Sunday, April 14, 2019

Pete for President

As a daughter of South Bend, I watched with tears of joy and hope in my eyes as my Mayor Pete announced his official candidacy for president.  I watched via live-steam as I currently reside in St. Louis, but I've witnessed from a distance how Pete has turned around my hometown for the better, and I believe he can and will do the same for the whole country.

While watching the stream, I was inspired by his newly unveiled logo to create a graphed chart for a knit-version of it (or perhaps crocheted, cross-stitched, perler beads, etc.).  I love that it incorporates one of the iconic old bridges in South Bend - bridges are so symbolic.  Pete's team made available a variety of logos free for public use and the campaign colors were inspired by South Bend and Pete's life (including his dogs).

My favorite craft store acrylic yarn is Vanna's Choice by Lion Brand Yarn, and I think the colorways offered by her line most closely match the campaign colors on the website.  Here are my colorway recommendations:

Campaign color - Vanna's Choice colorway

Strato Blue - Navy

Claeys Cream - Fisherman (although Linen came close, I think Fisherman is a better contrast; sadly I did not have a bag of Claeys Candy around to compare)

River Blue - Colonial Blue

Heartland Yellow - Mustard

Calm Blue - Pale Grey (even though it's grey, it most closely resembles this light shade of blue)

Blue Sky - Dusty Blue (Vanna makes a colorway called Sky Blue, but the campaign color is more muted, hence why I went with Dusty Blue)

Rust Belt - Terra Cotta (Vanna makes a colorway called Rust, but Terra Cotta is as vivid as the campaign color in my opinion)

Buddy Gold - Honey

Truman Brown - Chocolate


Now, let's get on to the chart!  If you choose to knit this chart, I'd recommend using the intarsia method and use bobbins or butterflies.  His official logo has his name PETE and the background in Strato Blue or River Blue with the bridge in Claeys Cream and the 2020 in Heartland Yellow, but on the design portion of his website, PeteForAmerica.com, the artists encourage everyone to play with color and mix & match out of the variety.  (I think I might need to make one with Truman and Buddy's colors!)

I hand-graphed the chart, so it isn't a polished excel spreadsheet, and therefore I apologize for the crudeness.  I also left it devoid of color so you can fill in your own color combinations.  I did add row & column numbers so you know where you are in the chart.  There's no official pattern - you can plug this chart into a beanie, a tote bag, even a sweater!  Or knit a sweater for your dog - I'm sure Truman and Buddy Buttigieg would love that!

This chart - like the logo that inspired it - is FREE to use, but please give credit where credit is due and tag my name on Ravelry/other social media platforms - Clementine Knits and Crochets by Emily Ingrid.  Thanks!  I appreciate it, and I hope you enjoy the chart!  Pete for Pres!