Living in Boston leads me to using a lot of the local color in my artistic palette. I’ve lived here pretty much my whole life, but I always feel like a visitor when I’m out walking around. My favorite places are the same as any visiting tourist would want to see. And I especially enjoy seeing the things that they are photographing. Sometimes, seeing what they see brings new vision to my hometown.
But, there are also those times when I travel the back roads and alleyways of my quaint city. Because, sometimes, there are just TOO many tourists around. This is by far one of my most favorite streets in Boston, and it’s up on Beacon Hill. These old brownstone townhouses are the ultimate in old world Boston architecture. And I love the weathered old brownstone (brick) and the black accessory color of the lamp posts, shutters and doors.
And, you guessed it, I had to dye it and make a yarn out of it. This photograph, below, looks a little pink, but the colors are pretty true. The brick-toned terra cotta is buried down below, seen in the left side of the picture.
Aging brickwork has an amazing depth of tone and color. Weathering, salts, sunlight and all the other factors change it and give it such a unique character. I’ve tried to capture that in this yarn.
And this would look really nice paired with a deep multi-toned brown handspun yarn, in some sort of twill pattern to give the feeling of brickwork patterning. I think another walk is in order to find that pattern…
Yarn Details-
Color: Brownstone
Fiber Source: My own hand painted Merino wool
Fiber Content: 100% merino wool, fiber imported from Australia
Spun on: Schacht Matchless Spinning Wheel
Yardage: 670 yards
Finished Weight: 6 oz
WPI: 18
Ply: 2
jessica~
I love where you get your inspiration from. EVERYWHERE! EVERYTHING!
Jun 29, 2009 @ 6:26 am
Mary K. in Rockport
Used to live there in my misbegotten young adulthood. It was pretty. And steep.
Jun 29, 2009 @ 7:12 am
Ginger
What a nice way to see your city!
Jun 29, 2009 @ 7:37 am
Cindy
Wow, you do have a gift for capturing color! Beautiful.
Jun 29, 2009 @ 7:41 am
Chris
Pretty!
Jun 29, 2009 @ 7:48 am
Sue
Hi Dave – I love those colors – I think that, in keeping with the inspiration, it should be paired with some stripes of black to echo the lampposts and shutters of Beacon Hill.
Jun 29, 2009 @ 9:10 am
Roxie
MArvelous color! Bravo, Dyer Dave!
Jun 29, 2009 @ 9:27 am
Leslie
Black or dark brown, I think.
And isn’t it interesting how only that house has the shutters (which were probably pretty necessary at the time) and the neighboring houses don’t? I think that’s probably one reason this one stands out so well; it’s dressed!
Jun 29, 2009 @ 10:10 am
Sara
You did a wonderful job of capturing that. I love how you get your inspiration from just about everything your eye can see. How awesome that is!
Jun 29, 2009 @ 3:59 pm
jackie
Two thumbs up!
Jul 01, 2009 @ 8:21 am
Dan/Brewergnome
Very nice, and very Boston Brownstone.
Jul 06, 2009 @ 2:35 pm