My love for crochet triangles all started when I was playing around with geometric patterns for crochet. It became a conscious thing last summer when I made my C2C crochet cushion. Since then, I’ve seen triangles all over the place. I now absolutely love geometric patterns in crochet!
Crochet Cowl Inspiration
I’m on a mission to make the perfect crochet cowl. I know exactly what sort of design I want, but have struggled with translating it into crochet. Basically, if you take a look at my pattern Pinterest board, you’ll get the idea.
I’d love to intersperse different colours amongst the triangles for my cowl idea. So far, I’ve resisted just doing colour changes for random single triangles, as it could potentially compromise the structural integrity. I might have to try it though, just to find out how safe and secure it would be… Hmm, anyway, I’m glad to say that I’ve found the ideal cowl/scarf pattern to play with.
Crochet Triangle Infinity Scarf
The best crochet cowl pattern I’ve recently come across is called the Triangle Crocheted Infinity Scarf from Friendly Nettle. I totally love this pattern, it’s utterly fabulous, and I know lots of other people feel the same way because my Instagram mates have gone nuts for it too!
Triangle Cowl Pattern
The pattern is very simple and Rasa, the designer, has made things super helpful by providing loads of pictures, a video tutorial and pattern diagrams. As I’m I can’t help myself, I did change a few elements to the original pattern.
My first two cowls were made with Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran, so I didn’t need as many triangles in my starting row. I think the tri-colour version of the infinity scarf (cowl) has thirty triangles, and the monochrome one was twenty six. Each cowl has fifteen rounds for the main body (plus the first and last rounds of UK htr stitches).
When working the crochet triangles, I made 1dc (UK), 1htr), 1tr and 1dtr. This sequence is different to the original pattern (I messed around with a few different stitch sequence experiments. I was curious to see what would happen to the shape of the triangles). You’ll need to see the original pattern to work out where these stitches go! I wouldn’t want to give away too much of the original pattern as it isn’t mine.
My edging was also added to, but nothing particularly fancy.
Self Striping Yarn
The final triangle cowl I made was this crazy rainbow job. It’s a double knit, self striping yarn from Rhapsodye Yarns, which I was really intrigued by. The number of triangles in the starter row was increased by a couple more to make the cowl a good size. Double knit yarn is finer than aran weight yarn, so adding more triangles was necessary for a good fit. I pretty much used the whole 100-gram skein.
I was on the lookout for something that had both colourful brights and a plain base. In my imagination, there was more grey and less colour. I didn’t really think about how the colours would be laid out on the skein, and I blame my lack of education regarding hand-dyed yarn rather than anything else. Still, I think the effect is pretty good. Just not what I was after in this case.
I bought the rainbow dyed yarn from a UK dyer, Rhapsodye Yarns. It’s a superwash merino, and it’s just lovely! See the running rainbow? I’d like only two, maybe three colours, each long enough to make a triangle, with grey in between each shade. Do you think I need to take up yarn dying as a hobby next?! I’m tempted to contact the dyer and make a special request instead. Seriously, I do not need any more hobbies right now.
For such a simple pattern, the crochet triangle design is so impactful. It is definitely worth trying this pattern if you haven’t already.
My blogging will is not here today. I’m not really here. I’d rather be doing my crochet. I’m looking over to the other side of the room to where my current WIPS are. Getting the balance between making stuff and blogging about it can be tricky! The problem today is that I’ve seen all this stuff, like, ages ago! I love writing a craft blog, I really do, but I also must find the time to do the thing I write about. It’d be a bit futile if I didn’t do any craft, wouldn’t it?!
I probably made this little fabric basket in October. I use a great tutorial for making these (it comes in two different sizes). Go Here for the instructions on how to sew a little fabric basket.
I made up the pattern for this bag. I must make another and, when I do, I think I’ll do a sewing tutorial. This will hopefully happen at some point this year; it’s on a list of things to do, but so are lots of other crafty things! I also want to do a crochet version with bamboo handles as well!
This project bag annoyed me. I forgot to add interfacing, and it’s all floppy. The recipient didn’t mind, and I guess that’s what counts.
I made this crochet basket with it simple crab stitch edging a few months ago, and it was meant to have another to nestle within. It hurt my hands to crochet with such bulky yarn, so I didn’t make the other one. I think I chose a hook a size that was too small, which is what made it painful. The yarn itself is a t-shirt yarn from Flying Tiger and felt beautifully silky to the touch. I don’t know who has actual T-shirts that silky, not anyone I’ve met.
There’s no pattern for this one; I made it up.
Aran Weight Crochet Cowl
This crochet cowl was lovely to make. Very quick, too. I used two balls of Drops Alaska, and the pattern is from a new book by Nicki Trench: Crocheted Scarves and Cowls. I bought it from The Works around November.
Waffle Stitch Cushion
Ages ago, I’d wanted to make a crochet blanket using waffle stitch. About 100 grams of yarn into the project, I realised that the stitch was a massive, greedy yarn eater and it wouldn’t go as far as I’d imagined. I frogged it and went in the cushion direction.
It’s an 18″ cushion, and I did 70-something stitches across with the old Stylecraft spesh DK. Love it. But it was a present, so I gave it away.
It looks very tight-fitting but cushions like negative ease for their crochet jackets. Otherwise, the fabric stretches out, and you get a baggy, saggy cushion.
The Kelpie Hat
This is the Kelpie hat by The Crochet Project. Such a lovely yet simple stitch! I had to tinker with the number of stitches because I used a thicker yarn than recommended. This is a Malabrigo aran weight yarn. I can’t remember the colour name, and I don’t know where the label is!
Think this is Drops Nepal. Maybe three balls … 4? A couple of years ago, I made the infinity version in a brown yarn, and I wore it for about two years solid.
There really was so much more that I intended to make, and time ran away from me. I also gifted lots of Christmas decorations. Crochet baubles and lots of felt things were great for giving as little extras.
And now I’m going to dash back to my crochet pile and hide in there. It’s a lovely place to be.
Christmas feels like it was months ago. A lot has happened in the last couple of weeks to really make sure it has completely distanced itself. However, it wasn’t really that long ago, and I think I’m still allowed to talk about it today (if only in a crochet/crafting capacity).
I do hope everyone had a good one and all that. I received so many lovely things, and I’m going to share some of them now.
Secret Santa Craft Swaps
First off the bat is my wonderful gift from Bekki at The Dartmoor Yarn Company. I got an amazing array of crafty things. They were all individually wrapped, and it was so much fun to open them all on Christmas morning. I managed to lose a couple to my Littlest, who thinks that all presents are for him. I don’t think he was impressed with receiving yarn, though. I was! Thank you, Bekki, I love it all, but my particular favourite is the Blacker Blends pistachio yarn (a project has already begun). And the teeny Advent sack is so cute!
This gift was all part of Stitching Santa, organised by Shelia from Sewchet. I sent a gift to another craft blogger and felt terrible because I hadn’t included half as many things. I hadn’t even thought to include chocs or sweeties. What kind of Christmas gift is that?! No chocs or sweeties, it would’ve been a sad day…
I also took part in another Secret Santa swap. This one was all arranged by Emily of Make.e over on Instagram. I got a gift from Emma of Moomaloom. The pencils are brilliant, and now I really want to make a pencil case, just for them. In the initial sign-up process, we had to provide a bit of information about ourselves. I wrote that I didn’t do princess stuff and that I was a fan of GoT. The Khaleesi mirror fit the brief perfectly, and it made me laugh. I’ll make the Christmas Robin next year. I can’t bring myself to do festive anymore. And I’m totally keeping the tissue paper, it’s gorgeous!
This one isn’t strictly a Christmas present, but I’m including it anyway. My name was pulled out of a hat as part of a Giveaway from Eleanora at Coastal Crochet. It worked out quite nicely because we were both celebrating reaching 1000 followers on Instagram.
I’m a meany and didn’t think to do a Giveaway for my milestone, maybe when I reach 2000! I’m not sure what I’ll do with the seaglass, maybe something for the garden? A mosaic type thing…
The bunting was put up immediately and looked wonderful as part of the Christmas decor. And Crikey, the Malabrigo yarn is beautiful. I think there’s enough for a dainty scarf of some sort. It’s lace weight, which means it’ll go quite far. I hope.
My last gift of internetty origins is the Humbug Scarf pattern by The Crochet Project. Jammy sod that I am, I was sent it as a gift because once again I named the crochet scarf pattern! It totally looks like a Humbug pattern!
A few weeks back, I had the good fortune to name another two of their new crochet patterns (the Kelpie hat and the Selkie shawl). I have promised not to keep doing it! If only I could come up with decent names for my own projects. Anyway, I’m using the Blacker yarn for this project, and I started it last night.
Other Cute Christmas Crafty Things
In the real world, I got a massive load of colourful embroidery threads from my mother-in-law. I need to sort them out. I got little plastic bobbins too, so wish me luck in all the winding.
Look at this teeny bunny that my mum found at a craft market. He’s so cute. She mentioned coals and Newcastle, but I don’t really knit, so it’s not the same thing.
And I bought myself presents from a very smart wool shop in Bovey Tracey (I dragged the family there after going to visit Father Christmas at the House of Marbles). I want to crochet some mittens with the purple yarn and a shawl with the mustardy stuff. Both have slight variegation, which I (secretly) don’t normally like. But since working with some green Malabrigo yarn recently, I’m on the turn.
Magic Christmas trees are an essential stocking filler, no?
There are a few more things that could be classed as crafty gifts, like books. Mostly crochet stitch dictionaries that I forgot to take a picture of (not that they’d necessarily make a good photo). And I’ve also purchased another skein of yarn that I’m waiting for Posty to bring.
Anyway, I’m off to make pizza dough for tea. I’ll sort out the pics of the things I made for presents and do something about it next week. That doesn’t have to be a Christmassy post. I don’t think any of it is actually festive themed, so I can get away with that in mid Jan.
My first blog post of the New Year is going to be a selfish one. Toot! I’ve got lots of Christmas stuff I want to post about too (and soon), but today, it’s all about me! Toot!….. I’m in a crochet magazine, a real-life magazine!! And a flippin’ good one too. Toot!
*Toots are not associated with the musical fruit kind.
A few months ago, I summoned the smarts to email the editor of Inside Crochet magazine. I asked if they’d be interested in my designs. I felt quite brave. Over the last six months or so, I have developed a sort of “why not?” sort of attitude.
A couple of years ago, I would never have been so brazen as to approach someone with my creative ideas. But recently, I’ve been thinking that it’s about time I stopped being such a Cowardy Custard and just did the things everyone else seems to find so easy.
The catalyst for my sudden burst of proactivity was a presentation the Husband gave to a bunch of tech dweebs about the future of technology. In it, he talked about the difference between Generation X and Millennials; how Gen X waited to be discovered, whilst Millennials went out and got the thing they wanted.
I learned that I was old: Gen X. Ugh. It was time to do something about my burning desire to be a crochet designer! Anyway, a week after I pressed send, I got a fabulously positive response, which got me pacing around the living room whispering the “F” word for a while.
A Published Crochet Designer!
Published. In a magazine. Ermergherd!!
A Design In Inside Crochet Magazine
Issue 85 of Inside Crochet magazine is in the shops right now. I saw it in Tesco the other day, and I pointed it out to my son, who grinned. He recognised the cover and was nicely gobsmacked. We were in Southampton at the time, and he couldn’t fathom that the magazine I was in wasn’t just the copy we had at home.
The process of designing has been brilliant and really quite interesting. The making bit is obviously the best, and it feels pretty good when the pattern is all typed up, too. My biggest fear is that this is one-trick pony territory, that the crochet ideas will dry up or get rubbish.
Who can tell?! What I will say is, just keep your eyes peeled for future issues, too. Hmm, maybe go and buy next month’s copy of Inside Crochet too…
Righty, Happy New Year to all, may it be just as interesting as 2016 (but in all the good ways not the nasty)…X Toot!
I was working out the design for my recent crochet wrist warmers pattern, playing with different methods and whatnot, when this idea popped up. A very simple crochet bracelet. It’s basically front post and back post stitches, which ended up being too bulky for the mitts, but still had something I liked.
It is such an easy crochet pattern; it only takes fifteen/twenty minutes from start to finish. Who doesn’t love super speedy crochet ideas!?
If you’ve not tried crochet post stitches before, this crochet bracelet is a great pattern for practising. These stitches are so easy. They’re the same as normal US double / Uk treble stitches; it’s just where you put your hook that counts. There are countless YouTube videos out there that demonstrate beautifully. I use the technique in some chunky crochet mittens, here.
I’m not sure if this is a crochet cuff, bracelet or other thing, but whatever it is, (seeing as it’s Christmas) here’s a lovely little free crochet pattern for them!
A Quick and Easy Crochet Bracelet
Pattern Notes:
I’ve used Paintbox Aran with a 4.5mm hook.
I’ve used UK terms with US terms in brackets.
In Row 2, I work under the bumps of the foundation chain. This makes a neater finish, but it does mean it looks twisty when you come to slip stitch together. Ignore the twist and join anyway; it won’t be noticed in the final piece. Just double-check that you’ve not got a twist in the stitches you’re going to work into next.
Crochet over the ends as you go to allow for minimal stitching at the end.
I have wrists like twigs; you may need to go up to 26 or 28 stitches
Crochet Bracelet Pattern
Chain 24, join with a slip stitch. Round 1: Ch1 (does not count as a st), dc (US sc) in each st around, join with a slip stitch to the first st. Fasten off. [24 sts] Rnd 2: Attach new colour to any stitch. Ch3 (counts as a st), 1tr (US dc) in each st around, join to the top of the initial ch3. [24] Rnds 3 – 5: Ch2 (does not count as a st), *FPtr, BPtr; repeat from* to the end, sl st to the top of the first st. Fasten off after Rnd 5. [24] Rnd 6: Attach new colour to any st. Ch1 (does not count as a st), 1dc (US sc) in each st around. Join with a slip stitch to the first st. Fasten off and sew in any ends. [24]
And there you have it. Easy peasy! The quickest crochet bracelet to make! Now go and crochet loads of cuffs, bracelets, sweat bands, whatever they are!
Happy Christmas! See you in the New Year. 2017 is going to be amazing!! X
I’ve done it! All finished. Woot!! I’m so pleased with it. Truly, I love this cosy crochet accessories set. It’s taken a while because I’ve been busy with other things too. The more I get into crochet design the quicker I’m surely going to get.
It’s technically still autumn too, so it didn’t take six months afterall! Please pop over to Ravelry to buy your PDF copy.
No silly faces like my last blog post! I have very serious, yet… what? wistful? expressions for the real deal. It took a million pictures to get these. I scrutinise every last one to make sure I don’t look like too much of a freak and that the pompom is showing or I’ve got my hand in the right place. It’s possible I need a helper.
I took loads of pictures of all these vintage-inspired crochet accessories. I wanted them to be informative as well as good looking. In the crochet patterns themselves, there are step-by-step photos for any tricky bits.
I’ve focused on the making of the crochet mitts as they have elements where more detail is needed. But there aren’t many tricky bits because the patterns are super easy and quick to make, because they’re all aran weight yarn.
Please do let me know what you think. I’d absolutely love to hear if anyone makes a set. At some point, I’ll do some different colour combinations too. I think there are loads of options where the colours will make it look completely different.
Christmas is getting super close now, and I’m not ready. So many crafting and crochet ideas have not yet come to fruition. I’m probably being too ambitious in my crafty endeavours, but there’s so much I want to make!
If anyone else is in a panic about handmade gifts, this cosy crochet hat is really quick to whip up and looks great, too. It’s the Ski Lodge Hat by Mama in a Stitch. I made it last week for my friend. She didn’t want it to be itchy, so I used King Cole Big Value Super Chunky, an acrylic yarn. The pompom is Robin yarn. I don’t like Robin; it’s proper nasty quality, but it didn’t really matter what the quality was like for pompomming.
For the hat, I made 40 chains at the beginning rather than 46. That’s because my mate’s only got a small bonce. 40 was fine for her, but for me, I think I’d do 44 (bigger brain obvs ;p).
Practice the Knitting
I bought two balls of the King Cole stuff just in case one wasn’t enough for the hat (it was). With the second, I thought I’d have a go at knitting again. It transpires that one does need to practice to become an expert knitter, and I ought to have a few goes to get good. I know what I want to make now, though.
My blogging friend Alida from Buttercup and Bee showed a picture on Instagram of a cowl she’d knitted. I said how much I liked it, and she’s given the stitch count [is this what you say?] for making it. This is my first go at purling for a very long time. I can so do this! But not yet. Get Christmas out of the way. Get new circular needles.
Quick Bit of Christmas Sewing
I’ve done a rush job on a Christmas star garland. It’s not up yet (won’t dec the halls for a few more days, at least). I haven’t pressed it. It’ll look tidier once I’ve had a good go with the iron (not sure I’ll look at my iron in the same way again, not since I saw what Negan gets up to with his!).
I could have worked on making this neater, but I had just a twenty minute window for sewing machine activity and whizzed through it. Actually, this would make a nice little tutorial. That’ll have to wait for next year.
I’ve been using some lovely yarns to make presents. The green stuff is Malabrigo. Thought I’d go for something fancier than my usual purchases. It’s very pretty.
And whilst I’m here, let me give an update about this lot of crochet squishiness. I’ve not finished typing up the pattern. I’m nearly there. Last Friday I did do most of it, but it’s surprising how much work goes into even the simplest of crochet patterns. Not only am I constantly double-checking that I’m writing it down correctly, there’s also a lot of photography and editing. I’ll get there in the end, even if I end up publishing it in June.
Finally, today I posted off my two remaining parcels for crafty Secret Santa craft swaps. Will everyone actually keep them under the tree until Christmas Day?!
What can I show you at this time of year?! Everything that’s going on right now will be a Christmas present, and I can’t show those. It’s a serious dilemma for a crafty blogger, I’ve got nuffink to talk about!
Actually, I have managed to scrape a few bits together…
Christmas Craft Fair
I enjoyed last Saturday at the local school Christmas craft fair. Not exactly a money spinner, but it still counted as a success in my eyes. Plus, it gave me an excuse to make things and making things is what I like best! (The felt owls are my new favourite Christmas decoration!).
I won’t blather on; I did that last week. Needless to say, I’ve got enough Christmas felt designs to write a book! (I even looked into that the other day, but I’m still not entirely sure how it works. I’m too much of a chicken to ask the experts all the stupid questions that have arisen in me noggin).
A Little Deer Toy
Anyway, Christmas came early for one person. I took part in my first (of three) Secret Santa craft swaps. It turns out that these things are absolutely brilliant. You get the best presents! Why wouldn’t you, when like-minded crafty people are doing the buying and making? It’s great!
This crazy reindeer (by way of dolphin!?) was the present I made for my Colour Pop Craft Swap person. This swap was arranged by Miki at Set Free My Gypsy Soul. In my head, it was the stuff of Legend: A Grand Stag of Epic Proportions!
It ended up more cutesy and feeble than I’d envisaged, but do you know what? The recipient loved it, and that’s what counts. Does it look like a dolphin?
I used a pattern I’d found in a magazine from a couple of years ago. It’s also on Ravelry as Little Deer Toy. I designed the antlers and made two pairs, which I stitched together for a bit of stability. I also made up a little sparkly star to jazz up his rump.
I felt the need to compensate somewhat (I had rushed my deer, and he didn’t turn out as expertly crafted as I wanted). Into the parcel, I also popped a few cotton crochet coasters and a little toadstool brooch.
I love these coasters, so so quick to knock up; I bet every crocheter has had a go at making these at some point.
These are my Christmas spoils. They arrived beautifully packaged, from the Netherlands. I was so happy to receive this fabulous bundle. I can tell you that the cat has had her eye on the spangly jangly stars. She pounced on them this morning, and I’ve had to put them out of reach. I’ve been wearing my wrist warmers (I changed to mittens this morning cos the temp was -2 degrees C).
I absolutely love my Father Christmas. He is super awesome! Mirjam from Stin’s Place is the creator behind all these marvels.
Crochet Winter Woolies
The last few days have been focused on getting my crochet winter set of cosy things ready. The patterns need typing up, and some photographs need sorting. Then I can hopefully have a pattern for sale. This will probably take longer than I want because I’ll be making it up as I go along (when am I not?)!
I’m aiming to work on it all day on Friday, and I think that should get me a good way into it. Given more time and more energy, I’d make a whole other set in different colours. I really like it all would love to see it in a different guise. What I need now is a name!
Well, I haven’t done too badly with this blog post. This time of year is definitely a struggle. I’ll be scraping the bottom of the barrel next time. Crikey, what’ll I do!? Anyone else suffering from the same problem? At least there will be plenty to talk about in January!
Since November started, it feels like I’ve hardly had any time for making things, but looking at my photos, it turns out that isn’t true. I actually appear to have been quite busy. I’ve been sewing instead of doing my crochet.
I’ve got the school’s PTA Craft Fayre on Saturday, so these felt Christmas decorations will hopefully be sold to lots of jolly holly people, like they were last Christmas!
I’ve used a few designs from previous years, and there are new ones, too. This year, I designed a bunch of mistletoe, a bell, some stars and a cute Christmas pudding. There are three or four other designs I came up with that haven’t made the cut, and some old ones that I didn’t bother with either.
They’re more complex in their construction, and they’d end up costing more. One day, I’ll make the whole collection. I’ve got quite a few felt Christmas decorations now.
I really, really would love to turn them into sellable patterns, but first I need to work out how to transfer rough, scribbly templates into professional printable patterns.
Crochet Granny Baubles
I’ve made these crochet baubles too. Get yourself to Wilko’s to grab a naked set. £2.50 for 12.
I’ve used various cotton DK’s. I’ve mostly used Drops Muskat, Stylecraft Classique and Paintbox Yarns. My favourite is the Drops. It’s hands down, the best of the bunch (although there’s nothing wrong with the others either).
The pattern is a mix of existing ones. I’ve got the book Boho Crochet, which has a bauble pattern for giants. I used that as a base and took out lots of rows. Then, future me created a Christmas crochet bauble pattern too:
Buying Crochet Books
I went into Exeter a couple of weeks ago (and actually did some Christmas shopping!). Whilst there, I popped into The Works because they now have an awesome selection of craft things. A lot of it isn’t my cup of tea, but if you’re into all things crafty, then there’s a shedload of treasure waiting for you.
I always head for the books. I bought four crochet books because the most expensive was four quid. Why the blazes would you leave any behind? I’ve since discovered that these are new publications. New! Why are they being sold in a cheap shop for £3 or £4??! Does it get sales figures up or something?
Getting Into Crochet Design
A new aran weight design has been one of my only crochet projects over the last few weeks. I’m making myself a scarf out of some Paintbox aran. It’s the stuff that Emma from Potter & Bloom sent me for when I tested her Geoffrey scarf. I caved and bought more colours (here, that’s the blue and green).
A Fluffy Mohair Hat!
Ok, I crocheted this fluffy hat, too. Since doing the Take Care Mohair review I’ve been on a mission to find a cheaper alternative of yarn. I feel quite guilty, actually (not that I’m under any obligation), but I cannot afford to buy the Wool and the Gang stuff for experiments and pattern workings.
I’m using Drops Melody instead, which is nice but not super fancy. Now that I think I have a pattern sorted, I might get some of the real deal. Comparatively, it is much silkier and has a thicker halo on it. I really like the designs I’ve come up with; however, I’ve been looking at and working with mohair for two months. Do I want to buy the posh stuff when the excitement is waning? Hmm.
This picture is not a good representation, as the one on the left has more stitches. But it is the Take Care Mohair, and you can see that it does come out thicker, and it’s a nicer shade of pink too. Not that I have any reason to favour it other than personal preference.
Lying side by side, there is not much difference in yarn thickness. I think it must be the halo that adds body to the yarn once it’s hooked into a fabric.
I’m trying to decide if I can recommend both yarns in the pattern I write. There might be a considerable difference in the finished product. Gah, it’s mini stumbling blocks like this that make things so much trickier than they need to be.
Things I didn’t think would be important but actually are if you want to be a crochet designer. Anyway, it is my hope that I can write a pattern for a crochet hat and scarf combo that I can sell. I’m miles off because the Paintbox scarf has taken my attention (I think I want to write up the pattern for that too). Maybe have some crochet wrist warmers to go with? I say this all the time, yet I still only have one pattern for sale! I’m easily distracted by new pretties, that’s my problem!
Lastly, there’s this jumble of crazy. Funny that the thing I should have finished first is the thing that I’ve left until last! Must do this today. I must also remember to take pictures of it complete! Can you guess what it is?
Oky doky, I must go. Got lots to do, and time is not on my side. xx
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!
