Growing up, I spent a lot of happy summer days sitting in my paternal grandmother’s sewing room. She was a talented quilter with an eye for juxtapositions of colors and patterns. I’ve never felt like I’ve achieved her level of boldness or brilliance at this but I love the adventure of creating colorways. If I learned anything from her talent, it is that there isn’t always one right answer, sometimes it is about trial and error, and taking a few chances.
To create colorways, start with some inspiration. I am always collecting images and ideas, and filing them away for future reference. I look for patterns and themes in my collection and start putting images together in collages.
Or I might simplify, by selecting a single image and let that direct my selection.
Pinterest is a great resources for both collecting and organizing your inspiration. The website Design Seeds is a good starting point,too. Then I collect all the possible yarn options together and begin to mix and match.
Here are some Berroco Ultra Alpaca colors in a range of soft neutrals and misty blues (shades: 6299, 62170, 62188, 62173 in the top image, shades: 6289, 6206, 6204, 6205, 6201, 6202) in the bottom image):
Or you can pair those neutrals with some eye popping brights (from the bottom-up, shades: 62173, 6258, 62180, 62168, 6225, 6275):
I love mixing soft neutrals with pops of brights – this palette below makes me incredibly happy (62174, 62188, 62189, 6267, 62168, 62179, 6201, 6214):
You could use one of these groupings as the color way for a whole blanket or for a single square.
Which colors are you thinking about using for your Ultra Alpaca MKAL squares?
Thanks for the tips; appreciate them.
They are all great color palettes. You have a good eye for that.
What a super idea, to collect color-inspiration photos….”why didn’t I think of that before?”
Thanks for the inspiration, you’re better than you think!