Inspiration Saturday: Shades of Pemberley

I showed you most of my FOs from the Jane Austen swap yesterday, but here's one that I thought deserved its own post.  Inspiration is always an important part of these swaps for me, extracting something from the theme, mixing it in with the likes and dislikes of your spoilee, and applying it to something you can create.

In this case, I took some Kool-Aid, some bare mini-skeins, and more than a dozen quote from Austen works to create a collection of colorways that I called 'Shades of Pemberley' (as in, are they to be thus polluted?).  As always, home dyeing is about tempering your intentions with your results, and just enjoying the colors however they turn out.

So here are the shades of Pemberley:

And here they are a little closer up, followed by their inspirational quotes:

Top row:

From left to right:

1. "My dear Mr. Bennet, you must not expect such girls to have the sense of their father and mother.  When they get to our age, I dare say they will not think about officers any more than we do.  I remember the time when I liked a red coat myself very well - and, indeed, so I do still at my heart; and if a smart young colonel, with five or six thousand a year, should want one of my girls I shall not say nay to him; and I thought Colonel Forster looked very becoming the other night at Sir William's in his regimentals."
2. They had a very fine day for Box Hill; and all the other outward circumstances of arrangement, accomodation, and punctuality, were in favor of a pleasant party.
3. Her father's comfort was amply secured, Mrs. Bates as well as Mrs. Goddard being able to come; and her last pleasing duty, before she left the house, was to pay her respects to them as they sat together after dinner; and while her father was fondly noticing the beauty of her dress, to make the two ladies all the amends in her power, by helping them to large slices of cake and full glasses of wine, for whatever unwilling self-denial his care of their constitution might have obliged them to practise during the meal. - She had provided a plentiful dinner for them; she wished she could know that they had been allowed to eat it.
4. Elinor, this eldest daughter whose advice was so effectual, possessed a strength of understanding, and coolness of judgment...She had an excellent heart; her disposition was affectionate, and her feelings were strong: but she knew how to govern them...Marianne's abilities were, in many respects, quite equal to Elinor's.  She was sensible and clever, but eager in everything; her sorrows, her joys, could have no moderation.  She was generous, amiable, interesting: she was everything but prudent.
5. "Mrs. Bates, let me propose your venturing on one of these eggs.  An egg boiled very soft is not unwholesome.  Serle understands boiling an egg better than any body.  I would not recommend an egg boiled by any body else; but you need not be afraid, they are very small, you see - one of our small eggs will not hurt you.  Miss Bates, let Emma help you to a little bit of tart - a very little bit.  Ours are all apple-tarts.  You need not be afraid of unwholesome preserves here.  I do not advise the custard.  Mrs. Goddard, what say you to half a glass of wine?  A small half-glass, put into a tumbler of water? I do not think it could disagree with you."

Middle row:

From left to right:

1. ...Elizabeth continued her walk alone, crossing field after field at a quick pace, jumping over stiles and springing over puddles with impatient activity, and finding herself at last within view of the house, with weary ankles, dirty stockings, and a face glowing with the warmth of exercise.
2. Mrs. Elton, in all her apparatus of happiness, her large bonnet and her basket, was very ready to lead the way in gathering, accepting, or talking - strawberries, and only strawberries, could now be thought or spoken of.  "The best fruit in England - everybody's favourite - always wholesome. - These the finest beds and finest sorts. - Delightful to gather for one's self - the only way of really enjoying them. - Morning decidedly the best time - never tired - every good sort - hautboy infinitely superior - no comparison - the others hardly eatable - hautboys very scarce - Chili preferred - white wood finest flavour of all - price of strawberries in London - abundance about Bristol - Maple Grove - cultivation - beds when to be renewed - gardeners never to be put out of their way - delicious fruit - only too rich to be eaten much of - inferior to cherries - currants more refreshing - only objection to gathering strawberries the stooping - glaring sun - tired to death - could bear it no longer - must go and sit in the shade."
3. “The Very first moment I beheld him, my heart was irrevocably gone.”
4. Emma...then joined Harriet at the interesting counter, - trying, with all the force of her own mind, to convince her that if she wanted plain muslin it was of no use to look at figured; and that a blue ribbon, be it ever so beautiful, would still never match her yellow pattern.  At last it was all settled, even to the destination of the parcel.
5. Catherine's blood ran cold with the horrid suggestions which naturally sprang from these words.  Could it be possible? Could Henry's father - ?  And yet how many were the examples to justify even the blackest suspicions!

Bottom row:

From left to right:

1. The letter, with a direction hardly legible, to "Miss A. E. - ," was evidently the one which he had been folding so hastily.  While supposed to be writing only to Captain Benwick, he had been also addressing her!  On the content of that letter depended all which with world could do for her.  Anything was possible, anything might be defied rather than suspense…sinking into the chair which he had occupied, succeeding to the very spot where he had leaned and written, her eyes devoured the following words:
2. "Will not your mind misgive you when you find yourself in this gloomy chamber - too lofty and extensive for you, with only the feeble rays of a single lamp to take in its size - its walls hung with tapestry exhibiting figures as large as life, and the bed, of dark green stuff or purple velvet, presenting a funereal appearance?  Will not your heart sink within you?"
3. The day was uncommonly lovely.  It was really March; but it was April in its mild air, brisk soft wind, and bright sun, occasionally clouded for a minute; and everything looked so beautiful under the influence of such a sky; the effects of the shadows pursuing each other on the ships and Spithead and the island beyond, with the ever-varying hues of the sea, now at high water, dancing in its glee and dashing against the ramparts with so fine a sound, produced altogether such a combination of charms for Fanny, as made her gradually almost careless of the circumstances under which she felt them.
4. To this nest of comforts Fanny now walked down to try its influence on an agitated, doubting spirit, to see if by looking at Edmund's profile she could catch any of his counsel, or by giving air to her geraniums she might inhale a breeze of mental strength herself.
5. Dress is at all times a frivolous distinction, and excessive solicitude about it often destroys its own aim.  Catherine knew all this very well; her great aunt had read her a lecture on the subject only the Christmas before; and yet she lay awake ten minutes on Wednesday night debating between her spotted and her tamboured muslin, and nothing but the shortness of the time prevented her buying a new one for the evening.

For more inspiration, go to Woolen Diversions.