Here’s the #1 hemming and hawing point for knitters picking out yarns for a Norwegian knitting project: “Which ‘White’ will it be?”
Today, we had a nice (?) overcast morning – good for photography, anyway. So, I set up some yarn colors, right by my windowsill, for your inspection. Here we have Dale of Norway Heilo yarn, with Red 4018 on top and bottom; White 0010, Off-White 0017 and Natural 0020 are shown going left to right, across the middle. (You’ll find these same shades – 0010, 0017 & 0020 – among many of the Dale of Norway yarns, and they’re all pretty consistent with what you see above.)
Traditional designs call for Natural 0020 more often than the others, but there’s no fixed rule for that. It’s often just a matter of taste. There is something about that creamy, warm “Natural” shade that evokes an earlier time – a time when whiteners and brighteners were nowhere to be found – and I have to confess a particular fondness for that ever-popular shade. But there’s something very crisp and lively about the “White”, and “Off-White” offers a nice balance of warmth and clarity. They all have their virtues. Most importantly, the one you choose should be YOUR favorite.
