Kate Kasts Off: In the presence of greatness….

Now some are die-hard fans, and some are not. And that’s just fine. There’s something for everyone I always say!

I don’t know if I am a die-hard fan, per se, but I do think that hanging out and listening to those extraordinary people who think seriously outside the box (ok – on another plane completely!) will certainly increase the odds that my brain will be stretched severely, and like a rubber band, it will never quite be the same size. And I think that brain stretching is a very good thing!

And so it was that last Tuesday when I went to hear color knitter and quilter extraordinaire, Kaffe Fassett, give his "Kaleidoscope of Colour" lecture. My brain was so stretched that I’m afraid I can’t really tell you what he said exactly. Unfortunately I don’t regurgitate lengthy lectures very well. It is more what I recall feeling and seeing, bits and pieces with blasts of intense color from the slide show images, that still, even a week later, pop in and out of my mind without warning! Ultimately, what I did take away from it all is that there are no absolutely rules to color combining, and that color theory should be damned! DD1, my own resident decorator, would be horrified at his irreverence of color theory usage I’m sure! The other lesson is to become more observant about the colors in our surroundings. Most of what Kaffe does comes from the environments he visits, which he then translates in to the colourful textiles he is known for.

I know that I am not remotely so bold as to use the unbelievable number of colors that Kaffe Fassett does in his garments and quilts, and even in his sitting room at home (there’s a sight for you to take in if you can find a picture of it!)! But I do know that since that lecture my eyes are busily seeking bright and unusual color combinations wherever I look.

Do I want to wear these wild colors combinations – no, not really. His sweater combo’s are a bit too much of an attention getter for even for me! I prefer more gentle mixed hues. But I like to be aware of how color can work un-expectedly together, and even if on a more subtle note, ensure that I do not pass by a combination just because it is outside of my usual color box. It is interesting to note however, that although Kaffe is mostly well known for his bright color work, he has a strong affinity for working in tone on tone, in particular, the greys and neutrals found in stone work, and left to his own devices without heeding any specified customer demands, he will often work in that color palette to exclusion of all others. I feel somewhat vindicated in my feelings for gentler color mixing. Still, I will never look at bright (some would say gaudy!) color mixes quite the same way again.

In an interesting coincidence, I was visiting my Aunt in the Eastern Townships a week earlier and had zipped in to the LYS in Sutton, PQ and snagged two balls of Regia sock yarn, and discovered later that they were part of the new Kaffe Fassett color line. Apparently my feet don’t have the same concerns about wearing a cacophony of riotous color that the rest of me does! See what I mean:

I did have a couple of tangible takeaways

from my wondrous evening of color – signed copies of Fassett's latest book:

And of course, I needed to have Fassett’s famous student, and textile designer in his own right, Brandon Mably’s book, signed of course, which I actually think I may use more for inspiration of actual items to knit, as they are much closer to my own tastes.