Green as Leaves
While we’re on the subject of mohair, last summer I came across this photo of me wearing a favourite jumper, taken 12 years ago by my then-boyfriend at a café in a little laneway in Melbourne.
How I loved that jumper! I still do, although I have not often worn it for a while as our winters have not been quite cold enough in the past few years. It is by the Sydney label Katherine, and was quite a splurge for me back then. The knit is a wool blend, 50% being mohair, so I call it a ‘super-jumper’. You can distinctly see the ‘halo’ (or fluffiness) created by the mohair content in the knit. The only drawback is that the turtleneck does make it extra-hot and a bit itchy around the neck too. This winter has started out so cold already I expect I will happily wear this jumper this year. It's a classic style that will last forever.
Detail, the colour matched to reality as close as possibleI am not quite sure what to call that lovely shade of green however. A cross between moss and Kelly? Or the colour of the leaves of wintergreen (aptly), although I’m sure many leaves are this indefinable shade of green? Wikipedia offers up a colour called – at first glance, unfortunately – ‘Hooker’s green’.
Wikipedia offers up a colour called – at first glance, unfortunately – ‘Hooker’s green’.
One of Hooker’s botanical drawings
Inquiry lead me to Byrne Smith, writer of the blog ‘The Painting Life’ who had already done my detective work for me. Back in 1850–55, Hooker’s green was named after the English botanical painter William Jackson Hooker (1785–1865), who compounded a pigment especially to illustrate leaves in his paintings, and the colour was thereafter produced commercially and sold as such by manufacturers.
I do find the etymology of colour names absolutely fascinating!
The photo was taken in August 2004, on the most rubbish digital camera, which is why I’ve vintagified (I just made up that word) it in an effort to improve its appearance. As for the pensive look – I think my boyfriend was taking a tiresomely long time to compose the photo!