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

[Linda Jesuadian]

I received a lovely birthday present from my Mum last weekend, your 'cosy' pack of wool to do the stripey blanket. I started on it almost straightaway ( well after some birthday cake!) and am absolutely loving it. Today I was saying to my husband that I wondered how you chose all the colours - now I know! Beautiful! And now I want to make colour pegs too, brilliant idea!

[Jennifer K]

I am THRILLED to have found your blog! I've just started crocheting and have taught myself by watching YouTube videos. I'm also a mum to three little ones and crochet had given me the relaxation I need at the end of the day. Your projects are so inspiring! Thank you!

Jenn

[Margareta]

Those pegs are really fun to play with. I have created my own set of yarn sticks thank to your suggestion!
Did you know, though, that this shop: http://www.countrycrafts.org.uk/specialdk.htm sells a whole set of all the colours for just a tenner? That's a bargain innit? ;-)
Love,
Margareta

[Jenny Johnson]

Hi Lucy Thank you you must have read my mind I was wondering about that. I live in Hull East Yorkshire and I love reading your blog and looking at the lovely pictures you post. I'm making your bird decoration at the moment. Thank you for all your posts.

[Teresa]

Love this idea! Wish Stylecraft sold sample packs!

[Rose]

I do love this moment when you prepare your pegs. That promises lot of fun and beautiful things!
I am looking forward to see what you are crocheting in your head ;)
Rose, xx

[Sue Chatfield]

I love the colour pegs. For me colour is so much a feeling. When I was undergoing physio I experienced the pain as colours, navy blue was quite painful, as it faded it became teal but the worst was black with red spikes! Unusually primrose yellow was also painful .... the Physio said some people experience pain as a taste but for me it's colour ... colour is so central to our being and, like you, I absolutely love colour, even the navy blues and blacks with red spikes!

[Leah]

I absolutely loved this post Lucy! I now have an strong desire to make yarn pegs just for the fun of my kids choosing their favourite combos for my next blankets. I've got a huge bag of pegs left over from another project, just perfect. Thank you for the inspiration. Have a fab week.

Leah

[Michelle]

I love them xx

[Ann]

Hi - I'm just learning to crochet and really like your blog. I'm trying to subscribe but I can't? A lot of code, etc comes up when I push on the links (I tried both links.) Thanks in advance if you can help... I love coming by here to see what you are making!!!

[Oran]

I love this! Love love love love love it! I am totally useless at putting colours together. I try to live in my own little rainbow world but sadly the rainbows usually have to be designed by someone else. I cannot tell you how pleased I was when you started doing your own colour packs. Now my blankets look bright and well balanced and I can always steal subsets of the colours to make smaller items. Makes life so much easier for we colour lovers who are a bit challenged when it comes to putting them together. And I have to admit I rather liked the citron in Little Ladies colour wheel too :) Keep on keeping on and hope the nasty anaemia gets on its way soon. Hugs O. xx

[davina]

Hi Lucy I have done the peg thing with the stylecraft spiecial yarn, it's my favourite. I really enjoyed doing the page and was sad when I did the last one. Hope all is well at your end of the country take care Davina xxx

[Ophélie]

Im' discovering your blog, it's so lovely, I'm fond of it!!!
I've started crochet a few months ago and i can't stop!
Thanks for all,
Ophélie

[Chel @ Sweetbriar Dreams]

A feast of colour! I saw some old fashioned dolly pegs today and was very tempted to create these with different coloured walls. Thanks again for the inspiration. Have a wonderful end of half term weekend x

[Diane]

Awesome post - I loved it (but then...I love all your posts!). I too love color SOOOO much, but selecting, combining etc, does not come naturally to me. I so appreciate this lovely walk through ideas on how to approach color play. Yeah Lucy! Also - I do hope you are continuing to feel stronger and more energetic every day. (Sending you GOBS of sunny-wishes!) BUT be careful not to over do it, young lady (!), as you continue to feel better and better every day. Kind regards!

[Charlotte]

After seeing the colors coming together in my coast blanket, I would like to ge to Dorset and see nature at its best. Great color combination, Lucy.

[Carolyn Dietrich]

Lucy, you are a master with color. I have loved the colors you put into your projects since the first time I found your blog and read it. Thank you for allowing us to see how you do it. Choosing the right colors is so important and I know feel I know more about it. I do hope you will share your scrapbooks with us one day soon. Thank you for sharing your beautiful creations and your also the bits and pieces of your life. I so enjoy reading your blog.

[Jen]

I just re-read your post concerning Lemon Drizzle Bread. Does your bread ever actually make it to "cool" before you can't stand it any more and eat it? Yum.

[Laura from beautiful West Michigan]

I just read an article about a weaver you would love - a kindred color loving spirit! She uses bobbins the same way you use clothes pins to try out colors.

http://www.we-are-scout.com/2016/02/space-to-create-weaver-and-maker-vanessa-lauria.html

[AJ]

Yeah, that first colour wheel of your daughter was way better than your 'corrected' effort, lol!

[annabelle]

I love your blog and this post is so helpful today. I am trying to determine colours for a new project (my first with a loom) and you (like me) are a colour junkie after my own heart. I shall try the peg method in future for my sewing, crochet and other small projects. I am back to craft after a long illness and hoping to get into the swing of things quickly.

[A-L]

This blog post made me smile! Thank you! I actually love your daughter's colour wheel. With that bright yellow and petrol! They pop out for sure but somehow it is refreshingly different. As for my colours, I always gravitate towards oranges and greens. Cannot help it. :-)

[Becca]

How about a hat for Little Man in his colors? My teenage sons have tolerated hats from me.

[Marylin Ollivier]

I'm a Stylecraft yarn gal myself...just like their juicy & rich colors and the yarn is so versatile, from small crochet birdies to shawls, and on to large projects like blankets. I'm really liking that your kids are into color as well. Rainy & gray out so nice to sit at home (crochet hook in hand) all cozy with color, listening to the surf pounding. I feel a nap coming on...hahaha! Hugs, MO

[carrie logan]

good morning. I really love your blog and your thoughts on colour. I always see the beauty in your choices, and am fascinated on what they mean to you and represent in your heart. I have learned a lot about colour the past few years from you. However, while they are so intriguing, sometimes they really seem to yell at me. So on those days when I read your post I just skim past the bright brights and enjoy the story. That being said, I always seem to come back to them on days when my head is not so full of thoughts and stresses and then I really soak them all in.
But today's post and your children's colour choices are so much closer to my heart and my overworked brain.
I just find it so interesting how everyone sees beauty differently.
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and love of color.
I also hope you continue to feel better.
Carrie