Yesterday's stream was full of color theory and exploration of limited palettes... with a teeny tiny landscape painting you see in the middle.
Although the colors are bright, they can be used to create beautiful muted mixes too. And painting lots of nature, it's what I enjoy.
It's my palette I currently take on the go too!
. This ink is Diamine X Pure Pens Alexandrite. In real life the ink is a bit more green than shown in the photos. 
I am knitting Earthly in Patons Linen (cotton, linen, viscose) and it’s my first time working with linen.
I was told, and everything I’m reading, and watching on YouTube emphasizes the importance of blocking my linen swatches. I hand washed in warm water with agitation, and am tumble drying now. After it’s dry, I’ll machine wash and dry the swatches like my son will when he’s living with the finished sweater. The swatches have become very soft, have grown a bit in length, but so far the width seems stable. Will see how second blocking goes. It’s going to be a very nice sweater if I can get the sizing right. Using the EZ PZ Gauge Ruler to measure, and the stitches were better defined after the first blocking.
Planning to make an XL (size 46” chest) depending on what happens with the swatches, since according to Google, yarn can be machine washed and tumbled dry, it may shrink up to 10%, (which would make the XL a 43.2” fit) BUT I had a bamboo ribbon yarn top shrink to child size in my washer (still sad about that, the pre wash size was perfect!) so I’m gun shy. RIP Coachella tank in Tahki Yarns Bali ribbon. I’d use that yarn again, but definitely wet block, and handwash (it got accidentally thrown into the washing machine)
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/earthly
https://jimmybeanswool.com/products/crazy_cat_designs_ez_pz_gauge_ruler
Ink swatching: KWZ all that glitters - Stardust Blue
They claim they've got a formula that keeps glitter in suspension longer and given that the jar looks like swamp water after I've shaken it there's definitely something going on! It definitely needed less re-shaking than my inkvent inks did.
It's a pretty blue-black colour. The shimmer is more like that in a metallic gel pen than in most of my other shimmer inks. Performed great in my dip pen but I'll need to get it in a regular one and into rotation to see how well it works for normal use.
Continuing my swatching distractathon this week, then!
I normally don't take quite as much care over swatching but it's nice to take things seriously for a change, especially since I'll be committing to a whole long lacy cardigan on 2.5mm needles 
Plus I get to see how the 50% wool in that top swatch feels after washing, to make sure I can actually wear it. Which is always useful to know before you start!
This #WIPWednesday I am mostly swatching in black. Which will be incredibly boring to knit but much more practical to wear than a lot of stuff I make!
Enjoyed seeing everyone's Clapotises, but there's something about the pattern that just doesn't do it for me.
Enter the unfortunately named Dummy Clap Shawl: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-dummy-clap-shawl
Do we reckon this still counts for #ClapotisFest? 
Flip-through of my Distress Embossing Glaze swatches. I got a six-pack of Distress Embossing Glaze to give me more color options for stamped sentiments. The obvious thing to do, was to make swatches.
I designed round labels to stick to the lids, and rectangular labels for my swatches. You can download them from my blog at https://www.valleyoakpaper.com/post/distress-embossing-glaze-swatches
#swatches #distressembossingglaze #FreeDownload #distresscolors #heatembossing #swatching #timholtz #timholtzdistress https://www.instagram.com/reel/C_N1e4aMs4X/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon
When I got the new Distress Watercolor Pencils, I took them all out of their tins and rearranged them according to the @ranger_ink order. Then I swatched the first tin from Spun Sugar to Fired Brick. I also compared the swatches to my Distress Oxide swatches. You can watch me create the swatches on the Valleyoakpaper YouTube channel. #distress #distresswatercolorpencils #distressoxide #swatching #swatches https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8hxZp3pkV-/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon
When I got the new Distress Watercolor Pencils, I took them all out of their boxes and rearranged them according to the order on the Ranger web site. In today's video I’m swatching the first box, from Spun Sugar to Fired Brick. Then I compare them to my Distress Oxide swatches.
YouTube https://youtu.be/8_jFPU80tYg
Blog https://www.valleyoakpaper.com/post/distress-watercolor-pencils-1
#distresswatercolor #distresswatercolorpencil #swatching #swatches #video #watercolorpencils #distresspalette #spunsugar #firedbrick… https://www.instagram.com/p/C8fK3HABL_n/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon
Two and a half years ago I banned myself from knitting shawls. It was definitely for my own good.
But last week the ban was officially lifted, and I've already started swatching for a pattern that I've had bookmarked for literally over a decade.
Can already tell I'm gonna love it 
(Big Damn Heroes on Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/big-damn-heroes)
Talking with Mastodon friends about watercolors over the last few days has inspired me to finally make a template and start swatching in earnest - meaning, make a true reference for myself rather than doing it for curiosity and relaxation (great reasons! but I also need a better reference).
My two favorite colors I don’t hear people talk about much are Indanthrone Blue and Quinacrodone Coral. Both single pigments (Daniel Smith).
The yarn was washed and dried, and I got curious. There was one skein smaller than the rest so I did a taste test
Cleaning up my desk today I found this great little travel palette from Art Toolkit that I got a year or so ago. I’d really like to start using this again, so I swatched it into my current journal. I had filled it with colors I couldn’t remember the names of and I didn’t feel like digging through three big ziploc bags of paint tubes so I just did my best to remember what they were.
Swatching watercolour pencil and painting a pear with just 3 colors following lanagloschatart exercise on youtube.
I want to do more traditional art this year, real paint on real paper. More sketching too.
Will see how it goes….
