Flaming June

Younger daughter has finally agreed to let me knit a blanket for her living room. Actually, that is not quite accurate as, during our last discussion, she did wonder if it might just go on the bed  in the spare bedroom. Regardless, I have been out searching for wool in the correct colours. Her living room is dominated by a piece of artwork she had as a 21st birthday present - deep reds and golds and orangey browns and this is complemented by a print of Flaming June - that Frederick Lord Leighton iconic pre-Raphaelite gem that everyone seems to know. The dominant colour in the throw then needs to be an orange. There are many beautiful oranges around in the more upmarket ranges of yarns but the yarn I have left over to knit 80% of this blanket is acrylic and so I need an acrilyc orange. What there seems to be in the 100g balls is something so neon that it looks as if it needs to be on the back of someone working in the road at night. Searching online is not easy as colours can be deceptive so a trip to a small yarn shop was called for. To my delight, I love coincidences, the person I spoke to in the shop was June and, having dismissed the ubiquitous neon ball she delved into a basket of 25g balls and came up with two shades of orange - both of which were ideal. I do also like decisions being made for me in an unexpected way. I was planning another log cabin ( I will inevitably get bored of the pattern before too long) and I had been debating in my head as to where the key colour - the orange would be. With 2 shades and only 2 25g ball of each that decision was taken out of my hands and the oranges go in the centre of the squares. I quickly completed my first square, learning from experience weaving in each colour as it appears, sent a photo to the daughter who approved and now have another lovely project sitting at my feet. I wonder what I will make of the juxtaposition of a hearty log cabin and Flaming June?