Colour Play

It seems that I have managed to fill my week with rather a lot of yarny colour play, and I have really enjoyed myself. I think it must be my natural defense against the weather which has been multiple shades of wet, dismal grey. I'm edging very close to completing my poncho (yipppeeeeeeeeeeeeee!) and I've had many requests lately for yarn details and colour info for this project. The yarn is Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, and the picture above is the original colour selection I  made when I started out with my Interlocking Colour ripple blanket back in Autumn 2011.

I've used the leftovers from this collection for my poncho, with a couple of extras added in. However, when I tried to gather together updated colour info to share, I was shocked to find that out of the 18 shades I used, only 5 are still available. That means a whopping thirteen shades have been discontinued! I've tried hard to work out replacements, but frankly some of my best most favourite colours in this yarn (oh that turquoise blue!) have simply been removed which makes me very sad. Naughty Debbie Bliss!

I've been pondering a lot about yarn and colour palettes recently and my mind has been filled with all manner of delightful yarn infested thoughts. When I put together the colours for my ripple blanket, I wrote a post trying to explain a little bit about how I choose my colours for a project (you can read about it here). It is such an interesting subject and I get asked over and over again about my colour choosing strategies.

Oooooooo, look at all that yummy, scrummy yarny colour! Do you remember this? These were the colours I chose to make the Granny Stripe blanket for Connievan in the Spring of 2010. The yarn is Stylecraft Special DK,* 17 colours chosen especially to deliver Happiness. I had Happy Caravan thoughts in mind when I picked out these colours :: lazy, Summer afternoons, leisurely picnics, cool green grass, stripy deckchairs, strings of bunting, colouring books and crochet, wild flower meadows. I went to my Happy Place when I chose them, and even now they give me a huuuuuuge rush of pleasure.

Over the years that I've been working with the Stylecraft yarn, I've come to really like it a lot. I was very sceptical at first as I wasn't at all sure that I would be able to get along with an acrylic yarn. I had scratchy, squeaky, plasticky concerns, but right from the start it totally surprised me. It is soft and very easy to work with. It doesn't split and it hooks up beautifully. It makes fantastic, warm, soft, snugly blankets and the 100g balls are deliciously squidgy and generous. It's an all round amazing budget yarn, beautifully suited to blanket making.

Did you know that there are currently 55 shades of Stylecraft Special? Yes, fifty five! So my happy little collection of 17 shades is actually only a third of the total available.

One of the things I've been quietly working on during the past year is a fresh new range of colour collections. I've been experimenting with colours that are waaaaaaaaaay out of my comfort zone. Mocha and copper and grey and camel! Yeah, I KNOW! Bet you never thought you'd see me embracing NEUTRALS did you, not in a month of Sundays!

But I am learning to open my creative mind, experimenting with all sorts of new and wonderful ways to combine colours that isn't necessarily based on instinct and emotion (which is my usual approach). I am very used to working with colour and have been doing it for all of my adult life. When I left school at 18, I went to art college for a year, and colour theory formed a big part of my training there. I then went on to take a degree course, studying textiles and embroidery for three years. Of course, none of this had anything to do with yarn (I am a late comer to the delights of yarn shops), but colour, yes most definitely. My textile work has always, always been all about the colour. And so it continues with yarn....

I've been at my studio this week, winding up a storm with my trusty yarn winder (oh how I love using that thing!), turning out some delicious yarn cakes to play with.

The rain poured down outside, and inside I immersed myself completely in the joy of colour. Lots and lots and lots of yarny colour. There are 36 shades above (all Stylecraft Special DK), including the 17 colours that have become know as "Attic24 colours"*.....

....here they are look, awwwww my heart just flip-flopped at the sight of them! Such happy sunshiny Summer loveliness in that bowl!

Now look at this...............

....ooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!! What do you think?? Do you like it? Or is it a bit odd? Do you see two shades of GrEy? And do you see the pale, pale apricot and the BrOwN lurking in there? This was just me having a bit of playtime, and I can tell you that I didn't labour over this selection in any way shape or form. I just picked them very quickly and plopped them into the bowl, an experiment to see if I could bring myself to actually like a collection that contained grey, brown and apricot.

This was more of a considered choice, a collection of warm hues. Girly colours if you like.

And then onto the cool side, a bowl of ocean blues and grassy greens.

Hmmmmmm, not at all sure about this selection. I kind of like it, but it is maybe a bit pastely to really rock my boat. I picked out the softer colours of Stylecraft, thinking in my mind of delicate spring flowers, fluttery blossom and pale sunshiny mornings.

Ahhh, that's better, back to familiar Lucy colours, these are definitely my soul colours :o)

This colour palette of mine has become very well known since my granny stripe blanket was born. I see these colours around such a lot in Blogland, Facebook and on Pinterest, repeated and enjoyed, bringing colourful yarny happiness to so many. It really does make me very, very happy to see.

I'm really looking forward to working some new colour ideas though, it's very exciting stuff for a colour addict like me. Happy sigh.....I love colour and yarn. So, so much.

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ps. you can find my original Attic24 Stylecraft colour pack at Deramores*. There is currently 10% off all Stylecraft yarn there until 8th Feb. Enter the coupon code STYLE10.

*{sponsored link}

EDIT TO ADD :: re the colour pack of 17 colours....these are generous 100g balls and easily enough to make a single bed size blanket (approx 110 x 180cm). For a single bed ripple blanket, I used a 4mm hook and chained 213 to start (that's 210+3). You would need two packs to make a huge kingsize blanket. Hope that helps!xx

♥

♥...more snippets from the Attic...♥

Granny Patchwork Blanket :: Ta-dah!

Half Way

Yarndale 2013 :: The Yarn Bombing

Busy Days

Studio Time

Comments

[teresa garcía morales]

Attic24 is an awesome blog! besides everything posted is beautiful. May I ask you how could I write to you via email, or facebook? My sister is a fan of your blog, that I am very proud the one to introduce her to it, and she really are into knitting and sewing, and cooking and everything crafty. She has tried before to send you thanks and how grateful she is with all that you share in your blog Lucy, but I don`t know why she cannot contact you and share some photos of what she has done. Hope to hear from you soon, and hugs and greetings from Guatemala City, Central America.

[Jasmin]

oh, what beautiful yarn. I'm totally in love with those colours:-)I wish i could find that yarn in freiburg...http://meingehaekeltesherz.wordpress.com/

[Heather]

I love all the colors. I have difficulty telling anyone just one favorite color. My favorite group of colors here are in bowl #2. Especially for my home. Like a Beatrix Potter watercolor, mixing those earthy neutrals with the brighter colors like you'd see in a garden.
I took a look at your stitched seascapes. Those are lovely, I hope you haven't given up creating more. However, I know how one has to use their time economically. I can paint but I rarely get to the easel because of all the other demands on my time. When I have the time I end up with a "hooky" project.
(I've adopted your British colloquialism "Hooky" - it's fun.)

[Ada Bea]

Oh My Lucy.....these colours are delicious! I could just fill a room with bowls and baskets9; colourful yarn! :) x

[Anna Wessel]

Dear Lucy,
thank you for the neverending inspiration you give to me... I never dreamed of starting to crochet, as I am a Knitter (with a capital K) in my normal life, but the colours and your talent inspired me alot, so I had to start to crochet! I just had to! After checking on my local yarn stores for similar cheap acrylic yarns (support your locals is usually my first attempt) I gave up and ended up at the online store you suggested. I added some more colours to your pack to reach the free shipping goal, now all I have to do is wait until the pavkage arrives. I am so looking forward to it!
Maybe my blanket will be as beautiful as yours...
Best wishes for you and you little ones fro. germany
Anna
www.wollhalla.blogspot.de

[Pengertian]

I love your bright and fun colour palette, the things you create just look so happy! I'm sad to see those lovely shades discontinued from Debbie Bliss : (

[Roxie]

Oodles and oodles of colorful noodles. I cannot decide which are my favorites. ;)

[Suzanne]

I just placed an order for Stylecraft for the very first time. Thanks, Lucy. I picked 17 colors based mostly on your new selection bowl with the greys and neutrals. Even though I was a little unsure about the apricot, I went ahead and gave it a try based on your excellent track record with color mixing!

[Maria]

The pastels said "baby" right away to me. Your color choices are what first drew me to your blog. Love!

[Jill]

With all of these comments you may not get to this one but I have a question. Once you decide on the colors you'll use, how do choose the color for each stripe in a blanket or each round in a granny square? Do you plan the whole blanket or do you randomly pick a color as you go? I haven't started to crochet yet but the sight of all those wonderful colors makes me want to give it a try.
Thanks for writing about and photographing your world!!

[Cynthia Alcock]

Oh bless you for trying out new color schemes.I know how difficult it can be to go outside your comfort zone. There is a new blog and the lady there has the most stunning sense of color, you should check her out. http://bettyandannie.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/im-not-surprised-in-least.html
Completely original and I feel you will be inspired by her work also. Keep up the good work and the colors will improve the more you try. Bless you Cynthia

[Nicky]

I have just started a corner to corner blanket in stylecraft special camel, parchment and cream. So different from the attic 24 colour pack! Just loving the beautiful rows that are appearing! Keep on the good work Lucy. Your blog has inspired me to learn how to crochet in my forties and I am now on my 5th blanket project.

[Cristal @ Dapple Design]

Thanks for sharing all those colours! My favorite: the "cool side" blues and greens.

[Stefanie Stark]

Your blog is wonderful! I found it a few weeks ago and I love it to look at it in the morning when I have my first coffee and before I go to work. It always makes me feel cosy and warm! Many thanks for sharing all these stories and beautiful pictures!

[Julie Archer]

Hi Lucy - it was lovely to see you and Little B today and to catch up a little, I've missed knit and natter. See you again soon. love Julie

[Val]

Hi Lucy, I love the bowl of blues and greens and ocean colours. If you have time to read, I am reading 'Dreaming in Colour' by Kaffe Fassett. It's a lovely book - I thoroughly recommend it.
Take care. Enjoy your week. Val x

[Lynne Gill]

It's not the individual colours, is it? It is what they are mixed with. Those greys in with the other fruity shades just doesn't work, and the grey and apricot juxtaposition is frankly disgusting! but apricot, soft pink and a soft and a mid blue is lovely, as are several grey shades , add in a heathery purple and a muggy green (it's a technical term) and the greys are warm, put them with several shades of cool blue and it is "blue lakes and rocky shores". Colour is a wonderful concept and we are so lucky to work with them in our creative pursuits. How strange of Debbie Bliss to have discontinued so many shades like that!

[Gillian McM]

I love all the Lucy pack colours, and have branched out and ordered almost all the other colours from Deramores (they have been SO helpful). I have fallen in love with Camel and Khaki and Apricot, and also Emperor, a wonderful dark purple. I could eat them all... How did I live before I discovered Attic24 and Stylecraft yarn? I just can't remember.

[Ruth@ShabbyChicCrochet]

love the colors... and fell absolutely in love with your crochet studio...

a new follower :)

[Suzanne]

Your wonderful blog has inspired me to begin crocheting again after a bit of hiatus while knitting took over as my passion for the last 20 years. I always crocheted little things along the way, but your blog really drew me back into crochet in a way I haven't felt in a long time. This post on color was fascinating to me since as much as your incredible sense of color drew me in, it never felt quite like me to use the same exact palette you use. Inonically, though, the selection you have created with the greys and other neutrals is the one to which I am always drawn (except I would probably substitute oatmeal for the peach). Here is the Granny Stripes Afghan you inspired me to start awhile back in a similar palette to your new one with the neutrals (no grey, but now I wish I had put some in there):
http://honeycombstitchesandpepperminttea.blogspot.com/2014/01/getting-interested-in-crochet-again.html

[Irene McCarty]

Your a great sales person I'm hooked, the whole family cozy life style the town u live in is so ahh :-) you have an eye for color and your creative, I wonderd what u studied in school, you pick the right the right degree pretty neat , your very creative, enjoy your tuts like always :-)

[OkeCrafter]

Such lovely colours! It must be like stitching with a rainbow. I can see why you've been inspired with these beautiful yarns.

[Gillian]

I have to say i LOVE the selection with the greys, browns and apricots. I just finished a cushion in those sorts of colours actually! I love grey, it's a great neutral to put other colours against. Really fun watching your colour play here today Lucy. xx

[Sandra (Cherry Heart)]

Your colour palettes are gorgeous and so inspiring! I love the news ones too, all are lovely I think. I agree it's very annoying about the DB colours though, they've gotten rid of one of my all time favs too - a sort of duck eggish/vintage aqua/teal colour which I adore and only have a little bit left of :(

S x

[Clare]

Not just the colours, but everything about your art and attitude to life are an utter delight. I have just found you through Posie Gets Cozy and you are my absolute favourite blog. I want to move in next door. Actually, I want to be moored on the canal so you could pop in on your way to see the caravan. BTW, a wonderful narrow boat story to read aloud, "The Gate in the Wall".
Have a lovely day with warm wishes from another Clare.