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5 Ways to Choose Amazing Colors for Your Next Project

May 5, 2014 by AllFreeCrochet 19 Comments

This post was written by Lauren Brown. Connect with Lauren on Facebook and Pinterest. 

5 ways to choose amazing colors for your next project

For some people, coming up with a color scheme for crochet projects is the best part of the process. Others find standing in the yarn aisle surrounded by innumerable color choices a daunting task. Regardless of which category you’re in, these tips are sure to make your selections easier and your finished projects a little more beautiful.

Rainbow Ripple Blanket
Rainbow Ripple Blanket

Look for inspiration everywhere. Books, nature, photos, Pinterest. One of my favorite baby blankets of all time was inspired by this book. I’ve also used color palettes on Pinterest, flowers, and clothes as inspiration. Just be sure to take pictures or notes of what you think would make a wonderful combo so you can refer to it later.
Be willing to take chances. I think adding in a wildcard adds a fun element of surprise to a project. If you’re using soft colors, throw in one bold. If you’re making a baby blanket, add a pop of bright red. Often it has a way of brightening things up and pulling it all together.

Sweet Ocean Breeze Baby Blanket
photo used with permission – free pattern available here

Add white between every color. Sometimes you’ll find that colors don’t look as nice side by side as you’d anticipated. They still match, but they just look muddy when they’re together. Try throwing white or cream between them. The blanket pictured above is absolutely gorgeous. The colors are stunning and eye catching. Put the brown and turquoise next to each other? You certainly wouldn’t have the same stunning effect.

Ombre Tote Bag
photo used with permission – free pattern available here
Go ombre. Ombres are very popular right now. Use wide stripes and different shades of the same color to create a beautiful, eye pleasing color scheme. This tote bag is a beautiful example.

Be willing to frog your work. Sometimes you’ll be a ways into your project and you’ll realize that your project isn’t turning out the way you’d hoped. It’s okay to undo your work. Yes, it’s going to take lots of time, but consider the final product. Will it bother you later that you didn’t take the time to make it perfect? I was working on a blanket once and I added and removed purple two or three times before finally deciding whether it worked or not.


Do you have any surefire ways you use to come up with beautiful color schemes?

 

 

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Comments

  1. Jamie says

    May 5, 2014 at 9:05 pm

    Well, it may not be a sure-fire way to choose my colors, but sometimes I use Adobe’s Kuler (https://kuler.adobe.com/create/color-wheel/) to help me with my color choices. By the time I get to the store, I may not find the exact color that I want, but I may find something close to it and this helps me.

    Reply
    • Gertrud says

      June 23, 2014 at 12:41 pm

      This is an awesome tool! Thanks for sharing the link. I just book marked it in my browser for future reference.

      Reply
  2. Virginia Bronner says

    May 6, 2014 at 12:57 am

    I go into my local paint store and pick up the cards that have the colors of paint on them. Some have just one color on them and others have different shades of the same color. I use it as my color wheel.

    Reply
    • Vanessa says

      May 6, 2014 at 1:43 pm

      Excellent idea!! I am running out to the paint store right now, as I have a BIG project that needs to be started and have not even put hook to yarn due to the color issue!!! Thank you!!

      Reply
    • Ellen Kapusniak says

      May 7, 2014 at 2:47 am

      What a great idea about the paint cards! Thanks for passing on the tip.

      Reply
    • Patricia N. says

      June 22, 2015 at 6:14 pm

      Good idea.

      Reply
  3. Harlene Gogan says

    May 6, 2014 at 5:16 am

    When I swatch for gauge, I also swatch for color. This will give you a better idea of how color will affect your finished piece. Sometimes multiple color swatches give you the chance to go from nice to extraordinary.

    Reply
  4. Sydney says

    May 6, 2014 at 8:31 am

    I look to Pinterest. I especially love the color swatch samples from Design-Seeds.com. I came up with some great, unexpected color combos that way. I also find that using scraps to make granny squares can give me inspiration… I’ll try colors together that I wouldn’t normally put together. Then if I like it, I can go get more yarn and try it as stripes, ripples, whatever!

    Reply
    • Ginger says

      June 23, 2014 at 3:32 pm

      I started a secret board on Pinterest with pictures of color schemes I never would have thought to use. I just look through the board for inspiration. Ravelry also shows a project with many different color schemes from other crafters. That sometimes helps me narrow down my selections.

      Reply
  5. Amy says

    May 7, 2014 at 4:37 pm

    There is a wonderful website design-seed(s).com. They put colour palettes together, I use it a lot for colour scheme ideas. Beware, it’s highly addictive!

    Reply
    • Kelly B says

      June 13, 2014 at 5:06 pm

      !sigh! I know you warned us but that website is fantastic!….and highly addictive 🙂

      Reply
  6. Deana says

    May 17, 2014 at 8:45 pm

    I often look at yarn websites. They have all the colors, not just the ones carried at my local shops. It helps me see what is new and exciting in the yarn styles I use over and over again. I don’t mind taking out yarn, especially since I normally crochet “on the fly.” When I find a stitch and some great colors, then I play and play and play until I’m happy.

    Reply
  7. Catherine A. McClarey says

    June 13, 2014 at 1:51 pm

    I’ve used the “Multicolor Yarn Coordinates” chart at the Red Heart Yarns website for multistranded projects on big hooks (f.ex. pet rugs & “giant granny square” afghans). Even if I’m not using one of the multicolored yarns at the moment, it’s quite likely that one of the solid-color yarns I have will be on that list as a coordinating color for 1 or more multicolor yarns. I then can choose a 2nd or 3rd strand of yarn in a color which coordinates with the same multicolored yarn as what my 1st strand does.

    Reply
  8. Barbara says

    June 23, 2014 at 12:01 pm

    I occasionally look for variegated yarns. Most of the color matching is already done on a varigated yarn. Then I select the colors from there. Even if I don’t purchase the variegated yarn, I know my yarn colors will blend well. White works very well between two different colors (say green and purple) that may be of the same intensity but differing hues.

    Reply
  9. lynn says

    June 22, 2015 at 4:35 pm

    Thanks jamie awesome tool

    Reply
  10. Jo says

    June 20, 2016 at 6:01 pm

    What I do is take the ends together and twist and then I can see how several colors look together

    Reply
  11. Jo says

    June 20, 2016 at 6:42 pm

    I take the ends of the yarn I want to use and twist them, this gives a realistic view of the color combos.

    Reply

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