Crocheters and Knitters, Indulge Your Passion for Purple

For crocheters and knitters a wide range of shade and hue await the PURPLE enthusiast.  Consider amethyst, fuschia, lavender, lilac, magenta, mauve, orchid, thistle, and violet when making your color selections.  Some manufactures have grouped different shades of purple together, like Premier Yarn's Sweet Roll in Grape Swirl.  People give many reasons for liking purple.  The lighter shades remind people of the lavender and lilacs in their gardens. Purple is compatible with many colors, and there is a shade to match every mood.  Purple is associated with royalty and can look expensive.  Even saying purple puts a smile on your face.(http://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/personality-color-purple.html )

While the lighter shades of purple may be associated with individuals who are sensitive, compassionate, supportive and understanding,  others think of these hues as peaceful and tranquil.  In the vibrant tones, we find people who want to be noticed for their individuality. They want the best of everything and may be visionary with high ambitions.
(https://www.www.The odysseyonline.com/8-reasons-why-purple-is-always-better)

You may have noticed that many of my pieces in the last several posts were created with purple yarn.  I really enjoyed the charm of my Grape Swirl yarn as I crocheted my triangle Granny Shawl  (http:www.lilcreates.com/lillians-blog/enjoy-the-charm-of-the-yarn). I created the puff stitch scarf for my Yarn Chicken article (http://www.lilcreates.com/lillians-blog/yarn-chicken-a-high-risk-game-for-crocheters-and-knitters). The Never-ending shawl project was a matter of coincidence.  The yarn had been donated, and I agreed to make the shawl for charity(http://lilcreates.com/lillians-blog/the-never-ending-knitted-or-crocheted-project).  I have created several styles of crocheted and knitted fingerless gloves in purple hues.(http://www.lilcreates.com/lillians-blog-fingerless-gloves-mismatched-coordinated-handwarmers)  While digging in my stash for a craft fair ,  I found several hats and a lovely toddler-size sweater knitted from a chunky varigated yarn.  A purple lovey and a little girl's purse have even found their way into this article. (http://www.lilcreates.com/lillians-blog/what-makes-a-lovey-loveable)

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The piece that I like most is a knitted cardigan, size 12 months.  The- yarn  varies from white to lilac.  The print pattern by The Plymouth Yarn Company is Toybox Rainbow 2802 that I purchased at my local specialty yarn store, the Yarn Barn, in Woodbridge Connecticut.  The stitch pattern, Roman Stripe, is worked over 6 rows. Rows 1 and 3 are knit for all stitches..  Rows 2 and 4 are purl. In 5 the knitter stitches K1 P1. In row 6,  the knitter stitches P1, K1.  This stitch pattern creates a ridged effect throughout the sweater.  I like the way the sleeve stitches are picked up from the body of the sweater and and knitted down toward the cuff.  This made it easier for me to shorten the sleeve as I find almost all pattern directions have sleeves that are too long for my family.  By taking special care to match all the ridges in construction,  the sweater came out just like the one pictured in the pattern photo.  My granddaughter will probably wear this piece in late autumn.

Just as I was wrapping up this article, I came across a program called for Click for Babies.  This is a grassroots campaign across North America to make purple colored hats that will be delivered in November and December in conjunction with the Period of Purple Crying Program.  The click is for the sound made by knitting needles or crochet hooks when the crafter is busy at work. By increasing awareness and giving parents and caregivers tools to deal with prolonged infant crying, the organizers hope to prevent as many cases as possible of Shaken Baby Syndrome.  The purple caps will serve as a visual reminder to caregivers that prolonged crying can be natural and to look at materials they were given at the hospital.  Of course if crying persists, the infant should be taken to the doctor.  PURPLE is an acronym for information relating to the prolonged crying. 

• P:  peak of crying usually during month 2; 
• U:  Unexpected crying when caregiver does not understand cause;
• R:  Resists soothing and does not stop crying;
• P:  Painlike face, even when baby is not in severe pain;
• L: Long lasting crying can last hours;
• E:  Evening is a time when some babies increase their crying.
  

The important thing is to start conversations going and to understand that is a period which will end.  With all of my purple projects, I have several large odds and ends, and plan to make a couple of purple caps before posting.  The website for Click for Babies (www.CLICKforBabies.org) had a lot of useful information for care givers and those who care about babies.  I will be mailing my caps to the Click for Babies program whose home base is in Oklahoma and contacting my local Yale New Haven Hospital to find out if there is a similar program.

And so, my crocheting and knitting friends, I urge you to indulge your passion for purple and see what pleasing and interesting designs you come up with. I hope that you enjoyed my purple showcase. Please note that as lovely as these pieces turned out,  I find it difficult to bring out the correct purple colors in the photos.  If you have any suggestions or guidelines.  I would appreciate any suggestions.