Tips for Creating a Crochet Color Palette!
Ever wonder how designers and artists put colors together? Sometimes, when I’m developing an idea for a project, the color scheme is evident from inception, but many times, it is not. Especially, if I’m designing a bigger project, such as an afghan with multiple colors, I get confused and disoriented with how many and which colors to combine. I know the colors I like but I can’t always visualize them together in a finished project. Not to worry, I’ve learned a few tricks over the years and I’m going to share them with you today!
The Color Wheel is your friend!
Color theory is a combination of art and science used to determine what colors look good together. The color wheel, which is the basis of color theory, was invented and mapped into a circle by Isaac Newton in the 17th century and represents the relationship between colors. Colors can evoke feelings and mood and that is why certain color schemes relax us, while others energize us! Now the concepts of color theory are more than I’m going to go into in this post, but here are a few basics.
- There are several versions of the color wheel, but most are divided into 12 colors.
- Primary colors are red, blue, and yellow. These colors are pure, which means you can’t create them from other colors, and all other colors are created from them. Between the equidistant primary color spokes on the color wheel are secondary colors: orange, green, and violet. These hues line up between the primaries on the color wheel because they are formed when equal parts of two primary colors are combined. Tertiary colors are formed by mixing a primary color with a secondary color next to it on the color wheel. With each blending (primary with primary, then primary with secondary), the resulting hues become less vivid.
- Warm colors are those from red to yellow on the wheel and are said to bring to mind warmth, like the sun.
- Cool colors are those from blue to green and purple on the wheel and evoke coolness, like water.
- Complementary colors are those that sit opposite each other on the wheel, such as red and green, and generate high contrast and pop. Analogous colors, such as yellow and green, sit next to each other on the wheel and are commonly paired. Monochromatic colors are different shades of the same color and pair well together for a subtle look
When it comes to colors, often, less is more!
I find that combining 3 or 4 colors works best for most projects. Whether they are contrasting such as in this Litrik Pillow or in the same color family, 3 to 4 colors tend to be more appealing to the eye than combining too many competing colors.
If I do work with more than 3 or 4 colors, I find it helps to keep them in the same temperature (cool colors such as blues and greens or warm colors such as yellows and reds) as shown in the Seaside Garden Throw.
And when using many colors, I find it helps to have an anchor color such as the white in the Modern Rose Afghan by Moogly illustrated below. This can be used as a border around squares for an afghan or repeating rows for shawls, tops and other projects. The point is the anchor color helps to pull everything together and organize it for your eye.
Inspiration for creating color palettes!
So how can you create great color palettes for your projects? Well, I find there is inspiration all around us, but my favorite place to look is nature! Have you ever notices how harmonious a forest or garden landscape are, or how soothing a beach scene can be? Why not borrow from nature?
I often borrow from my photographs for color choices. After all, if I took the time to take the photo, then I must have likes the look, so why not use those colors for inspiration? However, I have found it can sometimes be difficult to pull a few colors from a photo that has many colors and color variations, so I have an easy tool to help you do that!
I use Canva to create my graphics for my website, but I also use some of the tools within Canva for other purposes too and one of my favorite tools is the Color Palette Generator! You can find the Color Palette Generator by going to Canva, choosing the “Learn” tab at the top of the page and then scrolling down to the bottom of the page. Here you will find “Palette Generator” under the “Resources” label.
Canva Palette Generator
Once you enter the Palette Generator, you can choose to upload your favorite photo and the tool will extract colors from the photo. You can then use this information to compare to your favorite yarn choices and develop your project color scheme.
I created this color palette from a photo of creeping roses in my garden and then matched the colors to Red Heart Super Saver in Coffee, Teal Leaf, Shocking Pink, and Pretty ‘n Pink. I think this would make for a beautiful, elegant and vibrant afghan.
For a cooler scheme I pulled the colors from this lake view and matched them to Red Heart Super Saver in Paddy Green, Light Grey, Delft Blue, and Country Blue. How soothing would an afghan in these colors look?
If you don’t have a photo to work from, you can also scroll down and find popular color schemes in all different hues!
I hope this post has helped to inspire you with resources for color selection!
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