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by Knit Picks Staff on October 30, 2012
Now that it's cuddle-up-on-the-couch season, it's just the right time for a new afghan. Add a little splash of color to your decor with the Hue Shift Aghan! This afghan is knit in Garter stitch mitered squares. The squares are picked up and knit off of each other in four large segments, so that the only seam required is to stitch the four segments together. Because of this, it makes an easy travel project, because no one section is very large. The 10 colors in the patterning of the afghan are arranged in such a way that they create a wash of 100 slightly different, shifting shades. This pattern is available in two colorways as a ready-to-knit kit: Rainbow and Decor. But, if you want to create your own colorful masterpiece, get the downloadable version and choose your own palette. With a little imagination, the color possibilities are much greater! For instance, if you wanted a rich, jewel-toned blanket, try these colors... |
Category Archives: color
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by Knit Picks Staff on September 21, 2012
A very common question I get is, "how do I pick colors for my colorwork project?" The short answer is that that's a really personal decision. You know what colors you like or that you like to wear, and there's no set aesthetic regarding what colors 'should' go together. (believe me, since art school, my personal color palette includes all of them!) Generally, a safe bet for a 2-color sweater is to go with a light and dark version of the same color. So, that means a dark red and light red, dark blue and light blue, and so on. These colors can be interchangeable, so it can be a light or dark background. This is great if you have a favorite color in mind, or want to be completely sure that the colors will look good together. If you want to use two colors that you know go well together, be sure to use a light version of one and a dark version of the other. That said, choosing a basic palette for a garment starts with a few basic steps. |
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by Knit Picks Staff on September 20, 2012
Bohus sweaters are known for their subtle gradients of color and the fuzzy halo that gives them an almost ethereal glow. The tradition of Bohus sweater knitting is a recent and colorful one, inspired by many other European knitting styles and the fashions of the mid 20th century. The most recognizeable Bohus item is the yoked sweater. Though the typical elements of a Bohus-style sweater can be applied to lots of items like gloves and hats, a colorful stranded yoke really shows off the techniques used. Careful planning of increases, multiple colors in each row, knit and purl stitches and slipped stitches create a texture unique to Bohus knitting. This texture can make even the simplest motif, like stripes or dots, look exotic and unexpected. When I began thinking about Tuva, I wanted color to become the real focus, and let the stitches help to show them off. I didn't want this to be subtle - and immediately jumped for a vivid rainbow. With so many elements to balance, designing a Bohus-style yoked sweater presents some interesting challenges. |
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by Knit Picks Staff on August 10, 2012
I always love choosing new colors for our yarns, but it's no secret that Palette is my 'baby'. So, when we decided that it was time to make the big move to 150 colors, I set out to not just 'fill in', but add a whole set that not only complements the existing colors but is evocative in itself. And so I am super excited to present our new Palette colors for 2012! The set was inpired by so many things: new growth, delicacy, and the hints of colors that lie at the edges of grey. |
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by Stacey on May 30, 2012
I realize that many many people have been writing about the Color Affection Shawl (almost 3000 projects on Ravelry!). I actually completely missed all the buzz around it & only found out about the pattern when Jenny showed it to me one day when we were discussing patterns with interesting construction. And as I have approximetly ten thousand skeins of sock yarn (that I had to buy because I thought it was so pretty, of course), this seemed to be a good project to take on. |
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by Jenny K on May 24, 2012
There are certain people that you meet in your fiber travels that simply beam with a passion for what they do, and no one embodies this like Jen Anderson, the face behind Hanks in the Hood. It is a quality that is infectious in person and hard to express in words. And since Jen is a local to us here in Portland (she is based out of Gresham, Oregon), I was so excited when I was able to spend a day at her shop (Andersen Fiber Works) and her fiber processing studio for a little video interview! All of us here at the office love Jen and of course, her rovings and batts from Hanks in the Hood. And personally, I am thrilled to be able to share Jen's story in addition to her enthusiasm, drive, and passion for what she does everyday. I hope this little video lets you get to know Jen a little bit better, I am sure you'll love her as much as we all do! |
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by Kelley on April 30, 2012
The very first photo in Knitting With the Color Guys takes me back to when I was learning to spin and knit. In the late 1980s, Glorious Knitting revolutionized the way knitters approached design and color. In the new photo, Kaffe has a project in progress draped over his knees with a basket on the floor overflowing with a variety of yarns. It makes me smile! |
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by Jenny K on March 23, 2012
A while back, I tackled my first ever weaving project and instantly loved not only the texture, but also the way colors interacted with each other. I was so impressed at how fast I was able to work through so much yarn that it didn't take long for me to warp the Kromski Harp Loom for another project. Hannah has also been working on a few weaving projects recently and every time she brings in a newly finished project, my mind begins to wonder off and daydream of all sorts of fun, color-filled projects. Having this itch to weave led me to Ravelry, where I discovered I was able to filter projects in a way that only showed weaving projects. I have been intrigued by the idea of working with Palette since there are over 100 colors to choose from. One click led to another, and I entered "Palette" into the search field to only show weaving projects that used Palette. One word: amazing! I was instantly inspired by all of the stunning projects that Knit Picks customers have made. There was one project, however, that just jumped out at me - yarnvista's woven blanket! |
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by Jenny K on February 20, 2012
As we talked about in the last color theory blog post, inspiration for color is all around us. In addition to seeing amazing combinations of colors in nature, we can even look back through works of art to find patterns of color combinations that have stayed true for hundreds of years. Continuing along with our theme of warming up the winter blues, we will take a closer look at different shade of blue along with colors that are often paired with blues – including paintings from centuries ago to present day fashion. When I think of exceptionally lovely uses of the color blue, I can’t help but think of the 17th century Dutch painter, Johannes Vermeer. Known best for his domestic scenes of middle class life, Vermeer was also particularly fond of bright, vibrant shades of blues which were often paired with bold colors such as yellows, oranges, and reds. |
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by Stacey on February 13, 2012
Thanks everyone - contest is over! We'll draw a winner on 2/13! Here at Knit Picks, we're on a mission to change the perception of the Winter Blues. The color blue makes all of us so happy - gazing up the blue sky, watching the ocean waves, seeing a blue jay flying by - so why should "blue" mean sad? |
