colourful crochet

Hello! Todays blog is all about using bright colours in crochet work. 

I have noticed recently how popular some ravelry blanket projects which feature lots of bold and bright colours have become and I can see why! Brightly coloured items can lift the spirits, whether they are providing a splash of colour in a neutral scheme or whether they are contributing to a riot of colours!

Sometimes it can be difficult to work out which colours work well together and so we can stick to a limited palette or just stick to one favourite colour. So I thought I'd put together some ideas for working with colour choices. 

Here are some beautiful natural colour schemes from my travel photos. 

If you have a photo you love take it along when you go to buy yarns for your next project.

Sunsets have warm and cool colours and often small light and dark accents.

Sometimes colours work well in unexpected combinations. 

Whatever your favourite colours are you can make them work. 

Looking at this picture you can obviously spot the yellow, pink and green...but looking closer there is also grey, brown, red and orange.

High contrast bright warm colours within large areas of cool will really jump forward, you could use this to great effect in forward post striped work for example or with a popcorn stitch.

Here are some examples of colour work from my own crochet...

Please forget limiting 'rules', like  "never mix pink and red" or "keep blue and green apart". They can and do look great together! And taste is unique-if you enjoy any colours together-use them!

To build your confidence try using monochrome schemes with just one or two contrast colours. You can build from there once you feel good about your work.

 Here's an example of using lots of bright colours from a happy hexagon blanket I made for a wedding present. 

This project was for a circular cushion cover-these are very similar colours to the happy hexagon blanket above - however with grey stripes between. Notice how this contrast makes the stripes really stand out?

Above I have  used warm colours (yellows, reds, oranges)  in the centre and cool colours (blues, lilac) on the edges. 

Making this crochet basket/container I used 3 DK or 8 ply yarn strands held together to make it thick and sturdy. I changed one of the colours of yarn at a time to create this effect.

Crochet colour selection tips! 1 Find inspiration for your crochet colour choices around you, in nature or other peoples work.2 Take photos of colour schemes you like and take these photos with you when looking at yarn.3 Take your favourite coloured yarn with you when shopping and hold it up against the yarns available-something will work.4 Think of the crochet pattern-if there are stripes of cables or areas which pop forward such as cluster stitches try use colours to enhance this.5 Use small coloured or light/dark accents in projects to add interest to work.6 Try using a colour scheme which moves from warm to cool.7 Try breaking up a bright colour scheme with grey or other neutral colours.

Good luck and happy crafting :o)