to tally!

I like A.
Classy and elegantly subtle...

I vote for C. If you don't use it for this, you'll find yourself turning it into a pair of whore's panties and you don't really want that. (though you might like to ask Joe about that option first ...)

I also like A but I think it is just a little too subtle. I think that C will visually "pull" the pink out of the handspun.

Dumb question time... do you like to wear more vivid colors or pastels?

I like vivid colors, so I'd vote C first. If I wore a lot of pastels, I'd vote B. I love the phrase wootsie-pants, but A would be my last choice. O:) (Silver beads like dew might be fun too... you know, the kind that are clear outside with silver around the hole?)

And don't worry. A whore's underpants would have wayyy more black to go with the fuschia. =)

Doesn't matter so much which one you pick as how the piece is composed. Stoles are best crafted with linear design components, not blocks. Putting one color on either end and something else in the middle could look choppy. Running one color along the top and the bottom, lengthwise, and another color(s) along the length of the stole between, would look better. I know you're opposed to stripes, but the stripey effect can be overcome by holding the two yarns together for a few rows to give an ombre effect. Of course to do this you'd have to knit the thing along its entire length rather than end to end which might not work for the pattern. Oh, dear.

The pink, unless you find a nice yarn store in LA and find a nice peach color instead, since that is what seems to draw the eye more in the photo.

Or, all three! But not the green, which looks sort of aqua on my monitor, and therefore doesn't look like it goes with the handspun.

The handspun is amazing - it makes me want to run out and learn that next. So much yarn, so little time!

Pink is the way to go I think. I'm no expert,, but the other 2 colors,, as nice as they are,, are just way too dark on their own to compete with your bleeding heart.

Yup pink it is!

A. The scarf/stole has a delicate monchromatic look that "a" would replicate.

I vote A even though I know I am terribly late.
This is where a quilt program that allows you to d/l images of material/yarn into the program.
You could take a pic of all the yarns and throw it into your program and get a better idea of how the colors look together.

Well, aren't we a lot of help! I can't help but think that everyone's monitor is going to show your colors slightly differently (I just checked on 3 different machines, PCs and Mac) and what WE see is not what YOU see...

All will work well together IMNSHO, but I am leaning towards B or C depending on how the yarns feel in knitting them up. I go for visual and tactile pleasure from start to finish! :-)

Enjoy!

Definitely A - and it will be a thing of beauty!

A definitely. Subtle, It will stand back and let the handspun shine.
I do like the dark pink and green together though....Wonder what you could do with them?

My husband's grown accustomed enough to it all now that he's started suggesting I ask the blog all manner of things. I still tend to force him to fondle freshly-spun bobbins of yarn, though.

I'm going to say go with the contrasts, because even though the lighter pink is CLOSE, anytime that I go with "close," it looks a lot less close by the time I'm done, and then I'm pissed about that. But with contrast, I can usually find a way to plan the contrast in there so it looks like an intentional design element. I would almost consider the opposite of what you're thinking -- use some of each of the dark pink and the green -- maybe dark pink at one end and green at the other, with your handspun in the middle.

I'm curious about the blend, too, btw -- I have been blending wools of various types with seacell experimentally, and testing seacell alone... I'll have to show you some yarn next time I see you (because naturally, I travel with various types of yarn and fiber samples just in case there is an opportunity to have an obsessive discussion thereof; surely you do this too, right?)

I mean, the best solution is get more of the fiber, and spin more, but that doesn't help you cast on RIGHT NOW, so it's useless.

I vote for A.

A, B and C together. Failing that, A.

B -- the green all the way. Nice contrast, but still related to the theme.

Can't wait to see how it comes out!

(BTW - I am working on my first lace project with some wonderful hand-dyed silk I bought at WEBS when you came to speak. Mmmm, love it).

love the dark pink....no to the green....sorry Joe.

I vote for "A" - subtle, blends well. The other 2 colors are too jarring.

B, definitely!

Did anyone suggest all three? I think the A is too little contrast and will make the Beloved disappear. The other two are perfect coordinates but give too much contrast individually, although they balance each other very nicely. So, I think that you could bring all of them together so that Beloved is maximized and fully appreciated. I don't know how you will do it, but luckily you are brilliant and have the opinions of over 500 (and counting) people to consider. Of course, if you pack it all up and take it with you, you will have 1000s more opinions who can actually play with it.

Good luck!

(This is a decision that would take me months to make - so much for kismet!)

Definitely A!!!

I'd say C. The purple in it pulls the purple from the variegated one.

I have to go with A - even though its a color I never go near !!

A! Though i'd do an entire one (border and centre) in B as well!

The green! I'm contrast-y that way...See you at BEA!

I think you should use the bleeding heart for the center piece and the border and use C for the two outer pieces. Don't you think that would resemble a bleeding heart? That's my vote and I'm stickin to it!

Definitely A - but then again, I like things that seem to flow naturally from one another and it seems to me the change between the two would be soft and in distinct.

Can't wait to see what you do with it!

C would be absolutely gorgeous!

I say A.
Picture a green or dark pink stole with a pale edging. Not a good picture in my mind. A for sure.

And welcome to LA.

A from me too. I love C, but I think it would look like you didn't have enough yarn and picked something that complemented. A is going to look like you planned it that way all along.

Weee-elll, why not use all three and blend, blend, blend! Then it will truly have all your bleeding hearts colors. Besides, Kaffe Fassett always says, when in doubt, add more color!

After looking again at the pattern, I would go for B, the green. Your photos of the roving & yarn with the bleeding heart flowers are absolutely out of this world. An astonishing, amazing blend of colors. I am so sad you don't have enough for the whole shawl.

AAA!

B!! Love the green!

My vote is for A. The whore's panties thing killed me! Love it.

Fortitude in your decision making... ;)

C

I like A. Your yarn is so beautiful and A doesn't detract from it.

I would say green (it's a lovely combination, especially as the green in your bleeding heart is pretty subtle), but I think for that particular pattern, you need to go with A - contrast is not going to work.

C - go for broke.

I vote C for the deep pink (which surprise me as I am normally a green person and don't like darker pinks), the pale pink is too woosie.

I like A.. but snorted about the whore's panties.
I also tend to agree with Rams...
I had to go through to see if Anne left a comment and yes, indeed, 2 of them.
What a lovely little can of.... :^)

Couldn't you combine the green and light pink tog somehow?
~~

A is my first gut reaction but I think C could be lovely. Good luck deciding!

I'd go with A.

"A" - I think the pale pink with suit the bleeding heart pattern beautifully.

I vote for A, but I think it will look beautiful with any of the choices.

Can't wait to see you in Chicago!

I think I'm like the 600th commenter so you've probably log since stopped reading and have moved on to doing things like actually living your LIFE but I just LOVE that B color. With the bleeding heart yarn or not, I love it. LOVE IT.

Was that too subtle?

I am thinking A if it is a gift for someone else, and B if it is for you.

A definitely

I think the pale pink will work best, but how about swatching just in case (I know, I know -- and you probably don't want to take along all three balls of yarn), since knitting the yarn will change color distribution and intensity again. Have a great trip!

One more vote for A!

I love C, but I don't think it goes with the beloved at all. And the green, I think, would just look weird.

I'm all for A. It's lovely.

A!

Definitely C!

random stripes in all three. Or the green (I'm a redhead and always go for the green.)

B - hands down. It sits comfortably in that middle ground between wuss and whore's panties (my god, that is funny). It's a good balance.

Have fun with whatever color you pick!

"A" The others would look like a mistake - "A" will look like you did it on purpose - which of course you did.

Green. That's my gut.

Of course, green is my favorite color. The color of my sweater, the color of my eyes, the color of my lawn which reminds me that I need to mow, the color of the monstrosity of an afghan that I'm 4 feet short of finishing for a graduate who graduated a week ago....

maybe the light pink. It doesn't remind me of any work I have to do.

I like A the best. I think B could work, but that it's not quite the right shade of green and that C is just too dark.

For a delicate stole/scarf/shawl, A would be my choice.

But I really, really like C best.

I'm no help - it's a good thing so many others commented before me.

I vote A. While C is very pretty, I think that A would highlight your handspun while C would be highlighted BY it.

Even though you've undoubtedly worn yourself out with reading the gazillion responses you've gotten, I've got to go with A and agree with those who believe it is gorgeous and subtle, the others are too harsh and contrasting. Love this blog.

Definitely C

I vote for A, though I'm sure the others would be lovely. There's just something about the subtlety of it that speaks to me.

I feel like A compliments your handspun the best, but I'm partial to pink :)

After looking at the pattern, I vote A.
Enjoy your trip, and I'll
see you at TNNA.

I like the whore's panties....C.

Woosie-pants -- uh, I mean A. Woosie -- is that Canadian for sissy???

I vote for C, The Whore's Panties. Just because it gave me the first laugh of the day.

Definitely A. I think the other two would overwhelm your precious. The subtle nature of A will make your bleeding heart color variations stand out more.

I prefer C--It would emphasize your handspun. I think the values are too close between A and the variegated. And B is not my favorite color (so I'm a bit biased).

OK, in my comment yesterday, THAT's what I was trying to explain! Either you got it, or that's already what you were planning to do. Good show. My vote though, has to be the green. Green goes with everything; look at nature. I think the pink is a little too girly looking somehow, and that may just come from living in a house with 3 sons. The deep pink I think overpowers the subtle colors in the bleeding heart yarn. Besides...Go Green!

Sorry, couldn't resist.

A, So that the handspun can shine. The other options are too contrasty for lace, and the delicacy of the handspun colors are overwhelmed.

I vote for the green B. Its pale enough to go with the pink and also picks up the green in the pink yarn. The pink A is too whoosey and Pink C to bold.

I vote for the green B. Its pale enough to go with the pink and also picks up the green in the pink yarn. The pink A is too whoosey and Pink C to bold.

I think you should use all three...graduate the pinks and use the green last in the middle. That would really look like the bleeding heart.

Well, I posted and then read the comments and I've changed my mind! This is not an easy decision when you only have pictures online! My opinion: spin more, because your Beloved is SO beautiful that adding any other yarn would detract from it. Of course, if you are needing to use up some stash...

I think, though, that you could make a nice stole using all the colours, shifting from one to the next, etc., but what would happen to Beloved only representing an eighth of the stole?

Again, you are brilliant and will make a perfect decision, because, after all, it is Kismet!

Have a wonderful trip to LA and Cols, Ohio!

I like C, but is it the same weight?

A. But only for what you have in mind. I'd choose one of the others (or both) if you were using them as an edging or stripes.

I vote a, but c is a close second. Good luck!

I'm going with A. The yarn is so delicately colored, when changing to the new color it might not be as noticeable, but more of a blending. Softer, more elegant. I can't believe there are 628 comments already - there will be more by the time this is posted! The photos are gorgeous, and you are right about Mother Nature's colors (how Does She Do It?)

A. definitely A!

I think A would give you a lovely stole, very girly. What about starting the stole with a little of A at each end and the middle? Then it may look like you planned the whole thing. Are the lacy borders separate, perhaps you could use a tiny bit of the other colours in the border to include them too... it might work or it might be horrible.

after over 600 comments I bet you hadn't mentioned it at all.

I can't make my own decisions, let alone someone else's but I think rams might be right.

However, if the whore's panties fit...

Definitely A.

B. I think it is the best representation of the whole plant.

Wait. You're coming to LA, as in Los Angeles? Your calendar doesn't say anything about that. I missed you last year because I was out of town. Update, please!

Go with the C!

I say the green. It is different enough to offer a contrast but not too different. Runner up is the light pink. Definitely don't do the dark pink. Your instincts are right- that would totally look like whore's panties.

I vote for A. The other 2 would overwhelm that beautiful handspun. Would love to see the other 2 in something together where they would harmonize nicely, but they drown out the bleeding hearts. IMHO.

I vote A --
---And I'm wearing panties the color of C.

I say C, I think it would be lovely and not at all like a whores panties...lol

C, gorgeous...

I vote for the green; though the light pink is a very close second.

I'm sure you're prolly already on your way to LA, but I vote A for sure. The subtle pink will allow the trim knit in your hand spun to shine.

A is the natural choice.
I prefer blending in rather than shrieking, but that's just me. tina has the right idea. After all it is lace and a sharp contrast will just look like you've run out of yarn. Mix it up a bit and I think you'll be very happy with the results.

A -- the others would overwhelm the beautiful handspun

B or C. Personally i'd use C, but i have a hunch you'd like the B better and wear it more often that way, so maybe B for you?

My first time ever, but I post because I have just been photographing Bleeding Hearts here in Rhode Island,(USA). I think a pale, pale bluish green might be good for a contrasting color.

I'm waffling between A and C (and even B). But if you were to put a gun to my head, I'd say A. Not woosie at all.

I vote A. Such pretty yarn:~D

I vote A!

I say start knitting the ends with the homespun and then decide. I say this because your opinion may changed based on how the colors do or do not pool. On the ball it looks mostly pink with just bits of other colors peeking through, but once knitted you may find it has splotches of green, and if those splotches of green do not go with the solid green, they will not go.

I'm for C. Whore's panties all the way!!!

Can you get more roving?

I vote A based on the balls but I'd swatch a bit just to check.

A. Truly beautiful, and tones with the new yarn without all that strong contrast. Both the green and the darker pink are lovely colors, but they're so much darker. Have fun in LA!

A will let the handspun sing.

A is nice, but I personally think that C would be the most stunning. The *idea* of B (a green of some sort) is great, but I think that the green you have is the wrong shade. I can't wait to see what you choose!

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB (I like B)

A, A all the way? [whore's panties? really? rofl]

My vote goes for A. Subtle and elegant!

B, with a thin stripe of C between the B and the Bleeding Heart.

If you choose C (Whore's Panties) it will look like you dipped the ends in bleach.

If you choose A, all caucasians will be washed out when wearing the final product.

B is lovely, and adding stripe of Whore's Panties will make everything pop, will insulate the slightly non-matching greens from each other, and will look awesome!

A!!!! Yarn A will let your beautiful handspun take center stage - just where it should be!

I like "A".

You're gonna need "survey monkey" to tabulate all these opinions!

I vote for A. It blends nicely with the handspun, and lets the handspun be the standout color.

A - subtle - and will make the other colours in the bleeding heart pop right out.

Hmmm I was going to say B, but no would should trust me with color selection when green is one of the offerings.

Then I read Rams comment and I think she has a valid point. Listen to Rams.

I'm horribly late to the party - 620 comments at this point. However, I think there could be a way to use all of these. If you go back and look at the bleeding hearts in your garden, you'll see a shift in colour from the green of the "plant" part, to the deeper pink of the top petals of the flower, to the softer pinks and whites of the rest of the flower. From the end of the stole inwards to the grafting area, can you duplicate those shifts of colour? Start with your handspun, shift to the light pink, shift to the darker pink, shift to green and at that point change to a leaf pattern?

I know, I'm no help at all, but what I'm envisioning is a translation in yarn of what you see when you look at the plant.

On the other hand - are you a pink person? If not, I'd go green with a leaf pattern.

I vote for A

Oh, the green, surely the green.....

OK just because my curious mind has to know. I counted the votes. Yes weird I know,but I had to know. Now keep in mind after approx 580 comment I did not count twice and everyone got 1 vote. I will say this is an approximate number so if anyone else wants to count and my math is off a bit I wont get slammed. Also there we so many for the option of swatching or buying more yarn(which always makes me smile).
So here is what I counted:

B- Got 118 votes Go Green!!Bleeding Heart, think people could figure out on their own what the green is for.
C- Got 127 votes Whore panties do not bother them!Plus they like the contrast.
A- Got 262 votes Go subtle ,classy, elegant(mind you using words I read)

So that leave about 80 that think you should swatch, send them swatches, can't decide(good luck),use all three or maybe two,buy more yarn and then decide(yep still makes me smile)or take all three with you.

Since this probably way late and you have already left.I still thought this was fun to post.My vote hmm....still thinking about. I can't decide. Have fun!!

I can only imagine the people you're going to attract by mentioning whore's panties. I like option A. I think the green is too literal a representation of the flowers. And the dark pink IS like whore's panties. :-D

I love A! But, if you are still undecided, what if you swatch a couple of rows of each yarn, and hold them next to each other. B or C might work really well, once you get to hold them up to each other :) I can't wait to see what you choose! Have a safe trip!

All three are beautiful, but I think the more subtle combination with A is the one to go with.

Goodness by the time I counted and posted this the comments have jumped up to 620! Haha sorry not doing a recount.:)

A is perfect!

I vote A!

A all the way!!

I once learned this trick on a design show that if you have a patterned fabric with several colours in it and you want to pick up a theme from the fabric (used on curtains, bedspread, cushions, whatever) to use on wall colours, accents, bedspread, cushions, etc., squint and the colour you see best is the colour you should use. Which means A.

Maybe keep it subtle, more flexible for wearing, and allow the focus to be on the end patterns -- A!

I honestly think it depends on how wide the handspun portions will be. If they are narrow enough to be "accents" I don't think it matters WHICH color you go with: they are all lovely. I like the green best, personally. If they are going to represent, say, half of the shawl (1/4 on each end) with the other yarn making up the other 50 percent, you probably want to go with the light pink so it isn't so contrast-y.

I'd go with A, definitely; it's the classy choice that you won't tire of.

Now if I could only be so decisive with my own projects (I am currently selecting my knitting for a (very) long plane trip and vacation!)

Option C, definitely. I don't think the others are going to show off the loveliness of the handspun at all.

I vote for A. but I think B. is more "you." C. is just too much with the soft colours of the handspun. You need to find a poll widget to put up so you can see the results of the voting at a glance!

Stephanie, go for the green and the deep pink multicolored. That way, when you make something and everybody oohs and aahs, you won't have to say you couldn't decide between either or and everyone will think you're brillant!

Hands down - A. Definitely lovely, not woosie.

Wait a minute, I just re-read the above! MAN! I love the idea of whores panties-maybe I'll do something like that for Christmas gifts!! Great idea!!

Now I realize I probably shouldn't add another choice, but I think just a simple off-white yarn might showcase the handspun better than a colored yarn can.

Limited to the three colors, A or B seem even choices to me.

I find the pink (A) to be more delicate with the seacell and would use it as the border color.

A. Every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Option C! Option C! Go with the "whore's panties"!!! :)

B Green!!!

I like A.

C!!!! Who doesn't like whore's panties?
No but really...
C.
It has the nicest contrast

I like the darker pink best - I'm more a "bold/bright" kind of girl - and the contrast will compliment the varigated really well. The pale pink will work if you want subtle, but the green doesn't look right to me.

I choose A too, although by now I think you have enough votes, it may be hard counting all these comments!

Well, I like b - but then I like green...smile

I vote for A but the richer red of C would be nice too. Best way to figure out the best one is to swatch so that you can see if the colour washed our the other colours or compliments.

I am totally unable to abandon a lovely color, so I suggest that you totally re-design the shawl so that you can use all of them. You've got a few free minutes before heading out, right????

A. Definetly. I'm more of a subtle person, so I like the Idea of being able to pretend it's all the handspun yarn.

C. Definitely C.

I would go for the green -- but I might do the homespun in the center and use the green for the edging -- sort of like a flower.

I'm all for C. But I'm starting from the bias of not really liking light pinks, which, on my monitor, is all that A looks like. It's not conveying much of the subtle that I'm sure is there.

C! A is too wussy, and B would be great if it was a little closer to the green in your BEAutiful handspun, but its not so.. C. Definately :)

i would do the handspun in the middle and the green on the outside, like a previous poster suggested. but then, i can be overly literal.

One step away from a whore's panties?! ROTFLMAO!

I'll never look at the shade of pink/mauve-ishy the same again....*giggle*

I vote for A :o )

A. I think. Actually, they're all good choices, but if the choice were mine to make, I'd probably go with A. I like how the light pink matches the beautiful yarn you spun.

I'm impressed you can find 3 good choices in the right weight in your stash, just like that.

I don't want to put a damper on your project -- and, trying to budget myself, I don't want to be a shopping enabler, either -- but maybe you should knit the edges with your handspun and then decide on a yarn for the center.

It's been my experience that the inability to choose means you don't have the right options. If you have the perfect yarn, it will scream "pick me." And the difference between "perfect" and "almost prfect" usually is the difference between something you adore and something you barely tolerate or end up hating.

A is more complimentary... I think B and C contrast too much with your handspun and overwhelms the delicate subtlety of it. Your bleeding hearts yarn will be washed out with the other two!

C. I love the darker pink

Can't laugh enough - best way: swatch it.. Maybe a lot of knitters have recommended that already - but I can't drive myself to read all 696 comments !!

I adore choice C. I saw those colours together and I melted. The deep jewel red and the soft seductive pink just go fantastic together.

POLL IT !!!

I vote A. I think subtle would be great in the stole (I looked at the pattern). Contrast would be too contrastyyy. A. Go A!

I vote "A." Subtle, but delicate.

All three. They are fantastic together! I'd knit the shawl with your yarn in the center, then the dark pink, then pale pink, then a green edge.

I'd go for A.

B. A looks as if it ought to match more exactly than it does (at least on my screen it's too yellow) and C is very pretty but it makes your lovely subtle variegated yarn look a little washy.

Based solely on how your pictures looks on my screen, I vote "A". As much as I love green, I think your green is a smudge too dark. And C is definitely too dark.

I vote A. The others are also lovely, but I think they would be too busy.

A hands down. Not that you need my advice after the 700 or so comments you've already received. You can't really go wrong on this one but I would be happiest with A. Did Joe say A?

Green. If you will have MORE of only one color (since you love is varied), then it must be green, just like flowers....otherwise the other colors overpower things..... If you want your shawl to have your lovely show up the most, and "read" as being mostly it, the green will set it off best.

At least, that is what I think.

I haven't read all the comment so don't know if I am just repeating someone's idea. I like green on the outside and the original yarn in the middle. Is there enough to do it that way?

I vote A, the light pink matches nicely.

I vote A!

I think A will turn it into the kind of sophisticated confection of a thing that you can use to dress up otherwise bleh outfits. And that is a totally useful kind of item to have (especially if you have too many bleh outfits, like i do!).

A for sure!

Definitely A. No doubt about it.

A. Obviously. [deep sigh]

Or get more roving and spin more yarn.

I like the more monochromatic look so would have to vote for A.

Do you have a soft yellow that matches the yellow in your yarn? I think the yellow stands out nicely. I think the pink blends, but the others would be too overwhelming in large quantities. When you look at the bleeding hearts in the photos, see how the yellow just pops out? I vote yellow.

Not A. I don't think there will be enough definition between the two yarns...and really you want to show off your handspun.

With that said B or C, B or C. Initially I thought B, but I've come around to C. I think the dk. pink against your handspun will be very elegant. The green against the handspun will just look like that...green against handspun. Just mho.

Besides if you start with one color combination and don't like it, you can always frog the project and start again.

Not in favor of A... I think it would be too girly and too washed out.

I like the green, but it seems a little too washed out to mimic the green that is in a bleeding heart plant. Not that mine are beyond just pushing out of the ground, but my (sometimes faulty) memory is that the green in the plant is stronger.

Personally not a dark pink person... but I really like the dark pink with your personally spun pink. It reminds me of the blooms on the bleeding heart plant.

So B or C work, but my final vote (if I must choose only one - this is why my stash is out of control, I think! :)) is....

C - Dark Pink

Sorry, but I'd be looking for a nice soft, not too bright, white.

I love B and C but I think A would look the best.

Either of the 2 paler colours would be great - the darker pink has too much of a different value.

I vote for 'A'

"C" - when I look at the three different options - "C stands out the most. I love the contrast.

Have fun in L.A.
Vanessa

I like C, but i'm sure it will be lovely with any combo you choose. :-)

The solution when faced with such indecision is to go with all of the above, moving from the border with your handspun to the pale pink, to the darker pink and ending with green.

I like the green.

for my 1st comment ever even though i have been lurking for years, i have to say, c! c! pick c!

A It will highlight the hand spun but not over power it...you want the hand spun to be the focal point of this project so go with the more subtle color.
diana

At this point, you may not even care any more, but my vote is A--the subtle pale pink.

Definitely C -- and I hope I'm not too late to get counted.

A, A, A-- please! The others will make the stole look like a piece of checkerboard.

All pretty colors but I vote for A. Although the coloring is subtle, I think your handspun will show off more against the paler color.
Have fun!

LOVE C. Whore's panties or no, I love it.

LOVE C. Whore's panties or no, I love it.

There's the population of a small town weighing in ahead of me but I'll comment anyway. Here's what I think: The darker colors will pop out and totally overshadow your beloved bleeding heart. You want to showcase that new yarn, right? Go with A. Besides, that pink looks really good w/ your pink, and that's really rare to find. It's a message from the knitting gods that you should use them together. Really.

"A" I say.

Green! I think it'll bring out the (very)subtle greens in the handspun and provide a nice contrast. Lovely work, BTW!

I love the green! I like the idea of the flowers and the vines.

A - it highlights your handspun the best. I think the bolder colors - while lovely - overpower your handspun.

I choose C. I'm a green kind of person though.

I vote A, and further vote subtle over woosie-pants. I think subtle would be just the thing...the brights might draw the eye away from the stunning handspun.

I like the dramatic contrast of C.
The soft muted combo with A is lovely, but would you really wear something that soft colored?
The yarn you spun is gorgeous.

I am going to go with the first thing I thought when I was looking at the pics. I would go with A.

The other two are beautiful too, but if it was my scarf/stole, I would pick A.

Definitely A.

Yep, I'd go with A.

A - all the way!

I vote for A - it's a subtle kind of pattern, and I think the green or darker pink would just be a tad too much contrast.

And voter #740 goes with A!

Definitely C. A is too pale. It looks like the other colors got lost. B is too sharp a contrast.

Green. The finished product will remind you more of the actual plant (the border will feel like the blooms, but green body like the stem).

A, for sure A. I think it blends the best with your handspun.

ooops. Make that voter #771!

A. it's a subtle, beautiful contrast.

I vote for B-green. I think one of the pinks is too washed out and the other is too much of a contrast, but the green blends nicely with the handspun.

C. If you call yourself a Harlot, wear a harlot's panties.

A: it enhances without overwhelming the bleeding heart yarn.

My first pick is A but it seems a little grayed out in the last photo. My next pick would be B. C is nice as a complimentary color but is too much of a contrast for something as delicate as a stole and your beloved.

Another vote for A. I just think that it will make a more cohesive finished product. (Just my two cents, whatever you make will be lovely I'm sure!)

as if you are even reading the 750th (!) comment, but...I vote for B or C. A is too similar and does not provide enough contrast for the beautiful bleeding heart. I really like B, but maybe a lighter green? Of course, for all I know you are already winging your way to LA, decision made. Just promise you will show us the result!

definitely A, not that you need any more confirmation me thinks. Joe, we know you have other stellar qualities, leave this to us!

Go Bold - C all the way!

A is too much pale pink for my taste
B is too different and I think will detract from how amazingly gorgeous your hand spun is.
C is perfect.

Of course, I just know with all certainty that whatever you pick and knit up will be stunning!

Um, can we do instant run-off voting here? :)

I love C. I love it. I think it's rich and gorgeous and similar but different enough.

But I also really like A.

Whatever you choose, it's gonna be beautiful--what a pattern!!

i pick a or b not c. c is to dark - kristin

A, without a doubt. Subtlety is key here.

A. All A. Nothing but A.

A is the one I'd pick. I'm not big on pale pinks but in this case the green & the dark pink seem a little overwhelming.

A
AA
AAA
AAAA
AAAAA
AAAA
AAA
AA
A

A!

Whore's panties?! You got me. I've added it to the vocab. I love it.

My first choice would be A, followed by C. Not green, it's too different, I think.

go with the green! always!!! it would make your "beloved" yarn show it's radiant varigated-ness off while complimenting and supporting those lovely knitted blossoms...
as a failsafe, always choose green! lol!
this is my first ever comment, but i LOVE your blog and work!!! thank you Yarn Harlot!
xox

B I say B.
B is green, you like green, Mother nature loves green, green can't clash with something that is pink and inspired by nature...
it's green!

p.s. hoping to see you again in Kingston next week.

I love green, and love green and pink together, but my vote is for A since I think a darker middle would look funny. That handspun is delicious!

B - I love green more than pinks.

I am going with the almost-whore's-panties, because well... just because.

I like the pink (a)because it is nice and soft and feminine. I like the green (b)because it is a nice contrast. And I like the dark pink (c) because it is bold. I think it depends on what kind fo a look you are going for.

A...DEFINITELY A...!!!!!!!

C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C

GIRLFRIEND, you've got 700+ notes to read through here. Use a little script for a POLL on yer blog!

But C for sure.

A. Love the pale pink with your yarn.

I vote for C - but also second, third, 700th the motion for doing swatches with all three to get a feel for how the colors play with eachother!

B, definitely!!! I really think the delicate color of the roving would be drowned out by A or C. the roving spun up beautifully

Gotta pick A.

disclaimer: I am biased against pastels in general

A. reminds me of 80s wallpapers. B is organic but kind of gimmicky. I vote C because whats wrong with a whore's (harlot's?) panties.

Not B, it has to much contrast. (wrong green)
I think your hand spun will blend with A. It looks great but will not show off you great hand spun.
C will make you hand spun pop. It think it would look great.
I would pick C but A comes in a close second.

A, for sure. The others are all off just a bit.

A. I like the subtle pink with the handspun. The other two are a little bit overwhelming and too intense compared to the handspun.

a

Knit one end piece. Hold against the 3 yarns then. We all know verigated yarns change looks AGAIN as they are knitted...

I vote for A

A! Someone suggested swatching. Good idea.

I think B. The others won't let your beautiful handspun be the star. The green will compliment it perfectly.

I say you send all those scrumptious colors to me, and then, after I've swatched and knit them up, you can decide! Seriously--you just hit one of my color soft spots. Just looking at the pictures makes me all glow-y inside.

GREEN.

Or the deep pink if you're sick of green.

But green.

Holy Cannolli! (SP?) You sure do have a lot of opinionated knitters responding. But don't listen to them! Go with C - the dark pink. I think that would look the best. But then again that is due to the fact I think the green may be just too different and the light pink is kind of blah (I don't really like light pink in generalso I'm a bit biased.)

I vote B - I agree with other comments that it will look all flowery like the Bleeding Hearts. Love it!

A is best...so lovely and elegant. Close second is C. What's wrong with whore's panties, anyway?

Everyone seems to like A, but I don't like the close-but-not-quite-the-same thing going on between the 2 pinks. C is too harsh a contrast, which is why I would go for B, the green. It is just enough contrast to bring out the varigation in the other yarn, but not so much as to over power it. The perfect compliment!

I vote for the A, it is very subtle, but i think it looks more planned rather than "EEK!!!, I ran out of yarn!"
jude in sacramento

I vote for A. The other two are just not perfect. Good luck!

A

WOW 800 opinions -- but of course knitters have opinions

I am playing it safe and going with the crowd
A all the way.

wonder what you picked

Woah, you totally should've done one of those click-the-button poll thingies, it'll take ages to tally everyone's votes!

C - for a vibrant show-stopping shawl that would showcase the lace pattern.

A - for a soft, subtle shawl that would be more neutral/wearable.

C is my instinctive choice, though. When in doubt, go with the whore's panties, I always say.

I am usually all for the bold and my first instinct would be a loud and confident C but really I think A is the perfect match for your beautiful bleeding heart yarn.

b. A is too close, c is too far away.

Green. But I agree that swatching may be the way to decide.

A--Subtle pink!

A all the way!!!

I'll have to say A. The other two are just a bit much.

A all the way!!! The pink makes ideological sense, the green could work but doesn't seem to be the right shade, and you will just think "whore's panties" every time you wear it if you use the dark pink.

I love "A"

I love yarn C. I think that'll be beautiful. But A'll be very nice for a continuous look.

I vote for A. As far as the colours show on my monitor, the pale pink is perfect.

"C"

I would go with the green. My first thought was the pale pink, but as I looked at the last photo, the long shot, I noticed the hue of the pale pink is a little more toned than the pinks in your handspun - not quite as bright. I think that would make it look like you were trying to extend the yarn rather than like you meant to do it. I also think the value contrast between the burgundy and the pink is too much for my taste - I always imagine what it will look like from a distance in these situations. I'd go with the green, it's different enough that it looks like you meant to do it, the values are consistent so it won't be jarring from a distance and it will look fresh, victorian and pretty.

Just my opinion.

I really like option C. I think A is too subtle (another word comes to mind but it's not as nice a word) and then I just think the green is too different as others have said.

I like A best, because I think it will keep the focus on your handspun. Next choice is C, then B. Good luck with your decision-making!

I would take the spread of opinions to tell you that you have settled on three quite possible optionsc, all of which would be beautiful.

I can't tell until i swatch--but that is me. My votes would be C as first choice--not so whore like on my screen since it is fairly deep not bright, then B, and last A as too similar to the special hand spun.

I would swatch the combos to see how they look as the stitch. i think a couple of rows of each combo is enough because you are not looking at gauge but the way the adjacent color works or not. for me holding the skeins together doesnt answer the question

I like them all, but I would go with B.

C, if you're only going to use one...

Who says you have to use just one? Try all four combined in various ways....... :-)

Whore's panties. I almost fell out of my chair laughing...luckily almost no one is in the office today. Oh man, you are funny. Just to weigh in with all the other 800 people...I'd go with A.

My heart lept when I saw C.

Definitely A

A for sure! Can't wait to see it...

My stars, I sign into the computer a little before ten in the morning and go to see if you've posted yet and you've got 844 comments already? That's got to be a record!

A, myself. Maybe. The green looks too dark in the first photo it's in, in the second it would go with it just fine. The variegation does tend towards the pink side... Sorry, you'll have to decide for me.

They are all beautiful in their way, and each would make a wonderful shawl, but A just speaks to me and I am not even a pink person.

I like C, then A. I think B is a little too different--it draws the eye to the contrast between green and pink rather than the subtleties within the pink handspun.

I looked at the pattern pictures, and I don't see an obvious pattern change from ' this is the border' to 'this is the middle', so I would go with A.
Unless...you knit the scarf with a lengthwise color change, so that the lower long edge is one color, and the remainder is the other color? Do lace work and vertical color changes go together?

...I should end up being comment number 845, so I don't think I need to weigh in on the color choice. Even better since I have NO IDEA! I do like them all......

Have a safe and fun trip, and happy knitting! That's all...
cheers!

Pick A pick A

You're probably in LA already, but I can't resist piling on another opinion, wondering how many you really, truly wanted (and what relationship it bears to this actual number)

A gets my vote - but I wouldn't stop you from using C.

B! B!

I love C! Wonderful color and provides great contrast to the pale pink in the beloved handspun.

One more vote for A. I think the other two will compete with your handspun, while the pale pink compliments it. Anticipating pictures when you decide!

Though I love green, I vote A. It's going to give you a lovely, soft, elegant scarf. The others will work, but with stark contrast. If that's what you want.

The green does NOT work--too much blue in it. If you went with a green, it would have to be a yellow-green, echoing what is in your handspun. Of your three choices, the pale pink is best--but my inclination would be to try a lavender shade. Not that it matters, since you surely have given up reading the comments by now...

A- I like the subtlety of it. Beautiful!

First pick A, for a soft lace work. It blends in the best.
C the dark pink, with be eye popping, and dramatic, but I think that I will over do it.
Last B the green, will give a nice nature feel.
I would go with A, but I like B also.

first inpression was A-pale pink, but I'm drawn to the green also. now if it were ME, I'd go out and try to find that same yarn in a lighter shade of that green, but that's me.

A
AAAAA
A A
AAAAAAAAA

The other colors, while lovely, overwhelm your subtle handspun.

Showcase the bleeding hearts (which are one of my favorite flowers...ever make a Lady in the Bathtub with one? :-D).

I would DIE if I had to read 800+ comments, but my
choice is

B

Definitely A

My vote is for A.

Can't wait to see the finished product, whether it's A B or C.

Option A - if you're still counting...

A to be safe, or maybe B to be a little more daring...

But with Joe, you get one answer, with the blog, how many answers do you have to go through? Do you make a spreadsheet with all the comments and then take the average? :)

I do like A, but is it different enough? I really love C, but that's probably because I'm a huge fan of jewel tones and will lean in that direction... But A matches better... Just so it's more of a whole piece rather than this nice stole in the middle and the border is so pronounced - makes me think of a table runner or something... ;)

The green is so nice, I vote B

Well it looks like you have plenty of opinions to work from, but I'll add my vote for A!

NOT GREEN!

Just looking at the pictures I thought green, but when I read what you were doing with it I changed my mind. I pick A. I think it will be subtle enough to set off the color variations in your handspun yarn, the green and dark pink are both too bright and would take over/drown out the handspun.

Definitely A -- either of the other two would be too jarring. I think the combination with A is lovely.

I vote for A. The other 2 are too contrasty for my tastes. The end result might look, well, crass. A all the way!

Green - the contrast will make your handspun pop right out, just like the flowers do on the plant. Do you have enough to carry the handspun up the edges too?

Well, just to complicate things. I would vote for A as I quite like tone-on-tone. You should see my stash as I have collected every shade and texture of a certain warm grey waiting for the inspiration to hit for some mega magnificent project. I would go further though and suggest doing one or two rows of hand dyed and one or two of solid pink and combine them all the way through. I think it would make for a more cohesive project. I'm not crazy about the whole border vs. center idea. I think it's too trite a solution and detracts from the entirely of the composition of the shawl and just looks like you didn't have enough the yarn you really wanted. Interspersing the yarns however will create a unified piece of great subtlety that will allow the pattern and your knitting to show through. Can you tell I both went to art school and have a slight tendency to be terribly bossy?!

I haven't read the HUNDREDS of comments, but I vote for two things.

First I vote for C
and second I vote for adding a poll to the blog that automatically counts up all the votes you've recieved without you having to wade through hundreds of comments (and without getting comments that just say "i pick x"). I don't know what blog software you are using, but most of them have polls incorporated in them now... maybe if you promise Ken a really lovely pair of socks he can look into it?

A, definitely. The others have too much contrast and would look like - well - you didn't have enough yarn.

I'd have to say "none of the above", I'm afraid.

I'd go with B, Green.

A.

I'm just going to be incredibly impressed if you can make a decision at all -- I was thinking C until I started reading the posts; then I totally agreed with each one! So, good luck -- it'll be beautiful regardless of which you choose!

Definitely the pink. You can wear something more intense underneath the shawl.

B. I like the idea that it's the greenery of the plant.

Subtlety Schmubtlety

I like C myself. The idea of the light pink and dark pink combo just like the flower on a bleeding heart is just lovely.

B! The green does it for me. The pinks aren't quite right.

Option B!! Of course, if I didn't watch myself, I would buy clothes entirely in the green family...

I also like Option A, though.

C! Definitely C. A is too washy (for this), and B is not pink. C. (Is the repetition helping to counteract all those voices who picked A?)

A

I'm for A - love the subtle nature of the pink with the bleeding heart you spun. B would be an okay second, but I think it (and definitely C) would eclipse the bleeding heart fiber by contrast. Happy knitting!

I'm not so sure this was a good idea...but, A?

A. Definitely A. It will fool the eye......your beautiful handspun melting into A and then back again. Subtle - very subtle. I think the other two choices will just make it look like you didn't have enough of the variegated to finish the project. JMHO

I vote A. The others are too gaudy and contrasty.

I vote C!

C is gorgeous and offers enough contrast to be interesting while enough complement to tie it together.

(A too similar, B too much contrast. Just my opinion.)

Good luck!

Definitely B.....I love the contrast.

Almost 900 comments on which color??? The only way you get more response is when you ask for donations for drs. without borders. We knitters are a crazy bunch. BTW, A.

A, for sure!! Beautifully subtle. Second choice would be B.

The purple lover in me says C all the way, second choice would have to be B. I think A is too close to be enough contrast.

I'm dying to see what you picked!

either A or B. the tonal contrast with C would be too jarring. i think it depends on whether you want to pull out the pink or the green in your handspun.

Absolutely A!!

I would use the handspun for the middle and A for the border/ends...but that's just one knitter's opinion (apparently there are others :>)).

Me, i like the whore's panties.

B. the gorgeous green!

I have to stick up for C, and not just because I'm going to be saying "whore's panties" all day now. ;) I love the contrast.

Definitely A!

Hum...I vote for A.
Your spinning yarn is too gorgeous. These are some of my favorite colors!

I vote for C.

A, if it were me.

I vote C, but only barely above B.

I think the A would be too washed out.

Going back now to scan and see what everyone else thought!

It has to be A! My sister agrees.

A - I love the green & fuschia but I think the colors are too strong and you'd loose the homespun. Love the comment about a whore's underpants....

If it's not too late to chime in, I'd put off using A, B or C. None of them seem quite right. Otherwise you would have had a "eureka!" moment and not even needed to ask us, right? Can you try looking for just the right yarn while traveling? (Hey, any excuse to visit yarn shops...) If you're really keen to get knitting on this, I'd vote for swatching with A, just to see.

We all can't wait to see how you decided - no pressure! :-)

A: Deep Pink!!!

I vote A, but I think instead of doing only the middle with it, you should incorporate a liitle on the tips as well.

from the Knitters of Perpetual Help:
we vote C. The "a" yarn would make the entire scheme look completely monotone, because the pinks are too similar in our (humble) opinion. B did not bring out the green in the yarn, although my couterpart thought it had.
C is the best choice because it brought magenta into the whole thing without being overpowering. :D

B. the Green The soft pink (A) would be o.k., but I just think the green is prettier

B!

I would vote for none of the above. I'd go with a pale cream and then incorporate your choices A and B as a decorative bit of edging in between your border and your newly spun yarn and then in between the spun yarn and the cream substitute, etc. In other words, use the A and B wherever you transition to the other yarn and wherever you transition back. But that would mean that you have to come up with a pale cream color to match that pale cream in your spun yarn.

From the collective peering over my shoulder -- A (pale pink) if you want a delicate, lacy springlike shawl and c) deep pink if you want something vibrant that you could wear into winter.

Of course, it took them over 20 minutes to come to these conclusions.

c!

Dear Gods the vast number of opinions! I have to say A myself, and I am not really a pink person. But I think the two will look lovely together. Good luck!

I think A is perfect. B and C, I fear, would be such a bold shift that they would detract from the beautiful and subtle collection of colors in the primary yarn,

C and did you count all these? :)

C

Has everybody helped you decide???

Toss up between A or B for me.....someone suggested swatching, and I think they're right - it is definitely too hard to tell what they're going to look like knit side by side until you actually do it. I would say (since you are likely as impatient as I am) to knit each side up to the end of your beloved, and then try the green on one side and the pink on the other. Then you'd only have to rip back the one you don't want and there is little to no waste of time/yarn. And then if you really want to......try the fuchsia on the one you rip back. Then decide which one wins. But....C is whore's panties all the way. Which can be good if you like that kind of thing. ;)

What are you likely to wear this with? I would go A to keep the pinks together. However, if you have a great pair of dark green pants, then B would be my choice. Ditto with C if you have maroon/burgundy pants/skirt...

No help, am I?

If I were making the project for myself, I'd choose the subtlety of A.

My second choice is B (the green) followed by C (the hussy's panties). :D

I'm sure it'll be lovely no matter what you choose!

I REALLY like the green (option B), but I think the end product would look best with the the pale pink (option A). I can't wait to see what you choose. ;)

I say A; but i really like B since I usually pick green, but A looks really good in thepicture. [Are there really 922 responses b4 mine?? whoa]

A. The others will overpower your gorgeous handspun. And that would, frankly, be criminal... Not that the yarn police are going to arrest you if you don't pick A, but I strongly prefer A.

B, but only if it REALLY matches, otherwise A.

I vote for A with some (very little) consideration given to C, but B is out and should admit it immediately so the merits of of A ad C could be evaluated without thinking that B might somehow slip in and muck up the works for A. Oh wait a minute, we're talking about yarn here, aren't we? In that case, I think there should be a swatch of the choices knit next to each other. Perhaps there is another yarn waiting in the wings if a decision can not be made....

maybe you should listen to Rams. She sounds...emphatic....

I vote for the green - it makes the colors of the handspun stand out ("pop" is the buzz word for that, yes?) The pale pink looks lifeless beside the handspun and the deeper pink dominates it too much, IMHO.

I gotta go with A. The other two options are almost too "in your face" for me. I like how the bleeding hearts yarn you spun would just quietly move into the lighter pink color.

A's the one!! But, this poll taking of readers may be just as ineffective as seeking Joe's opinion--lots of different opinions!!

A!

I say B. Everything else has been pointing so strongly to the Bleeding-Heartness, and the green would make it like a plant with flowers on both ends ("stems").

Dear Stephanie,

Surely the convenience of getting instant opinions from knitters is overshadowed by the fact that you now have nearly 1,000 opinions and arguments to consider? For what it's worth, I would choose C. These are "bleeding hearts" we're talking about, after all, and C is appropriately dramatic.

Green.

I vote A. It is subtle... and anyway, I'm in love with it.

I normally pick pink over anything but I think B is the better choice in this case. At least according to my monitor, the light pink looks like it clashes with the pink in your yarn and C is overpowering. I think B is perfect for a garden-type theme.

I'm sorry, girl, you've just got to swatch for this one. There is no other way to see how the color combinations are going to look once they're turned into lace.

But, hey... that means more knitting, right? And more knitting is a good thing!

A gets my vote. :)

C

C C C C er, C 'cause it makes the handspun POP!

I vote A too - the pale pink would be a pretty, subtle change - and there will be enough goings on with the lace. And then the real standout will be your beautiful handspun border.

C, I'll pick almost whores panties anyday.

I would honestly have to say that A would be nice, but there would be a little too much pink, you know? But C would be... well... too dramatic? I guess if you had a lighter shade of B or something that is just past being a "pastel" color but not quite a Crayon color would be good. I'm not exactly sure how to explain color through text. Sorry. XD But I vote B.

I vote for A, the lighter pink. It blends in nicely with the other yarn which is lovely. Will you tally up all the votes? Good luck with your decision - can't wait to see what you decide to do!

I vote for C.

I love A!

b.. definately b. unless you start it, and it sucks, so then i'm going with a.

probably you should go with c. then.

I vote for the green! If you don't like how it turns out send it to me! I promise I'll love it! Lol!

I'd go with beautifully subtle pale pink A.

But then, my last three scarves/shawls have been variegated tones of ivory from Handmaiden or Noro, so obviously I'm not an impartial judge.

Enjoy LA and take a cool, light project as it's heating back up on the West Coast.

I'd definitely vote AGAINST A, it's too matchy-matchy and loses a lot of the beauty of the varigated. I lean towards C, since it coordinates nicely, but I still might swatch B and Varigated together to see how they look. It's a nice green.

C! The green is too aggressive and overwhelms the handspun, and it's also not the same shade as the green in the handspun. The baby pink is nice and subtle, but the dark pink pulls out all these glorious colors in the handspun that you don't see with the baby pink. The light pink is just so predictable and washed out.

And Steph, not to pretend I know your fashion sense too well, but I can't see you frolicking around in a twee little baby pink scarf. I fear that if you used the light pink you would end up giving it away.

oh A, definitely, definitely, A. That would be perfect!

Option A! Beautifully subtle, as you say, and the finished shawl will go with more things you wear.

I vote A. Don't care for the contrast with the green and the darker pink takes the attention away from your spun bleeding heart yarn.

I vote for the whore's panties :)

C, definitely. The pale pink is just off enough from the actual color that it would look weird, and also, you need contrast. The green is just too cool of a color - you need something warmer with your other yarn. Hope it turns out fabulous!

A. All the way!!

C! for all the reasons jonquil gave, plus it's the handspun you want to showcase, and the light pink is too close to accent the colors of the handspun, and the green is too desaturated to be a good 'poison' color.

can I use quilting terms in regards to knitting? it's the color that shouldn't work, and seems scary on its own, but when placed with the other colors, binds them together in an awesome whole.

so yeah. I'm voting C.

(besides, then you could say that the two colorways for your stole were 'bleeding hearts' and 'whore's panties' and write many blog posts about people's reactions. it'd be very steampunky.)

NINE HUNDRED AND SIXTY opinions in less than 12 hours--this is wild! You need a tech-head to build you a vote button thingie so we can select A-B-C-whatever and it will tally the totals or make you a pie chart or something.
But don't let 'em deny us a comment line - just sayin'.

C if you must pick one of these. B on my monitor just doesn't look like a leaf green. I'd think a deeper more leaflike green would work better, or, as other posters have suggested, something more gently complementary such as a cream or lavender. Cream strikes me as best (and easiest to match), and it reflects the real flower a bit. C might be great but might not be, hard to tell through the monitor and in the ball.

definitely, most definitely A

"C". But then again, I am a sucker for deep, warm pinks.

I was reading your post and commented, "Poor Stephanie. What a decision to have to make", when Edison popped up and asked what was going on. I explained the situation and showed him the pictures. He looked them over and said in his four-year old way, "That's the Stephanie we saw, right? Green. I like "B" because it's green." Must be a guy thing. (I like all the colors and would have a terrible time deciding which one to use.)

Probably the last word here - besides yours. I haven't read any of the comments, but if it was me, I would go with the A. You want subtle. If you pick either of the others, you will get half way into it (even though you had been thinking it since you joined the second color) and decide it was not right, and you would need to rip, and you would be drinking maybe a litttle tooooo much merlot because you knew in your heart from the very beginning the subtle pink was the way to go. And you would be upset, and maybe far away. A. Definitely A.

I vote C, the dark pink. That with the main color seems closer to the idea of bleeding hearts to me.

None of the above. There are times when stash-busting, as commendable as it is, must make way for esthetics. Your handspun has just a hint of a lovely lavender colour in some places...buy something to match that.

Another vote for A.

Would have been easier for you to keep track of our responses if this was in the form of a poll!

Wearing the whore's panties? I gotta steal that one...must be a Canadianism, doncha think?

C. The deep pink of the bleeding heart flowers. The pale pink is too pale and won't complement your gorgeous handspun. The green is just enough different that it will dominate the shawl and overpower your gorgeous handspun. The deep pink will make it pop. And it will look great on you!

I think anything other than A will distract too much from the beauteous handspun.

I vote none of the above. Your handspun is so beautiful, it must stand alone. Can't you just do a smaller scarf? A lovely little number you tie loosely, like the one in Last Minute Knitted Gifts, but using the Bleeding Hearts pattern.

I'm with Wendy.

I vote A.

I haven't seen this idea posted yet, although I haven't read everything - how about starting from one end in A, transition to the homespun, then C, then finally B. The two ends would be totally different, but the effect would be of the entire plant growing, especially if you can manage to feather in the color transitions (or as an arty friend would say, transition the colors organically) so it looks natural and not stripe-y. The green could be even be brought in while working with A so that bits of leaves, as it were, surround the blossoms. A subtle white or cream might work better at one end than A - it would more strongly resemble the flower. I just don't like the idea of strongly colored middle framed by the subtle bleeding heart yarn; to me it would scream that you didn't have enough yarn. Otherwise, I say either swatch and see what looks best, or find enough roving in a similar colorway to do the whole shawl, and save this lovely stuff for a smaller scarf or something. Now, I wonder if you will even see this comment after the other 1000?

I know that this answer isn't one of the choices
but I would go for a subtle yellow, or lavender
like in the tip of the heart.

i like A because it allows the handspun to stand out more, which it totally deserves to do.

To clarify, I mean to start the green here and there near the 'starting' end so that it is brought through all the pinkish colors.

I have 3 votes for the green

A - YES
If the best beloved is the border, I think that A might be perfect. It wouldn't overwhelm the beloved, but the sheer mass (of being in the center) would help it hold its own. I think.

B is a whopping NO.

C is just a little too dark & would overwhelm the softer border (it could also be my monitor, gotta admit)

"A" - vote from Missouri (you're right, it IS Kismet - wild!

C, C, C!!!

light pink is too froofy, and I think that the green will overpower your nice handspun.

Green. It brings out the green bits in the yarn in a really subtle and fabulous way. The bright pink overwhelms the yarn and the light is just not enough.

The Green! To my eyes the pale pink just misses the match tonally, but comes a pretty close second (it would be fabulously pretty mind) - it just looks a little greyer than the lovely soft peachy pinks in your handspun. But that could be the photos telling colour lies. Could you not somehow fade in from the green (which looks to me like a better match tonally) to the handspun to take the edge off the colour transition?

I vote for C. I really like how the deep color looks with the handspun.

I vote for A AND B.

Definitely A!!! The green is not quite right and the other pink - yeah definitely the panty thing. P.S. Boys do not understand the whole importance of the colot thing. Believe me, I have tried!!

nearly 400 comments... knitters gots the opinions. Is this for you? Then, green. of course.

If not- then the dark pink.

no real reasoning- here- i just like it. I think it accentuates the handspun without overpowering.

I like A because it doesn't detract from your yarn, and because it gives a feeling of lightness and springtime to the piece you want to knit.

I know it's way late in the voting game, but didn't you just say yesterday and i copy quote "Nature is a hussy, and only she can get away with the purple pink combo and still have it be delicate" - go for the dark pink - prove that nature is right!
and have fun knitting

Another vote for A. I like the subtle shift to the beloved yarn better than a sharp contrast.

If I had to pick a second choice it would be C.
I think the green would overwhelm the pretty soft edging.

B! The contrast will show off the handspun, and the green will complement rather than overshadow like I think the deep pink would.

I think it's winning already, but I vote for A
The rest are just too much contrast. Subtle is what you are going for here. It will be gorgeous!

Call me crazy, but what if you did a little swatch????? You can always frog it when you have decided on the perfect color combination.

A. The others steal the show from the handspun.

My favorite Great-Aunt & I both vote for C. It gives it a little life.

A is the best I think - the others are a little too much.

I vote C. A whore's panties is just the way I roll.

I vote A, but really they're all gorgeous...

I go for D - lilac! Oh, wait, that wasn't a choice. Okay, then I go with the green....

Linda in VA

Wow, almost a thousand posts.

C

on my monitor A is too pale, too insipid.
B is not quite right, I love green, but that combination is just not quite working.
C is rich and beautiful. However, it may be a bit too dark, and overwhelm the bleeding hearts. Do you have one darker than A and lighter than C?

Looking at the yarns together, my thought of natural would also be too light. I think a lighter green would actually be the best choice. Uhh, is 'other' an option?

I want to vote for B, but I know I would choose A if I were making it.

A is my first choice, C is my second. :)

ummm oops-= forgot to say- the handspun is amazingly beautiful.

C all the way!

Definitely A.

How are you ever going to sort this all out? I vote B.

Please, please do "C"!

A is way too whimpy and too safe (and you don't strike me as whimpy). B, is not quite right.

Nothing wrong with bold, whore panties!

This is easy: knit the middle in the lovely light pink. Do a narrow border with the dark pink (or the green), and then finish up with the Bleeding Heart Harlot Special!

A definitely! Although it's tough to go wrong here...

I like C. This will let your oh so pale and pretty handspun stand out. A is a great match, and would be very subtle and pretty, but I think your handspun will get lost.

1010 comments? - WAY too many to read - I'm just going to wait and see what you end up using. I vote for the light pink.

A, please. Subtly lovely.

Another vote for A.

Another for A!!

Go with A on the edges, and then blend into C and go back to A with a striping blend again the green(I love green) is just wrong. so both the pinks and if it looks a bit whores panties too bad. Most of the whores I encountered wore leopard skin print, or no panties at all for faster access but that is most likely TMI for most of us.

I'm with Linda in VA - go for option D - my first thought was a light lilac to pull out the light purple. I think the pink is the best of the 3 if there is not an option D - the green and the dark pink is too much of a contrast. But, I will forward to my color consultant knitting expert and see what she says!

You want to showcase your beautiful yarn, I believe that A will not do that. I vote for C or B but not too much or the dark colour will be too bold. How about a combination of the two?

B, B, B, B, B, B

Baaaaa for B

Oh, we are not helpin' you at ALL here, Darlin!! I would personnally vote for C, and if some green can be worked in, all the better, though I am not sure about that green--does is actually mesh with the green in the Bleeding Hearts yarn, or is it too blue??

Technique of choice when I'm having this type of brain cramp--put the balls out where I will come across them accidentally (often), or see them out of the corner of my eye, and then pay attention to my initial gut reaction when I first see them...

Technique #2: remind myself that NO-ONE except me will ever have actually seen the other alternatives, and so as long as it looks good no one else will ever be wondering why I didn't pick the other option...though this one MAY not work as effectively when you have already shown everyone who reads your blog every card in your hand!! =)

totally A

I like C. It's bold :)

A

A

stuck here waiting for TV delivery man, so what else to do than update sonia's tally?

my totally non-statistically sound, scan-and-jot tally shows:

A: 506 votes

B: 209 votes

C: 238 votes

with a whole host of varying D's and suggestions for patterning with multiple versions, but I'm not that bored yet.

A because the other two overshadow the yarn. But you have 3 good choices here. I think the decision will hit you eventually. :)

I also vote for no contrast. Having looked at the stole - it is so delicate! I think the solid colors will make it look 'heavier' compared with the homespun.

But if you're dying to use a contrast, consider the border in the varigated: the delicate surrounding the solid center!

I can't wait to find out what you decide!

I vote for C, the Whore's panties, just cause it's fun to say. I mean really, how often to you get to work that into a conversation, but there are already a bazillion votes, and I'm sure you're already on a plane to LA.. but I still vote for the Whore's Panties, which for the record is a very pretty color with just the right amount of contrast

I like the green (C) option. I think that would be really pretty... But then I've also made granny squares out of hot pink, neon green and royal blue. :)

CCCCC
CCCCCCCC
CCC CC
CCC
CC
CC
CCC
CCC CC
CCCCCCCC
CCCCC

whoa! tough call! i've been staring at the options and i could potentially see any of them working.... but, i think i'll go wiiiiiitttthhhhh ..... "A" for subtlety (how DO you spell that?)

I vote for A, as seems to be the majority here. Now, if it were me, I would probably ask everyone's opinion and then do the opposite. At least, that's what I do when I follow my husband around asking his opinion.

C!

C. (: Lovely dilemma!

A!

But I definitely wouldn't consider C to be reminiscent of a whore's underpants.

A. Good Luck!

I vote C, second choice is B. To me, the pale pink is too washed out and doesn't let the handspun shine.

I think I am #1037. Wow, when you ask for advice, you get it!

I think that if you are keen to let the handspun be the star of the show, the only choice is the pale pink (A) ... A will really let the beauty of the handspun come through, and will also not overpower the lacework. Love A!

Green! (I don't know how helpful the range of opinions will be, except that you know you can't go wrong.)

A
A A
A A
A A
A A
AAAAAAAAAAA
A A
A A
A A

P.S. (a)

I vote for the green.
A is too subtle, and while I don't think C looks like whore's panties, I'm not a fan. The green is the perfect contrast and goes with the plant motif.

hurray, my first blog comments ever (ps yours is the ONLY one I read)!

happy knitting!

B is my first choice, closely followed by C, but A may be too pink and match all too closely to your handspun.

I would do one end and then "audition" the other yarns before picking. I've often found that a yarn in a cake looks very different from a yarn knit up.

Definitely A

B as in green. cheers,naomi

I was going to ask, "What would rams do?"

Then I saw her comment.

I agree with rams.

B or C, because the light pink just doesn't seem to have enough 'umph.' However, I agree that a swatch may be in order to really know.

C. Seriously? Is there any question? A is for woosie-pants!

I like A the best, but I'm dying to see what "whore's panties" look like, so if that's your choice, you'll get no argument from me!

A. I'm not much for pink, but the C is way too much.

Go with A.

C -- it's more dramatic. But you should probably swatch to get the full effect.

B. A is too pale, C contrasts to much, so B is good cause it also matches the small shots of green in you BEAUTIFUL hand spun yarn!

Definitely "A".

Lisa C.

B, which looks like greenery that is just sprouting those lovely flowers. If you want my second choice, it would have to be C. The panties don't scare me.

~ Dar

C. Definitely C.

Well, I posted earlier. Came back and read these. All have great points. I have changed my mind. I think you should leave it alone and find a new pattern to use JUST your "bleeding heart" handspun in. How about EZ's baby surprise jacket? It sure would ROCK. Knnow any babies in need? Check out Brooklyntweed's two recent entries with BSJ's in handspun. They are GORGEOUS.

1054 comments? Can that be right? I have never seen that many comments on any other blog in my entire life. Not even yours, and I meet fans of yours in the wild all the time. That can't be right. That's double the comments that I think I have ever even seen on *your* blog. Dude, it's breaking my mind open even thinking about that many comments. It's EPIC. You are an Epic Blogger! Oops now I'm laughing all recklessly because its just too crazy. I'm pretty sure that you are the Hendrix of knitting. (I don't mean to single you out at all, but ...1054? Dude. You are *so* singled out already.) Wow. I'll bet your mother never saw this coming. (Sorry that you don't know me and I'm letting my true colors fly. It's probably just the Epicness of your comments. Someone needs to point out the... you know... Epicality of it all.)

A.

Absolutely.

Without question, "A."

Wait a minute. You have THREE appropriate colors of an appropriate-weight wool/bamboo/nylon yarn from a relatively obscure source (sorry, Jennifer!) already in your stash?!

Wow. My hat's off to you, darlin'. You are The Harlot, all right. And you're just asking what color to distract us from the depth and breadth and yowza factor of your stash, right?

I'm afraid I don't have time to read over ONE THOUSAND comments on the colour to know if I'm in the minority or not, but I prefer "A".

If the end result is going to be for your own personal use, I think the green would be best from what I've seen of your colour preferences..but I like A the best, in case you are making it for me : ) Tee hee

C--the contrast is gorgeous!

A!

I vote A. Otherwise, people will be paying attention to the contrast and not to the pattern or the pretty variegation on the ends. It would interrupt the line of the pattern/stole.

A

I'm a sucker for the whore's panties. C all the way.

I vote A. I think the subtle pink will bring out the soft colors.

A - for sure!

oh, definitely A. It speaks subtly to your handspun and will enhance the multicolors. it's only, um, "too washed-out woosie" if you're trying to get it to assert itself on its own. it's perfect with a best friend!

Whoa! Look what happens when you actually say you WANT our opinions!!! I choose A, by the way - it looks perfect with your handspun, which is gorgeous!

:O)

I vote for the green.

The pink is beautiful but too similar to let your handspun really show off and the purple would attract all of the attention. The green is quietly supportive, providing a base that will let your handspun shine without providing too strong a contrast and while still matching the theme. Think of the flowers in your garden blossoming from their lovely green stems.

C. (: Lovely dilemma! I think that A has too much tan undertone and B is too much at odds w/the green in the handspun. Of course, this may be more my monitor's fault than the yarn's!

A all the way!!!

Don't hate me...but I think you need to swatch this baby!

My vote would be A - subtle and beautifully understated, the other yarns while lovely represent too much of a contrast for such a delicate pattern.

Another vote for B. The green in the handspun is subtle and needs to be highlighted.

I vote for C.

C all the way! A is too pale - will wash out the beautiful bleeding heart handspun and B is too contrast-y.

I vote for C.. A matches beautifully, true. But it's similar enough to make someone look at the finished item and wonder 'hmm.. she probably did that because she ran out of yarn!' Granted, now that you've blogged about it I doubt there's a single person in the knitting universe who doesn't already KNOW that, but you know what I mean. C on the other hand says 'Look at me! I'm bold, I make a statement! I was MEANT to be a coordinated colour!' Well, and the fact that I adore that shade of deep pink/raspberry. However if you DO end up using A, maybe borrow the idea from the Charlottes Web shawl where at the transition point you alternate rows between the 2 yarns for a few rows to make the transition smoother?

I'm also wondering now if you couldn't knit the 2 halves together the way one knits 2 sleeves for a sweater so that you can knit down to the very last inch of handspun before switching over to the other yarn.

I say A mostly because the transition would be better taking into account the pattern doesn't have any specific change to warrant the contrast B or C would give visually. Personally though I like C if it was more of a stitch change where the colors change.

I agree with the A people. Actually, any of them would work but Isobel is right. You have a delicate pattern and the match is great. It's subtle and the colors should flow together.
Sarah

I agree with Peanut above on the green. It will also help, in my opinion, to pull the greens out of the varigated which otherwise might get lost. There's also the question of the use of the stole once it's complete and the temperament and color preferences of the person wearing it.

I vote for A the pale pink. I think it matches the best. I think the green is the wrong shade; the handspun is yellow olive green and the yarn is blue grey green. I think the dark pink is too dark and doesn't match. There are no stips of dark pink in the handspun.

I also liked the suggestion of one of the early commentors. Do a swatch if you really want to see how they would look.

I love the way the pale pink looks with your handspun. The other two are too dark and would stand out more than your beautiful yarn, IMO.

"A" will look great with your homespun.

You're tallying this? Or just seeing the ones that agree with you?

I say A for the inside color if you're going to use your gorgeous yarn as the border but I like
C as the border with your yarn as the interior color.

A because, do you really want a big contrast at the neckline? Wouldn't that detract from the lovely subtle bleeding heart?

I vote D...which is white/cream. I think I'd probably pick A from the choices given. I'm sure whatever you decided will be lovely! Methinks you should have set up a survey so you wouldn't have to add the votes up yourself! :-)

A or B. swatch and see which you like best? though I'm leaning towards A. better match. the dark middle doesn't seem as appealing as the fluidity of light to light. good luck!

I vote for A :)

You're going to be tallying votes so long, you'll miss your flight!

A, for sure

Not that you need another opinion at this point, but I'd go with A specifically because it blends. C is too dramatically different (and would look like you ran out of yarn), and B makes sense thematically but (in this photo at least) seems to make the colors of the handspun look more gray. Or grey. Whatever.

Over 1000 comments? That's just a bit insane... but I think you should go with A.

Nothin' but the pale pink, please! The green would be too garish and the deep pink would make the variegated fade into nothing.

Have no idea what everyone else voted cause I'm not reading through 1000 answers, but I vote C. A does look woosie pants to me (I generally hate pink as a rule) and the green is too different. The plum/burgundy is just the nice dramatic shade to offset the pale variegated.

A - I think it looks very elegant. Even though I like the green yarn a lot, I like A for this project because there is much less contrast. I tried to imagine someone wearing the completed shawl with all 3 variations, and what I'd want to wear is made with A.

My first reaction was that the pink was the only option that wouldn't scare little children into believing that you are a crazy lady. I also didn't think the green would have a chance because there wasn't enough green in the Bleeding Heart Yarn. But, assuming that the border is going to be half as wide or less of the middle section, and we narrow the amount of the Bleeding Heart Yarn that we are looking at to less then half of the other color when comparing yarns, I think the green is going to look the most beautiful.

I still think [stubborn that I am] that you should do a cowl [with maybe a subtle little bleeding heart stitch in it every so often] and not try to add other yarns to it. The yarn is so lovely and it could make a very memorable cowl.

B. Totally. perfect.

A. Too subtle
C. Whore's panties

I vote B. A is too washed out, too subtle. C is too "in your face". Just my vote from the Tropics (south FL). Bev

Definitely the light pink. Beautiful.

I think the problem is in choosing just one color - my vote is for using any TWO of the colors you listed - you need 3 to make it work, to balance. I don't know if anyone has suggested that (how can you possibly read through all these comments?). I would pick the pale pink and the green (I always pick the green :). A AND B!
Linda

For something that you will put that much time into and that will last many, many years (having had its own 15 minutes of fame) I don't think you could go wrong with the pale pink.

B or C. I think the A is too subtle.

And if C is whore's panties, I seriously need to revisit my wardrobe.

Option A!

A, but I should tell you I tend not to be a contrasty sort of a person. Does the Bleeding Heart have to be only on either end? Can you work it through the center section somehow? What does that Laurie say?

B wins over C for sure.

I vote A.

I think either B or C would ultimately overpower the work,

You do realize that C will now and forever be thought of by you as Whore's Panties? You may as well give it away now.

I vote A.

I was leaning towards A, but when I saw C, my knees got week. I think I am in love. C without a question!

A.

Either A or C, but I can't quite decide. Hmmm. Are you closer to a wuss or a whore?

All three of your choices are beautiful! However, as much as you adore your handspun, I don't think you want to overpower it with a darker hue. My vote is for A.

PS. Can't wait to meet you next week at TNNA!

A, please? the others are too contrasty for what you're planning to knit. I love them for a different project but A is perfect for this.

I totally would go with A. it would be so subtle and lovely. I can't believe how well that roving matched to the bleeding heart. (My favorite flowering plant in the world) :) You inspire me to try spinning and because of you I am now completely obsessed with sock knitting and lace. (My husband thanks you for the new obsession)

A! The others are to high-contrast.

I like (love) A, for a shawl. The bold colors would be better for something less airy when the drama plays better (like socks or a sweater). Otherwise you'll see the border instead of the whole shawl. Beautiful colors, all.

How about a light, mint green or a pale blue.

A.
A. A.
That's all.

A is best. With such a subtle color change, the finished effect will be to gently lead the eye to the lovely handspun colors at both ends.

1121 comments?!?!?! That has to be a record. I second the notion of a Poll Script to ease the results reading.

And I reiterate my preference for the green.

A. And I'm a member of the Yarnery Family Singers, so that must mean two votes.

Definitely "A"

Pink or Green? Can you do both? Like say knit double with A and B. Or would that be too thick?
Okay say it is too thick to knit double I'd go with...B.

I vote for A. No question about it.

Definately A.

I wonder who'll be the lucky one to tally up the score...

C -- reminds me of a pair I made for my sister last Christmas; variegated pink w/ HOT pink cuffs & toes.

Maybe A, definetly not C (I like green, just not for this).

Absolutely A matches great.

I would use the green. Green looks great with every flower color....that's why leaves are green.

AAAAAAAAAAA all the way!!!! by the way, if you can't decide it will match my bleeding heart plant just fine too....lol!!!!

A

dear god, comment # 1131. Be careful what you wish for.

The deep pink -- C? -- would make the thing more unified, but you're green. You have a green thing going on, judging from my memory of previous projects of yours, and the green is the one that I'm guessing would make your heart sing when you pick the shawl up to put it on.

And if that's not the case, the frogging (to go back to the deep pink -- thei light one is too ... lite) will be worth it.

C is my choice.

I love the green, but for this, I'd go with A.

I pick C. A is soooo pastel I can't handle it. B might be nice, but also... too pastel for me. C would be interesting I think. Not the obvious choice, but a fun one.

Definitely A - it'll keep the delicacy going. The other 2 are pretty but too contrasty to be as delicate as you want IMHO.

I vote A, and maybe add some beads.

"The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there is no good evidence either way." - Bertrand Russell (British author, mathematician, & philosopher, 1872-1970). There's apparently a corollary for blog comments :-).

A gets my vote for 2 reasons: 1) it won't distract from the subtleties of your handspun, and 2) with the lacy pattern, whatever you wear under it will contribute a third color, in essence a canvas upon which to display your art. Not to mention allowing for further spousal torment: "Joe, which top looks best with this scarf...?"

But truly, there is no wrong answer here.

Looks like the "A"s (AYES) have it!

A for sure. The green looks good with your spun yarn but with a scarf/mini stole the green would be too much of a contrast. They look great together but not in this project. Go for A!

So, you keeping track of all these votes then? In your spare time?
I vote A, because as much as I love them all, I think the other 2 are a little too dark/strong.

SWATCH SWATCH SWATCH

Knit up a swatch with the three different colors with your handspun and see what you like ...............

If the first picture is accurate, I would go with A. If the picture of all of the choices together is accurate and A has a beige aspect, I wouldn't go with any of them. C is the working girl panties, and B is not the right green, in my humble opinion. I would go with white. That would pop the pretty colours and keep the delicacy of the bleeding hearts, which seems to be driving this creation.

Good luck counting the vote and weighing the arguments!

None of the above.

How about the white/cream that's in the yarn? The others take away from the feature that is the bleeding heart. You can add beads to the white/cream, and carry them into the bleeding heart, too.

If any of A, B or C were really good choices, you wouldn't be so iffy about it, eh?

My vote is for A! Very subtle and pretty. Will look great over a white shirt or blouse.

I think A. I think it would be soft and pink, perfect for Spring!

A definitely - soft, subtle, will look like you planned the two yarns from the beginning!

I like the value similarities between your handspun and light pink. (A) I think it will flow and add dimension.

I vote A!

And...have you come to London(Ontario)? Did I miss hearing about it? If not, will you ever be? :-D

A
I like both B and C too, but I think they will give too much contrast for this project. You want it to look like a nicley finished scarf (I'm assuming) not a scarf which you ran out of green yarn for, so made the ends in hand spun just to get it finished.
Right?

A. The changes in color from B or C would be much too drastic for this type of "garmet." Your eye would be drawn to where the color changes, instead of the stole itself.

B, please!

Um, I think using the phrase 'like a whore's panties' to describe a colour has possibly broken the record for comments on one post. I think I'm #1154. Wow. Yes that is totally better than asking the husband's opinion. Love those internets!

I have to say that , allowing for photos on blogs not always being colour true I would go for the pale pink [a] as well.

And I am not a pink person at all.

Cheers and knit on >^..^<

Comments are awesom but at over 1,000 already that's a lot of tallying. You should put a "Survey" counter (I've seen them on other websites) over to the right of the screen so people can just click on their favorite color and make adding it up easier. Of course it's always fun to read the comments AND WE ALL LOVE COMMENTING ON SOMEONE ELSE'S PROJECT, but we all know and love the fact that you are always on the dash during tour time and that might save you enough time in the future to make sure your "speaking engagement" pants are clean and wrinkle free! P.S. They all have their points, but I think I like the contrast of C-Hot Pink. It makes the shawl stand out a little more, but if you are going for "subtle" then go with A-the soft pink!

i vote A

B please! I love the green.

A Definitely A. Not too woozie pants at all. B is too 80's pink and teal decorator. C is woozie pants - or bad Victorian (perhaps an oxymoron).

It's "whore's panties" by a nose. C. Definitely.

While I love A, I think you need the contrast of the deeper pink.

I think swatches would definitely help but as I was trying to decide between the light and darker pink (I choose C) I wondered if there was a way to blend all the colors and use each throughout the stole?

I like all three. I think that the all of the colors could be used judiciously, although the green is my favorite, with just a skoche of the pink.

I like the contrast of option C. It almost looks like the flowers in the picture you took with the roving.
Option C.

I can't imagine you need another comment, but what the heck - green.

I'd go with A. Elegant, subtle and it would let the bleeding heart yarn take center stage

After much deliberation, I believe..............green.............although the pick is very lovely........ no the green...........BUT the darker color could go well........no green.........however............no green it is. Nope don't try to change my mind........nope green for sure.
Sheesh, bless you heart.
Sharon

Ok, my first comment on your blog, but I had to chime in with...Can you figure out how to do A and C somehow? I just love the way the 3 go together. Sorry if that makes it worse for you.

A for sure!

Jeez, I thought I knew what I liked til I read 1168 other opinions! I'm torn between A and C (if C is the darker pink, which I'm pretty sure it is). Light pink, but maybe dark. Light dark/dark light? Leaning more towards C at this moment.

I vote C. A looks either too much like baby attire or a grandma's jogging suit. Definitely C.

Is this a record number of comments on a blog entry? Definitely A.

A. I think the other colors are nice, but I think if you really want to highlight the yarn you spun yourself then I think subtle would be the way to go. The other colors are nice, but then they are so bold by comparison that I think they'll detract from the Bleeding Heart. If you're worried about the color of the pink then I'd scrap A, B and C and go for something more cream colored.

B.

"A" seems like the obvious answer, and just on that principle alone, i say go with B. B is contrasty and cool. like nature.

I would go A, for this particular design.

Toning the new yarn in to change, say over 20 rows.

I normally love strong contrasts, but I don't think it would work so well here.

I can't wait to see what you decide!

A. very subtle, more versatile

Go shopping. You need a different color. A green would be good, but a paler one.

A

A. Im not much of a pink person but A is definitely the one to go with as it blends without fading out.

A.

I say knit the ends in your precious THEN decide...

however, my vote is for

B green

My first comment on your wonderful blog so I can vote for A. I think it matches best. :)

Definitely not A.... too close and too bland. You can't go wrong with B or C ~ both beautiful. I would probably go with C but that's just the whore in me :)

pale pink

Gotta go with A.

Have fun!

AAAAAAAA aaaaall the waaaay!

B. Go with B. When in doubt? Always go green. Always.

A! It's so subtle and charming :)

A for sure, it's absolutely beautiful. Have fun.

A.....it just looks right.

Definitely A - the other colours look to garish with the lovely soft pastels in the hand spun.

A. Definitely. It's beautiful!

Definitely A

If it isn't A, it seems like it'll look chopped up. A would make it an "organic whole," whatever that means!

I'd go with B.

A. Which surprised the keerap out of me. I'm not usually one for pale pinks.

And I loved the comment about the whore's panties. Interesting words from a Harlot...! :D

Please use the "A"--the others would overwhelm your handspun.

Sue

I totally vote A! Beautiful!

A

I vote A - I agree with Sue above, and others who think it is a lovely complement.

Cathie

I really like A the best!

Isn't it awful how the best solution may actually be *gasp* intarsia?

Well, at least it's not cotton...

1200 comments?? Now that's input. I vote for A. I was thinking pale pink before I even saw the choices.

Definitely A which I think lets your handspun and the pattern be the focus. The other colors would be nice in a sweater with the handspun as fair isle, but for the bleeding hearts would seem too chopped up in MHO.

A is best. The green is too much for the subtlety (lord that is a strangely spelled word!)of the green in the bleeding hearts and the pink is, yes, too harloty even for you.

A. :)

I vote C.

D.

Adapt the lace pattern from the stole and MAKE A HAT.

You're probably here in LA by now, having brought all three choices with you. You may even be halfway through the stole, but I'll still add my 2 cents.
I think "a" green would be nice, but not that green. It's too much of a contrast. Softer would be better.

I choose A first, C if you want to be bolder.

Definitely not A. Bland, insipid. Turns the bleeding hearts into bleeding blah. Either B or C, but I lean towards C.

Oh, it's got to be A - a soft colour that won't compete and overwhelm the delicate handspun. (I can't believe the spell checker doesn't allow "handspun", it is a real word to me...)

I vote for the pink (A)too. Beautiful colors in that yarn.

i go for the subtle pink...and i am NOT a pink person!

The decision has probably been made, but B. I love the imagery of the green as the stem/leaves and that gorgeous handspun as the flowers.

1200 comments!!!! good grief, i wonder if you read them all!! whew, well, if you get this far, i'll put a vote in for the (A) light pink, and the green gets second vote. just because i'm in a subtle kind of mood.

A! (like you didn't have enough votes already) the other two are jarring to my eyeball when next to the handspun.

I vote for A.

I vote for A.

cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc

As much as I want to vote for something with the connotation of "whore's panties," I'm going with the gorgeous blush pink.

A

Well, Oh my goodness! If the decision was mine, I would opt for yarn A as I am am partial to pastels and I think the pale blush color would truly bring out the subtleties of the handspun. But I also like Color C, name and all!

A.

A is the best, followed by B. But I really love the subtlety of A, which would astonish everyone who knows me and sees me in bright colors almost all the time.

It depends on who you will be giving it to. :)

I would totally go with the green. I think it's nicely contrasty. The light pink is too blendy and the dark pink is too contrasty. I like adding "Y" to words. :D

Hmm. I think if you're talking about solid blocks of color, then none of them really work. It's going to look like you didn't have enough yarn, not like an integrated design. I think any of them would work with the handspun (though I'd probably lean toward B or C, or maybe both), but I'd find a way to alternate colors throughout somehow. Think of a bleeding heart plant -- it doesn't have all the green in one area and all the pink in another area. The colors are distributed.

Me, I like the green. But then I like green. ;-) If I was forced to pick one of the pinks, it would be A-the lighter. Really all of them are pretty--by themselves and in combination.

A

Yo, girl! You are an artist, remember???? A. End of it all. A. It makes a subtle comment sure, but it doesn't have to sing an aria, after all. Think about the composition.
Of course if you are really torn up over it all, make 3, and give away the two that do not please your soul....hmmm...need my address????

have you been living in my plants and watching me?
i'll get back to you on your yarn!!!

A,A,and A. It will be beautiful. The other colors are too dominant and you will not see the spun yarn.

My eyes are immediately drawn to the green, every time. It offers a lovely contrast.

And while I simply cannot understand why a man is unable to look at a color of yarn and say yay or nay, I am glad to hear that I'm not the only one who deals with this nonsense!

If I have to choose one of these three, I'd go with A, but really... I think picking up the lightest shade (white or pale cream color) would be better still. Surely, there must be some white/cream in the stash, right?

please don't choose A. maybe it looks different in person, but it really lacks the life your handspun has. another light pink maybe, but A just doesn't have vitality. so if you are quantifying this, please count my "vote" as "not A."

swatching (suggested above) sounds like a great idea--I don't think the yarn balled up is telling us the whole story.

aAaAaAaA-as the expression goes- you would wear it, it would not wear you

I, too, am a fan of A, though mostly I'm amazed at how many responses you have gotten to this post! Have you tallied them or anything scientific like that?

Not that you're in need of any more opinions, as you have SO MANY responses already, but for my 2c worth - definitely A. But then, pink is my happy colour. :)

A or B. If it's a tie YOU choose! They both would look great.

a or b but then again i'm partial to green so my answer would probably always be green. I do however think a suits it the best..... did that just confuse you more or what???

B
(I know I am likely way too late, but I still like B best)

Dark pink in the center fading to pale pink fading into handspun.

Most definitely C
A's too boring! B would be my second choice. What ever you chose, I can't wait to see the finished object!!

My SHEEP all think you should go with C...

I'd say A too. You want the part of the scarf that wraps around your neck to stand out the least. So I'd think the softer the colour the better. This from someone who dislikes pastels!

In Ranked order:
A
B
C
(well that worked out nicely).

You have to love a stash that offers up 3 options for this particular kind of quandry.

I vote for the light pink! I think it lets the bleeding heart be the star of the show. The darker colors will attract the eye if they were paired with it...

A. Definitely A.

Step away from the green.

B! Go for the Green!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

B, I like the green the best, but it all depends what you are going to wear it with.

Option C - you need the light/dark contrast

Ctrl f'd whore, and lost count. Guess that's the winnin' com-bo-nation! Wish the deep pink was a bit pinker/hotter.

A - you will wear it more, longer, and be happier in the long run. Beautiful problem you have there!

I'd choose green, for that true spring feel, though I'm always tempted by anything that compared to whore's undies.

The best part is that well-knitted people can look at exactly the same pictures and have completely different reactions to them. And with really good explanations of why they believe one color is best. For the right person, any of these would be beautiful.

A - of course

Green!
The pink is too subtle to create interest.
The dark pink is too immense a difference.
The green yarn is almost the exact shade of green as the streaks in your yarn. The green will create an interesting contrast, while providing a continuation of the first yarn's colors.
Hope this helps!

A all the way.
C if not A.
I don't like the look of B very well. Too different.

A is beautiful with it.

I vote C

My vote is for B. Good Luck!

I vote for B or C. I think A is to woosie. I think that B and C will ground the floatyness (is that a word?) of your bleeding hearts pink. I am leaning more toward the green, it might be because your picture is kind of minty (again is that a word?).

Can't wait to see you on the 20th of June in Chicago!!! Lets all pray for good weather. Will we get to see this Scarf??

A is the nicest.

Absolutely, positively A! The other two look like they'd be too much of a contrast. What a lovely yarn you've spun - I look forward to the finished product.

A!!!

I love how subtle it is, and i do think he other 2 colors are too intense for the handspun

I vote A, with a second choice of C.

B or C

A is too pale and washed out yes.

My first instinct was the green. Can't wait to see what you choose!
Fly safe.

A
All the yarns look lovely together *as balls of yarn*. In a finished garment, I fear the high contrast would make the lovely handspun look "tacked on". If you go with B, reverse the plan and use it for edging. C would make a lovely Bleeding Heart shawl by itself. Lots of loveliness! Happy decision-making to you!

my vote is for C
A is too pale ... not as vibrant as it should be ...
B isn't quite right either ....
but C looks perfect to me and I'm not a pink person!

My vote goes to A....Anything else looks like you are trying to 'make do' instead of create!

Go with the green, it looks great with your handspun.

The pink one. Or, use all of them in random sequence, or more than one (pink and green? or find a paler green someplace.). The darker colors would seem to me to wash out the lovely handspun and then make it look like an afterthought when it should be the main event.

Actually, my first thought was "1250 comments?! Holy crap!"

C.

A-too pale, doesn't add anything.
B-I like it -seems to make the other pink stand out.
C-Great!! Be Bold-make the statement, I am a knitter and I look fabulous in this shawl!
Now that half the free world has given their biased opinions(including me) I say-pretend someone asked your opinion about which to pick-pick-and stick with it.

Ahhh -- A.

Holy! I have been lurking for over a year now. You wanted opinions, you got opinions. But well over a thousand!

I find I can't come to grips with shawl's whose edges are a sharp contrast to the body.

My opinion... A

B!! A will be too boring, C is just too much!

I vote A, and C is my second choice. Although I know you are going to read all these comments, somehow I wonder if what we think will ultimately make much difference to you, or if you'll just go with whatever yarn "speaks" to you! Sadly, most of us have the disadvantage of not seeing the four yarns in real life.

I say go with the understated elegance of A

My Jeff laughed in rueful recognition of the "look at my yarn, and tell me if it goes together!". Handy being married to a graphic artist with a firm grip of colour theory. He's moving towards A, the subtle pink.

A!!!

I vote C, if only for the "whore's panties" illusion

Hmm... I am choosing the sweetness of "A" because Bleeding Hearts are so Victorian.

Tricky, really. I mean, I am partial to the whore's panties but I think that is just due to the flamboyant nature of it all. I say A AND B because I think they would both tie in nicely and leave no stone unturned - save for the poor whore's panties, of course....though, now that I think about it - I mean, REALLY think about it - maybe it's better that way - hmm?

I like the woosie pink if you want even values.
The deep rose if after contrast.
So A or C.
Green is my favorite color, but it and the blend do not have enough punch together.
They fight.
And I'm sticking to that.
Susan P.

A. Said in the best McKenzie brother impersonation I can muster.

Either A or B. Whichever one you don't knit the coordinating sweater out of. *winks*

OK, fine. A, B, and C did not come from the sweater stash.

I vote A.

My artist daughter and I agree, A is our favorite. B is too different, and C, while lovely, is a bit too much contrast if you want your beautiful handspun to be the focus.

dumb question....do whore's wear panties?

I vote c

A
AAA
AAAAA
AA AA
AA AA
AAAAAAAAAAA
AAA AAA
AAA AAA
AAA AAA

C

And, you really consider using quiz on your page, it would be much faster than tallying 1200 votes!!!!! Good luck!

Why not just get more of the fleece dyed as close as possible and spin more; anything else just isn't going to look right. You can alternate repeats so you don't have blocks of slightly different colours. This project is going to be fabulous and will be worth doing it 'perfectly'.

Over 1,000 response/comments???!!! I am blown away by the generosity and opinionated-ness of knitters! You guys ROCK! BTW, C is my vote.

So, if you get this deep into the comments...

Go back and look at the picture of all three colors with the handspun: A, B and C -- Isn't it pretty, all together?
Use all three. Knit something bigger, like the original shawl, and use all three with the handspun. This would be BEAUTIFUL.
Promise.

Pink, pink, pink. Most definitely pink!

I vote for C. A matches too closely - it'll look like you're trying to fool the beholder into thinking its all the same yarn. B would be a bit too jarring, although it does compliment the yarn nicely. If the handspun is bleeding hearts done pale, C is the same done darker. I think it would look best.

My vote is for B. But I may be a bit biased being that my favorite color is green.

Gee that made the decision SO much easier!
ROFLOL.....

I vote A.

However, because I am certain (not) that you will be carefully reading all 1000+ responses I have a question. My husband has to go to a conference in Toronto next month. I want him to go to Lettuce Knits and get me something..anything he can get me there that we're unlikely to find in the states?

The green, definitely! Now I am sure that we were no help at all. In fact, if you read all of the comments, you will never make a decision!
Katherine

A... because when you have it all knit up, it will look like you planned it, not that you ran out of yarn and had to come up with a substitute....have a good trip

Just because one more comment will *clearly* make a difference, I'm going to put in my $.01!

I think C. The contrast is beautiful, particularly in the picture where there's just the C yarn.

If not C, then B. The green is definitely my 2nd choice. Particularly since this is a bleeding-heart scarf. In fact, as if you're going to advertise that it's a bleeding-heart scarf then B might just edge out C, but if you're going strictly on looks, then go C.

A looks wussy and washed out to me. But I'll admit that I'm not into pink much and A makes the whole impression one of cotton-candy pink.

Good luck! Have fun knitting!

I'd have to go for A... you'll be able to see the other, subtle colours in your handspun when the pale pink from the handspun blends with the pale pink for the mid-section.

And, btw? I had the same problem with the Bleeding Hearts Stole - nowhere near enough of one colour in my stash either!

Enjoy!

A, definately A

what about all three -- you know, 2 rows handspun, 2 rows A, 2 rows handspun, 2 rows B, two rows handspun, 2 rows C, etc -- or 4 rows handspun, 2 of the others, etc., -- that way you will undulate back and forth between woosie-pants washed out and whore's panties.

I vote D, buy more yarn

Holy !@#$!!!! I log on tonight after posting last night to see 1100 more postings this has got to be some sort of record Stephanie! What an awe inspiring influence you have over so many , that is truly a remarkable gift... and on a lighter note I believe whore panties should become a new color crayon for crayola or at the very least a shade of lipstick :)

option B, the green.

i vote A. the handspun is just remarkable.

Wow, I just looked at how many comments/votes you have! How many comments did you have when you announced your wedding to Joe? I mean I remember that it was a lot. But this seems like a whole lot more.

Well, until I realized you could click the thingy to get a really good picture of the pattern . .

I *was* going to reply that you should use the yarn you spun yourself for the center, and use one of the pinks for the edging . .

and then . .

use the green to make wee leaves and sew them on, like for the sock.

But then I realized the pattern itself has a leavy kind of edge.

So now I just don't know. I think you need a different green, one that's paler and minty-er.

is someone taking a poll? it would be interesting to see if it turned out that it came up at about 33% each.

However, I vote for C!!!

Like the B, but WAIT! What's this about going to LA? Are you coming to Los Angeles? How did I miss this? Yikes! Please tell us where you'll be appearing. I would love to come to your signing. I'm working on my first sock and would love so much to bring it over to see you. Will you be at the Downtown Public Library again? Perhaps? Saw you there on last book tour.

Happy trails and I hope to see more of your schedule soon.

1179 comments/well wishers for your wedding. You have high a new high water mark! Yeah, Stef.

I think B&C with your lovely handspun...

I have to go with C. I really like the contrast of the dark pink with the lovely pastels of your handspun. You are going to let us know how this poll pans out, aren't you? Looking forward to the results, no matter what you decide.

A

A The other colors overwhelm.

I don't remember if the ends are in a more complicated lace pattern, but if it is so, I would knit the ends in one of the solids, and the middle with your gorgeous handspun.
But I cannot help you choose which almost solid. They are all beautiful. Maybe if you send them to me and I see them in person I could tell you which?
Of course I would send them back quickly. Yes. I would.
:D
xo

I would have to say C, The contrast is beautiful.

C, definately C

B gives it a bit of contrast. Unless, of course, you've already made your decision. My being post #1,300-something, will definitely be of value to you!

I choose C.

It's probably way too late to post, but here goes. Is it possible to knit the middle then do the leafy border in green?

Hello, I'm a big fan and new to your blog. I love the pink (C). Hope to continue reading your blog. I'm Canadian in Prince George, BC. My current stash is full of plastic store bags that I'm recycling into handbags!! You've probably heard of it. My friend and I are calling ourselves the "Bag Ladies" she lives in Mackenzie, BC. and has taught a class on crocheting these bags. I too am a Cat Bordhi fan, although, you are much whittier and fun to read, I do like her "magic" knitting. My son has long called himself "Mobius Ring" as a geek handle so I had to make him a scarf...
I love your upbeat and optimistic personality. You make life a little sunnier! Keep it up!

I vote green!

A, because you want that part to show off the other yarn.

my vote ~ A

Now, you see the dangers of Democracy. 1400 comments??? Goodness GRACES!!

A = elegant. B/C = too much contrast that would fight with the lace pattern for attention.

I say A, but have no qualms with whore's panties, either!

I vote A, for the simple reason that you don't want it to overwhelm the beautiful yarn and colors that started this all in the first place. And normally I'm not a soft pink type of dame.

Now I think I should start a blog - its nice to know there are other alternatives to asking our partners to offer opinions on things they really don't care about!!

I like A best.

Call it whores panties if you like, but i like C.

I vote B. I like the green the best with the lovely yarn you spun.

GREEEEEEENNN!

I do hope you're tallying up each and every one of these votes! :-)

Oooo, all are pretty, but A is my favoritest.

Count me for A.

I'm basing my decision on the frogging of a shawl done with some Wool in the Woods rayon, two different colorways that shared a common green. I knit the whole thing in Barbara Walker's Ostrich Plume stitch, wore it a few places for about a month, and then realized I didn't like it! Frogged it, and knit me a clap alternating colors every two rows. I love it and so does everyone who sees it. The green dominates now and the yellows and lilacs make it seem like a flowerbed! When knit separately as ends and middle, the change was too abrupt.

Ergo, the pink picks up the dominant color better, even though the others "go" with the bleeding heart yarn. I vote A.

CCCC
C
C
C
CCCC

even though i am super late: I VOTE A.

Well, I like B best, but A would blend in very nicely; I think the change would be almost unnoticeable when wearing the scarf. So I would probably go with A.

Last time I checked, whores' panties are red with black lace trim. Or metalic silver with the same. Ahem.

Now, I am not normally a pink kinda girl, and the green really speaks to me, but I do think I like the deep pink above the the others because I think the pale pink would 'dull down' the colors of the handspun, and I think the green might be to different.

Or maybe it's the 80's preppy-pink-and-green trauma resurfacing. Hard to tell but I still vote C.

A
A A
A A
AAAAAAA
A A
A A
A A

Hey! Stupid text editor ruined my capital A.
Filthin' foul.

A bit late.... but I really like C

Most people seem to be voting for one pink or the other, but for real contrast I would go for green, so I choose B.

A! I really love B, but A looks better. C is way to dark. Go with A.

I vote A for a soft subtle look (and would show up well against darker jackets and tops, but B would look great too if you tend to wear lighter colored tops :)

I know I'm late here, but I vote for B. I love the green as a background for the handspun colors.

PhilB

I voe for A.....I think the other's overshadow the handspun

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

Organic.

Greeeeen!

I vote B!

(Even though I'm reading this days later and the voting is no doubt over.)

Initial thought was definitely B. A is just too much soft pink. However I am liking the idea from Sam -
"just to add my idea:
A next the border and shifting to the darker C in the middle (next the grafting.)

Posted by: Sam at May 28, 2008 10:43 PM "

Maybe just because I love the "whore's panties" descriptor............

a/c

a/c (no not air conditioning)