What it means.

I got that question a lot in the comments. First, thanks to all who participated, and of course if you want to continue, do so, by all means.

Mostly, I was just curious about the color acuity of the population at large. Unfortunately I was brain-dead when I asked everyone to take the test, because you guys aren't the general population, either. Anyone hanging around here for more than five minutes is probably interested in color anyway, and I suspect fiberheads in general are more sensitive to color than the average person, and that's what gets them knitting in the first place. (How many of us knit, in part, because we can knit the sweater in exactly the color we want? It's part of the motivation for nearly everyone.) I figured anyone cruising a color web site and being willing to take that test would of course self-select a group that was interested in color and therefore probably had decent color vision. So I asked you guys to do it. And wound up with another self-selecting group of people who are likely good at color. (Incidentally, this kind of thing is exactly how bad science happens in the real world. Terby, I hear you shaking your head and rolling your eyes at me.) The test scores back it up; knitters, at least the ones hanging around here, are average-or-better at color acuity. Thanks to those of you who dragooned your spouses into participating. THAT was interesting. I'm working on getting the husbeast to take it - he's passed all the military color-blindness tests, so he's a good 'control' for the whole test.

I also strongly suspect the scores are skewed by how much the testee gives a shit, but that's a problem for another day. Haha.

There was no pass/fail on the test. It's nothing but a rough estimate of how good your color vision is. Really, average is better. Most people with really good color vision drive themselves insane because nothing matches. I knew I was weird when I found myself looking at a DMC color card containing something like 600 colors, and NONE OF THEM WERE THE RIGHT ONE.

When the in-laws were last here, we all wound up at the local Chico's, shopping. My mother-in-law was putting together a sort of do-it-yourself twinset of shirt and sweater, and was worried about them matching. I pointed out that they were of different fiber content so even if they'd been put in literally the exact same dye pot, they would not be the same color. And since the store had fluorescent lights the point was moot anyway. Eventually I hauled a bunch of stuff to the window and chose the ones that looked the closest. During this, the husbeast was explaining to the manager of the store, who looked a little shell-shocked. The manager then asked if I was buying the white pants because they would match everything. I said no, I was going to die dye them. Poor woman. From what I've read, this nutty behavior is 'normal' for people with good color vision. I drive myself insane, and likely those around me.

Anyway, it's a continuing interest of mine - obviously. Thanks for humoring me.