I’m so happy to be able to share this post with you. Kristen (the yarn genius behind Skein’s hand-dyed loveliness) is visiting the blog today to give us some inspiration in the days leading up to the start of the Summertide MKAL. This lady knows a lot about colour! Her beautiful yarn will be available for pre-order on Friday at Skein, perfectly timed for the beginning of the MKAL! Thanks so much, Kristen
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Hello everyone! It’s Kristen from Skein here to help give you a few tips on selecting colour combinations for the Summertide Shawl MKAL. As you know, the mystery shawl is going to be knit from two colours. Here are a couple of points to help you choose a winning colour combination
1. Choose What You Love
Go to your stash, your LYS or online and find ONE skein of yarn in a colour that makes your heart sing. Don’t think about anything else; just let your eyes wander over the colours until you find ‘the one’.
2. Time to Decide
Now it’s time to choose a second colour, and here’s where you need to stop and ask yourself a few questions:
1. Do you want there to be a lot of contrast, which will turn the shawl into a bold statement? or
2. Do you want a more subtle effect?
If you want to knit a shawl with high contrast, then you might want to look for a complementary colour (the colour that sits opposite on the colour wheel). For example, if you have chosen purple, you might want to look for a complementary yellow. However, if you’re after something more subtle, then choose colours that have a similar hue, known as analogous colours (colours that sit next to each other on the colour wheel).
Another way of brightening or toning down a colour combination is by playing around with tone. Basically, tone is the lightness or darkness of a colour. For example, a very pale lilac will have less contrast than a vivid violet. If you have chosen a pale colour and you want to give your combination a lift, choose a bright second colour. Or, if you want to keep your colour combination subtle, select a colour that has a similar tone. If in doubt, choose a grey or neutral. Greys and neutrals paired with any colour is a fail safe choice.
3. Test Your Colour Combo
So, now you have chosen your yarns, let’s see if you will like them together. There’s a very simple way to do this: take both of your yarns and twist them together – are you happy with how they look? Twisting the yarns together will give you a good indication as to how these two colours will knit up.
We have pre-orders available for this KAL, so I thought it would be fun to share with you a few selected colour combinations.
1. Boho – This combo will add a little zing to your shawl, a bright pop of variegated colour mixed with a subtle semi-solid.
2. Bright and Bold – These are all very strong colours that will contrast nicely together
3. Chic – The fail safe grey paired with a pop of colour, which is great for those wanting a little contrast but not too much!
4. Chilled Out – Pale shades together are always very soothing; they are perfect for those who are after something subtle.
5. Minimal – Again we see grey mixed with light colours, or you can opt for a monochromatic colour combination using a dark and pale grey.
6. Natural – A nice mix of neutrals, or add a hint of green for a natural look.
7. Romantic – Use shades of pink to create an ultra-feminine combination.
8. Touch of Whimsy – Use a strong semi-solid and pair it with a variegated to get a whimsical feel, OR, pair light and dark colours together for contrast. And, if you’re undecided, don’t forget neutrals! They will work well with all colours.
Have a wonderful time selecting your colours. If you need help with a colour combination, I’m always happy to give advice! Finally, I just want to say a big thank you to Helen for asking me to be a part of the Summertide Shawl MKAL.
Happy knitting!
Thanks again to Kristen and Skein for being such a big part of the Summertide MKAL. If you haven’t joined us on the Ravelry thread yet, come on over! I’ll be giving away 10 free copies of the pattern before it officially goes on sale, so set up your project page and jump in with a post if you’d like to be entered in the draw. It’s a great way to get to know the other knitters and really share the excitement and surprise.
