Blanket Planning with Yarn Pegs

I love making these blog posts to share with you all, I've had the best time faffing about with my yarn pegs and camera and uploading all the images this morning. Many of you will be very familiar with my yarn pegs and the way I use them to help me choose and arrange colours for my crochet blanket projects. I receive a lot of questions about my pegs on social media, so thought it might be helpful to share some more details.

First of all, the pegs themselves - they are cheap and cheerful wooden clothes pegs (clothespins in the US) - here in my town I can buy a pack of 24 for about £1 in the supermarket or cheap home store. You can find them easily online too {Amazon UK :: Amazon US}. Before I wrap the yarn, I write the colour name on the end of the peg (the end that you press, not the end that grips) using a fine biro type pen. To start off your yarn, secure the end with the grippy bit of the peg, leaving a small tail end sticking out (above)

Now begin wrapping the yarn around the peg - cover over the tail end and keep a tight, even tension as you wrap.

Wrap the yarn evenly and tightly up the length of the peg in a single layer, stopping when you get to the point just below the colour name.

Now keeping the yarn nice and tight, wrap it over and over back down the length of your peg so that you end up back where you started (down at the grippy end of the peg). Pull the yarn tightly up between the two grippy prongs at the bottom of the peg - pull it really as tight as you can so that the yarn lodges itself snuggly. Now snip the yarn off close to the peg.....

....and that's your yarn peg made. Pop your wrapped up pegs in a pretty bowl or a small bag and keep them handy for reference  - it's a lovely practical way to keep a track of colour names once you've taken the paper band of your yarn balls. But they really come into their own when planning and I truly wouldn't manage without mine. My yarn pegs are an essential bit of planning kit.

Usually my pegs live in my studio as I play with them almost every day when I'm there. I have them in a shallow ceramic dish on my studio table so that they are always to hand when I need a fix for my colour addiction, yeah, colour-junkie that I am ;) As I've been at home a lot more of late whilst I recover my energy levels, I decided to bring my pegs home for a bit. I found I missed my fix (can't do cold turkey I'm afraid) especially at this time of year when much of my time is spent planning and pondering. It's been fun to have them here at home, if a little distracting at times. I've found myself walking around with them, not even realising that I'd picked up the tray in the first place. It's as if my colour-seeking brain homes in on them, looking for a  solution to my over-stimulated and foggy thought processes as I try and make sense of my colour plans.

I want to try and explain a little bit about how I work when I'm planning a blanket or playing with colour ideas. So much of what I do is instinctive, but I think it might be possible to dissect the process a little and talk about it with you here.

The first thing to say is that I don't often dive into my colour pegs cold - I usually have some sort of an idea or a point of reference before I try and translate into colour. It might be an image, a photograph, a memory, a feeling even. Sometimes the reference is very clear (eg. the colours on the front of a magazine), and sometimes it is maddeningly vague. I often have strong memories/thoughts which evoke an emotion I feel like I want to translate into colour (eg that feeling when there is the first whiff of Spring in the air after a long winter) - this is quite hard to capture straight away and I often ponder on these "colour feelings" for a long time before settling.

For my blankets, I find that I naturally settle for odd numbers of colours, 15 being my favourite. Fifteen seems just right somehow, it's five groups of three and my brain likes that. Fifteen gives enough room for contrast and interest, whilst still maintaining a harmonious whole. I usually start with my favourite colours first - for me this is always the blue/green part of the colour wheel. Once my favourite blue/greens have been selected, I move out around the colour wheel and choose some purples and pinks. Then I decide how much heat I'd like in there - how much of the red/orange/yellow should I include to balance it all out? Sometimes neutrals/greys come in, sometimes they don't. Sometimes I don't have any heat at all (like my Harmony colours which are all blues/green/purples/pinks).

One thing about my colour palettes which never seems to alter - they are all very balanced without too much contrast. By that I mean I don't tend to go for very dark or very light colours in the mix. That is my "signature" I guess, the thing that defines my colour choices more than the colours themselves.

Once I've made my yarn peg colour wheel and everything is looking balanced and harmonious, I jumble the colours up and see how they start to play with each other. This gives me a chance to fine-tune the selection, to see if any colours are standing out too much or not playing nicely with the rest. Usually by this stage I'm really happy with my choices, often I'm positively jumping off the walls with excitement. The final test comes now.....

.....I have a go at ordering the colours as if I was planning a random stripe. I try hard to resist the urge to rainbowify them, and instead look for some unlikely but lively juxtapositions as well as some harmonious runs. This is a lot of fun, and I do spend a long time messing about here.

I photograph much of this process so that I have a record of my colour-thoughts. Often these playtime sessions will result in the whole lot being thrown back into the bowl without much of a second thought, but it's very useful to be able to revisit the images at a later date. The yarn pegs I showed you yesterday (inspired by Mollie Makes magazine and a greetings card) were made a year ago in January 2015 - I had pretty much forgotten them, but when I look at the photos I can remember exactly why I was pondering on those colours at that time, there are strong memories attached for sure.

At the weekend, I thought it would be interesting to present my yarn pegs to the Little People and see what they might come up with. Children generally have a terrific, natural instinct for colours which is based purely on the colours they "like", so it's fun to watch them make their selection and talk about their choices. I told them they had to choose fifteen shades, and that they should start by choosing their favourites first.

The above yarn wheel was Little Lady's choice - she started out with purples (her favourite colours), then moved into the browns. She balanced these with a selection of soft bluey-greens, and then popped in the Citron because she said it was warm and sunny and she liked it, and the Apricot because she said it was too pretty to leave out. I loved her brown/purple/soft blue choices, but really couldn't handle the Citron and the Petrol was jumping out at me as it didn't seem to want to play with the other colours at all. So I swapped those out............................

..............I took out Citron and replaced with Lemon. Took out Petrol and replaced with Sage. So basically these are the same colours, but softer versions, and Little Lady thoroughly approved.

The above yarn wheel was Little Lady's second go - again she started out with the purple/pinks, then balanced them out with blues and greens. I was surprised she chose the very dark shades (Burgundy and Emperor) but they look terrific here, and the whole colour balance is really great. Interestingly, no yellow this time!

So this is Little Man's yarn wheel, and I absolutely love it. He started with greys and the dark shades of blue (typical choice for a teen boy), then moved through the colour wheel and added in the deep greens. I expected him to perhaps put in some dark reds next (I offered up Claret and Burgundy, but he didn't like them one bit). He finally settled on some spicy heat to balance out the cool of all those blues, and wow, those hot colours really transformed the palette. Just put your hands on the screen and cover up the gold, spice and tomato and see how it dramatically alters? I felt really excited by this yarn wheel and could instantly see a bold, stripy blanket. I asked him if he would like me to make him a blanket in these colours, and truthfully he looked at me as if I was absolutely insane. Oh, that look. It was withering in the extreme. So that'll be a no then. Ohhhhh-kay, lets step away from the pegs then.

If you are wondering about my little six year old, he could not be persuaded to play with my pegs at all. No, no, no. He just didn't want to concentrate and apply himself, which is completely fair enough. I couldn't even tell you what his favourite colour is, he is a child that will not be pinned down to anything, quite the strong spirit that one.

Do you know what your favourite colour is? Do you have colours that you are instinctively drawn to? Are you there with the cool blues and greens, or do the fiery reds and oranges float your boat? Maybe you're a pink and purple kind of a girl? Do you like rainbows? Brights? Pastels? Vintage tones? Earthy colours?

Isn't it just the most amazing thing to be able to feel colour???!!!!! Love love love love love, times a gazillion.

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ps. the yarn on my pegs is all Stylecraft Special DK.

pps. this is not a sponsored post, just me being a colour-junkie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Jo Browning]

Dear Lucy, hoping all is well with you and your family. Missing your posts very much and hope you will be back soon. May the good Lord bless and look over you and your family.

[Colleen]

I hope everything is OK with you and your family and that you are getting better. Miss your posts :) (((HUGS)))

[Becky]

Hi Lucy,
You've not been here for a while and I just wanted to let you know I miss you and hope all is well with you and your family. I've been reading your blog for years and you helped me to get serious doing crochet and it has opened up all kinds of fun with that medium, as well as giving me a boost toward knitting, sewing felt ornaments, and other colorful crafty fun. Love and blessings to you from Becky in Southern Oregon.

[Annette]

Lucy, I pray that all is well with you, your husband and family. Your blog is the only blog I look at. I join with all your other followers to wish you a speedy return to whatever is normal for you. I know you were unwell fairly recently so if you are unwell again, I hope you will return to good health as soon as possible. Take care - love from Annette

[Clare]

Lucy, sending you a big cyber hug from Dunedin New Zealand. I am at a fibre "retreat" Unwind and your name has come up a few times, and we are all sending you our love and best regards. More than one of us is doing, about to do, finished, a granny strip or ripple blanket. Isn't the internet wonderful? Get well soon. miss you. Clare

[Janis]

Been a while since you've updated -- just wanted to let you know that I hope you and your family are well. :-)

[ava]

Dear Lucy:
Hope all is well. You blog is one of my favorites. Just wanted you to know we are thinking of you and hope you are feeling better.

Ava USA

[Laura from beautiful West Michigan]

Missing you! Hope everything is OK over there and that you are enjoying all the colors popping up with Spring's arrival. No pressure, just wanted you to know you are loved.

[Mickie]

Lucy,
I hope you are well and are taking care of yourself. I am missing your lovely posts very much as are many other faithful blog readers. I am looking forward to seeing many new inspirations from you and wish you a happy spring. Take care.
Mickie, Indiana USA

[Susan Harris]

I do hope all is well with you and your family. looking forward to your next post. I just love your pictures and your inspiring projects. Well wishes from Queensland Australia. xxx

[shulamit]

Shalom,luzy ,espero que estes bien.Te echo mucho de menos.Me encantan tus trabajos.Gracias por tu generosidad,nos das alegria a muchas personas,desde Israel te deseo todo lo mejor.Abrazos....

[ingrid weber]

Hi Lucy,

I hope all is fine with you and your family? Missing your colourful post`s. Take care, see you soon.xx

[Jill]

I hope you're not ill. It has been so long since your last lovely post that I've begun to worry. If you're laying low taking care of yourself, good, just know there are readers that wish you all the best!

[Ryan]

These are so pretty! I think I would just have so much fun playing with different color combinations, I would never get around to making a blanket.

[Jo-an]

Greetings from across the Pond!
I look for a new post daily, and not seeing one, I'm hoping you are recovering and simply busy! I miss you, and wish you only the best!

[jacqui]

hi lucy. hope all is ok. miss reading your blog. thank you for all your colourful inspiration. xxx

[Kalia]

I love your use of colour, it is always so inspiring! I think I may make pegs like yours to play with too.

[Kathie Taylor]

I love these yarn pegs. I've started a neat ripple pattern blanket with my own colour choices. All stylecraft - which are lovely. I found Wilko's do cheap wooden pegs - ideal for these. So as I crochet each colour I will make some up. Thanks for sharing. Love the blog, can't wait for you to return.

[Emelire]

I Work with photoshop, etc. and I have a pantone RGB / / CMYB guide in my drawer, your way of doing reminds me of this, looking for colour match... I sometimes use photos or fabric to arrange colours, I like african fabrics, when colour have a small part of black in them, even yellow with a small percentage of black, and so on for all the colours, it gives them a special harmony. I search to understand why this and that colour are so special, look this or that way. By understanding what they are made of (in terms of Cyan Magenta Yellow Black or RBG for instance, hue, saturation, etc...)
Thank you for sharing your happy technique with us.

[JanetD]

Hope all is well with you and yours. Have missed reading your charming and colourful posts.

[Melody A.]

Hi Lucy, I hope you are doing well. I miss your blog posts, one of the first I always look at.
Be well and take care. from Iowa, USA

[Charlotte]

How is your health? We are beginning to worry about you.

[Claire]

Irene I've been wondering the same thing but I see Lucy has been posting on her Facebook Account, maybe her website is playing up!

[Irene]

Hi Lucy, is all well with you and your family? Xxx

[Mahala]

oh, I am in love with this idea. I need to make me some pegs, and then when I *finally* have my craft room they can sit on my desk., I even have the perfect bowl for them!

I'd like to try the exercise with my children too. Thanks for the idea!