A couple weeks ago, my newsletter invited you to join me on a journey through Middle Earth. If you missed that email and want to check it out, you can find the content here. 

How will we take this journey? 

I'm glad you asked! 

We will travel to various beautiful and important places in Middle Earth through the artwork of J.R.R. Tolkien himself. The colors of these pieces will inspire the palette of colorways for each location so that whatever you make with this yarn will transport you back to your favorite Middle Earth locales.

As many of you know who have been following me for a while, I'm an unabashed nerd about all things Tolkien, and many of my knitting patterns are inspired by his world. So when I decided to start dyeing yarn, it seemed only natural to develop colors inspired by his works. 

I decided to turn to a lesser known aspect of his world building: his artwork. Many people are surprised to learn that Tolkien was a fairly skilled amateur artist. His works certainly provide plenty of fodder for developing lovely palettes. Let's talk about the first three palettes I'll be developing.

Hobbiton

There are several things I love about this piece. For one, the palette is relatively simple, relying on variations and combinations on the four main colors: blue, green, yellow, and orange. The earthiness and simplicity of these tones gives the painting a very hobbit-like feeling.

From this painting, I developed  a straightforward palette of simple, bold colorways that would make for some excellent stripes or colorwork. Here are a few examples of hobbit-themed projects I think would look excellent in these colors.

         

Bilbo Sweater Pattern                           Lobelia Hat Pattern

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Rivendell

The palette of this piece is more complex, reflecting the subtlety and sophistication of the elves. The greens and grays are more nuanced, and more cool tones are used than in the warm, sunny depiction of Hobbiton.

For my Rivendell collection, the colorways will be moodier and more complex to dye. I can imagine some lovely brioche with these colors in high and low contrast pairings.

             

The Brith Cardigan                        The Vána Wrap

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Lothlorien

This piece provided the inspiration to try a new-to-me technique that I'm super excited about.

What immediately strikes me about this piece is its luminosity, which embodies the realm of Lothlórien as a place of light and beauty. In the words of Master Samwise,

"It's sunlight and bright day, right enough.... I thought that elves were all for moon and stars: but this is more elvish than anything I ever heard tell of. I feel as if I was inside a song."

For my Lothlórien palette, I will be offering an airy fade set inspired by the green and gold of this wonderful place. I can already see the amazing faded projects coming to life.

               

Lady of Lórien Shawl Pattern                 Melian Shawl Pattern

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The Hobbiton update is planned for the end of February, so stay tuned for that. I will also be sharing more information about subsequent updates and revealing Hobbiton colorways soon. I hope you have a lovely day!