Balaclava – Black & Pastel

Black usually makes colour louder. Here it does something gentler: it gives peach, coral, lilac and powder blue a place to rest, like sugared almonds laid out on dark velvet. The effect is softer than a rainbow and warmer than a neutral, a balaclava for someone who likes colour but does not want to shout it. Wear it with grey wool and white trainers on a bright, frozen morning. The neck section runs deep to keep the throat warm, the face stays open, and it pulls on with nothing to fasten. Large squares, each crocheted alone and joined by hand.