Choosing Your Crochet Colour Palette (With Easy Shortcuts).

Your Crochet Colour Palette

I’ve been thinking a lot about colour for crochet palettes over the last few months. I’m not the only one, either. When I researched colour in crochet, I found a ton of articles and blog posts about it. Many of the articles have looked specifically into colour theory and taken choosing colours quite seriously (colour theory is the scientific approach to understanding how colours go together, it’s sciencey, you can even get twiddly colour wheels to help and everything). I’m not going to go into that, I’m just going to explain an easier way at choosing my colours for crochet!

When I first started to crochet, I didn’t think much beyond what colours I liked and which colours were available. That was fine, but sometimes my favourite colours didn’t translate into yarn very well, or I didn’t know which shade would work best with another. Thankfully, there are far more colours and shades available than there used to be (this crochet thing has really taken off).

What’s Your Crochet Style?

These days, I ask myself what style I’m after or how many colours will achieve a good balance for the picture I have in my head? Perhaps approach a crochet project from a different angle. I take inspiration from different sources rather than turning up at the shop and chucking balls of yarn in my basket. And consider more than just my favourite colours.

For me, a good starting point is deciding on the theme I want, which can often be just a one-word affair: neutral, bright, pastel, earth, vintage, contemporary, seasonal, blah blah. Once I’ve decided this, it’s so much easier. There are lots of colours I can then eliminate.

The secret to choosing a good colour palette is probably a mixture of confidence and experience. Overthinking can really take the fun out of it. Stop worrying and just begin. You won’t know if something works until you try it out. If it doesn’t work, then that’s a lesson learned. If it does work, then awesome!

Another secret is this: crochet. A lot. All the time!

Before I go into the easy crochet “cheats” I use,  I’m going to mention a little bit about whether to be “Random” or “Organised” in deciding the colours you choose for your crochet projects; I think it could be helpful. I’m usually Random. What are you?

Go for A Random Crochet Palette

I love a bit of random colour selection. To go truly random is a risk that can really pay off. It’s also great for stashbusting yarn. Is random really random though?

It’s fun blindly grabbing yarn and putting it all together in a crochet blanket; it can lead to some very interesting results, but it can also backfire tremendously! Arbitrary colour placement can sometimes get you in dodgy situations, but you might also discover that those weird colours actually look fantastic sat side by side.

My only rule about placing colours randomly is not to have the same shades or contrasts too close to one another. And I think I’ve broken that rule a couple of times, too. Rule-breaking is encouraged!

When I’m making a blanket that’s going to be random, I like to choose a minimum of seven colours. Fewer than that and it’s going to be tricky mixing up the colours effectively. More than fifteen colours and you might lose any colour balance you’re trying to achieve.

Blankets where I’ve used over thirty colours have looked like a dog’s dinner. They’ve also looked pretty good, too, if you’re after something you’d find at Granny’s house. I guess it depends on your crochet aesthetic.

Get Organised With Crochet Colour Selection

Don’t want to risk random? Then everything needs to be worked out before you even pick up your hook. I’ve already confessed that I’m Random, so to be properly organised, you probably shouldn’t listen to me. I’m talking colour wheels, yarn pegs, pre-made crochet squares a la Attic 24 Colour Play and The Patchwork Heart.

It’s really not my area! I’m pretty envious of these super organised people. I don’t know why it doesn’t work for me. Oh yes, it’s because I’m lazy!! Instead of taking the time to organise my yarn stash, you’ll most likely find me sitting in a tangle of mismatched balls, whilst umming and ahhing about what I’ve got enough of to eke out into a small blanket.

If you’d rather be in control of colour choices, then Attic 24 and the Patchwork Heart are definitely the crochet folk you need to visit. You’ll learn about matching warm and cool colours so that the balance brings out the best in all shades. You’ll find out about whether you prefer contrasting or complementary colours too. Maybe once the decision has been made, you could get fancy and choose an ombre style, go for block colours or get your rainbow on! Of course, you’ll then get lost in a sea of crochet and colour, but that’s not such a bad place to be.

Easy Ways to Cheat the Crochet Colour

It’s time to get cheaty. If you’re still struggling with choosing colours for crochet projects then here are a few pointers to help. If you can’t be bothered with a methodical approach and you don’t have the time for a potentially hazardous risk, then these tricks might be the ticket.

1. Copy Someone Else’s Colour Palette!

This is controversial! Find a blanket someone else has made and copy it!

Loads of blogs (including mine) will share the brands of yarn and colour choices so that it’s easy to do. I would add that if you do this, then you MUST credit the creator. If I’ve been inspired by someone, I will always say so.

Copying is a good starting point if you’re a beginner. Gradually, you can move away from this once you’ve got more confidence. Copying will become less literal, and the original design will be more of an inspiration. An homage or something! Look at blogs, Ravelry, Pinterest, Instagram etc.

The circle in squares blanket (pictured above) was inspired by Crochet With Raymond. I loved the colours and grabbed some similar Stylecraft colours. I wrote a blog post about it in more detail.

For this Petal Patch blanket, the colours are from Attic 24’s Harmony blanket but with a different granny square. So I’m mixing it up, developing ideas while still finding my confidence.

2. Use Pretty Pictures To Inspire Your Colour Choices

Find inspiration from pictures.  I love finding pictures in magazines and using them as a starting point. What’s particularly brilliant about this is that current magazines will have on-trend colours (if that’s what you’re after).

Even a picture of a person in a room is great. You’ll see the colours of the decor or the clothes the person is wearing and how they go together. Craft magazines are perfect, they’ll be completely switched on with regard to colour palettes and tonal balance. Also, look at books with illustrations.

Here is my Fireplace blanket, inspired by fireplace tiles (a special request from my sister-in-law and a great idea).

This green granny curiosity was surprisingly inspired by the Meg and Mog books. I’m not sure I’m keen. It was an interesting experiment!

3. Be Inspired by The Colours of Nature

Go back to nature. Look at a garden you like, where’s your favourite place to be? What mood does that place evoke? Take a picture of a scene that’s pretty and use it. The seaside seems to be an inspiration for many, as does woodland. Maybe some city lights could conjure up a good bunch of colours.

4. Ready-To-Use Colour Palettes

Let technology help you. Design Seeds is a big one. Lots and lots of ready-to-use colour palettes that you can incorporate into crochet. Or you can create your own with palettes with an app.

Try a random colour generator, which can be interesting. On some sites, you can sort by hue, saturation or value. There are apps aplenty that do palette builders. I’ve got one called Real Colours. I’ve been testing lots of pictures from my phone gallery!

Based on colour theory, which I mentioned earlier, is the Adobe colour wheel. It was fun to tinker with, but I’m not sure I’d want to use it all the time.

Anyway, who am I to tell you what to do?! You can choose any colours you like. That’s the beauty of crochet! There are endless possibilities and the freedom to play and have fun. If there are any easy ways of choosing colours for crochet that I’ve missed, do let me know. I’d love to hear about more ways in which I can cut corners!