One Woman's Clown Barf

Is another woman's expression of color. Over the holidays, my friend Skippy took me to the LYS near her house. The intent was to pick out some lovelies to take home with me. Hopefully something that would scare the pants off all the Red Heart I seem to have lying around. While we were there, Skippy, who is very wool sensitive, decided that a felted purse wouldn't cause her to explode into hives or whatever it is that happens to people with wool sensitivities (I sometimes, in my darkest heart, believe all this wool avoidance is an elaborate ruse to keep me buying acrylic. Then again, maybe it's just encouragement to move up to alpaca. Hard to say). I sat her down with the pattern books and went to paw some laceweight and peruse their sock yarns. She found a pattern that she liked: I told her I've never done entrelac, and suddenly realized just how much of a process knitter I am when I said that not only would it be a gift for her, it would be a gift for me to learn a new technique, and I actually meant it! Then, we proceeded to the wall of Cascade 220 to select colors. Skippy is truly wonderful with colors, and I have learned to trust her, no matter how weird the combo may seem (no, Skippy, I'm not saying the colors you chose are weird... this time), it always looks great in the end. After a lot of shuffling and consideration, she chose these
That's a really dark brown, not black, BTW. When she was showing off the pattern and yarn to some friends later that day, one of them responded that it would look like a clown threw up on her. Of course, this friend has more demure taste in colors, but she is the rabid scary monkey lover, so we all have our issues. Anyway, I promised Skippy I'd post progress. So far the most time consuming part is winding the hanks into balls. I have neither swift nor winder, just my wits and my knees.
I'm ready to start the final color. Ilsa has taken issue with this, however, as she feels the purple should be for Barb and her Auntie Kirsten (both of whom love purple). When I informed her that it would be used for Skippy's purse, her lip trembled and tears threatened. I then backed off and claimed that I would, indeed, use it to knit something for Barb and Kirsten. That cheered her up and she sternly looked at me, held up two fingers and told me, "Two mittings, Mama. Bahb and Ma Antie Kirsten!" Here's hoping there's enough left over for potholders or something. Felted trivets, maybe?