The Power of Color: Knitting Palettes Inspired by Nature

Imagine knitting with a color palette that resonates with your own personal experiences and connection with nature. It sounds magical, right? Well, that's exactly what we'll be exploring together in this episode.  I share my own journey of finding color inspiration in the beauty of the world around me. You'll hear about a unique knitting project I worked on using a color palette which was a departure from my usual color choices, and the reactions it garnered.  So, forget the traditional color norms, embrace the infinite color possibilities from nature, and knit with a color story that truly speaks to you! ( Definitely head over to the blog to see more!)

Before you wonder how to select the right colors that would work well together, let me assure you that the color wheel is your best friend here. It is something I didn't dig into until later in adulthood and I learned some interesting practices that are easy for you to replicate, too, so that your knitting always delights you and never disappoints!  I'll guide you through the basics of the color wheel, starting from the primary colors and how they combine to form secondary and tertiary colors. We'll discuss the concepts of complementary and analogous colors, and even monochromatic color schemes, to create harmonious and visually appealing color combinations for your knitting projects. So, forget the traditional color norms, embrace the infinite color possibilities from nature, and knit with a color story that truly speaks to you!

• You can (and should!) always discover more here on the blog: encouragebetter.com/blog/color

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• Download the free linen guide (which includes a free pattern and journal pages)

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:08

I'm Mel, a really curious yarn fan who loves knitting and is also obsessed with encouraging you to feel the same, no matter where you are in your journey. Whether you're an adventurous knitter or one in the making, we've got more in common than you might expect. It wasn't so long ago. I get frustrated with too many cast-ons, but never any completed projects or endless piles of wavy yarn from ripped out knits. Fast forward to today. I have learned from languishing projects and so-called failed ones too. Every aspect of my life fuels my creativity and my creativity adds to my enjoyment of life. I've created this podcast to share tips, mind shifts and challenges to help you do the same. So if you're a thoughtfully creative spirit or someone wanting to grow in that direction, looking to love all the perfect knits you make and embrace the ones with feature design elements too, you're in the right place. Friend, welcome to Encourage Better Knitting Podcast, your knitting podcast. For the longest time, kodiak, alaska, has been getting rain, day upon day upon day. When you look outside, the gray of the clouds comes down to meet the blue gray of the ocean And sometimes the soft interruption of the green Sitka spruce trees peeks through the white fog. For outdoor activities it isn't the most wonderful view For color inspiration. It is a master class, if you're anything like me.

Speaker 1: 2:13

Choosing new color palettes for knitting is often overlooked, or perhaps, i should admit, it is intentionally set aside, placed on a back burner. Not necessary, i mean, i've got my color safety net. I mess up a good thing. It took me so long to conjure up the palette that I have considering a new one seems laborious and even a little premature. Surely I haven't exhausted all the ways to use light brown, golden brown, reddish brown and deep dark chocolate brown. To be candid about color, i have experienced many, many moments in life where I have not felt confident about mixing up colors, and that used to carry over into my knitting. I had a breakthrough many years ago while living on Kauai, and it started by staring out my window. Today, i am going to share a few lessons I learned and continue to learn each time I open my eyes to nature's examples.

Speaker 1: 3:33

Together, let's delve into the world of nature and explore how, as a knitter, we can find inspiration and confidently mix color combinations. So grab your knitting needles, cozy up and let's enjoy discovering the beauty of nature's hues. This first segment, embracing the beauty of natural color palettes is something that I hope will be worthy of jotting down a note or two. When it comes to color inspiration, nature is an unparalleled artist, and she doesn't mind at all if we try to emulate her artistry. The blooming flowers and plants around us, after a full spectrum of colors waiting to be translated into knitting projects Ask me on this I cast on the Alpine Bloom Tea, which is by Caitlin Hunter, and I cast on with colors inspired by a neighbor's not quite yet blooming rhododendron. When I shared the start of my project, i had hundreds of messages on Instagram Happily surprised at the use of pink, which is not my norm. Well done, mel, branching out. Many others shared their color ideas. I had a full range of new colors, thoughts and recommendations for color pairings. One of the reels I made showcasing the color work Yoke had over 4,500 views overnight. Not because I invented an amazing color combination. I simply followed the example in nature, but it became popular, i think, because it resonated with others.

Speaker 1: 5:44

Finding the right color combinations in our knitting is tricky. Sometimes Some of us make it seem like it's no big deal. Color is our first language, and then there's me, who can speak a host of different languages. Color is not one that I do confidently, but finding examples of beautiful color combinations is easy. They are everywhere. We can start by observing the colors found in our own garden or local parks. Flowers, leaves and landscapes hold endless possibilities for vibrant color combinations that can bring your and my knitting projects to life.

Speaker 1: 6:41

We can use seasons as our color muse. Each season brings its own unique color palette Spring offers delicate pastels, while summer boasts vibrant, bold hues. Autumn showers us with warm oranges, yellows and browns, and winter embraces cool blues and whites. Seasonal color inspiration offers us unique opportunities to try new things. It refreshes the example it shows. For me, the tricky part was how to incorporate these palettes into knitting projects and create pieces that weren't a jumble of all the colors that I saw, instead becoming a snapshot of what spoke to me as I looked out the window or paused on a walk And I had to ask what was it that captures the essence of the seasons?

Speaker 1: 7:56

Now, full disclosure here. I am not skilled at color combinations, not on my own. I do, however, spend a lot of time outside Year-round, in the sun, in the showers. I am always, always looking around me. Quite often I'm doing it to make sure there's no sign of bears, and also admiring the beautiful, incredible, stunning landscape of Kodiak. When I look around, there's always an overarching color that I notice. The seasons definitely aid in showcasing one color As I look.

Speaker 1: 8:42

In summer our island is green, it is everywhere and thick. Kodiak I don't know if I've shared this before is called the Emerald Isle of the US, and for good reason. In autumn things turn golden brown, not a sad withering brown, but a vibrant, energetic gold brown, one that gently eases into wintry colors, wintry whites, the snow that gives us here in Kodiak termination dust on the mountain. Do you all know what termination dust is? I should probably share what that is. Termination dust shows up one morning when you wake up and it's been cold at night Right after summer has been beautiful and vibrant and full of energy And as it's easing into autumn, we have Still good days to have some warmth to them, and then we'll have that cold night. And when we wake up and we look out, mount Kashiverov or barometer has termination dust And it's a layer of powdery white snow that stamps our warm weather is terminated Ticket. So the snow that gives us the termination dust on those mountains can be a blue, white or a sparkling white, excuse me And at other times it's a faded white that looks icy and black. It's a warning of bad weather and advising all of us to hunker down and stay put, which suits me just fine, because that means you need to knit, melissa.

Speaker 1: 10:51

So watching the world around me gave me my first step Start with a dominant color. Choose one color that will be the focal point or dominant hue in your color work. This color is what's going to appear most prominently in your knitting designs And it can actually set the tone for the rest of the color combination. For me, and in the example of the alpine blue m-t alpine blue m-t that colorway is the rich green with brown undertones. It's a yarn from Miss Lamotte or Miss Lamotte, i'm not exactly sure M-O-T-T-E, and it's called the burnished stone colorway.

Speaker 1: 11:44

So after I established my primary color, i looked again at what I saw around me, in this case my neighbor's rotted endring. Their established rotty had started blooming already, and the faint pink with these red little bursts had edges tinged in yellow gold, like rotted endrings do when they have gotten a little bit too wet. Have you ever seen that, since Kodiak Island is breaking records right now for the wettest season in recorded history, that isn't surprising to see those tinges of yellow gold around the edges of the flowers. So the green-brown of the main color is what I see in the evening when the leaves and the branches are soaked, and the burnt sugar color, also from Miss Lamotte. I am using that for the second color, which reflects that peachy pink with the brown undertones of the same bush that I'm looking out, and it's just a picture perfect feature of their garden, and it makes sense that replicating it in my sweater would work just so well.

Speaker 1: 13:05

Now, neutral colors like grays, browns, olives or creams can help balance and tone down vibrant or contrasting colors. They can also act as grounding elements and provide a smooth transition between bolder color choices. So my bold color choice of the burnt sugar is mellowed by the brown green of the burnished stone. I would have had a completely different feel if I had gone with my blooming fuchsia plants that are hanging in the baskets by each side of this picture window that I'm looking out of, and if I had replaced the burnished stone with watermelon electric and its vibrant hues. That color I will be sure to link in the blog post that goes with this, so you can click on that, the watermelon electric with the burnt sugar would have been stunning, absolutely stunning. It would be a blend of brown, peachy pinks, vibrant red coral fuchsias and it would have been a wonderful replication of the fuchsia plants. I was going more for the subdued rata d'entrin Before I began the adventure with this particular sweater, with the yarn choices I currently have on my needles.

Speaker 1: 14:47

I started with a vibrant, solid teal and a fun barber pulled, hand spun that I created, that I have been eager to use. These two colors were put together from the most adorable poncho that I saw, modeled for an advertisement for a campsite in South America. It was a sunny picture and I was daydreaming of anywhere. It wasn't raining, which leads me to another point Transpiration from photographs, paintings or color palettes found in magazines or online platforms like Pinterest, which was the source for the enticing camping photo. I just mentioned This method of using these visual art pieces advertisements.

Speaker 1: 15:46

This method could help you by establishing a starting point for your color choices. But after you get that inspiration, there is a step. I highly recommend You should test color combinations. Ask me how I know. So hold on before diving head first into your project.

Speaker 1: 16:14

Let's talk about the importance of doing a test swatch for color work. I know I know you may be tempted to hit the forward button for 30 seconds, and you probably would need to do that four or five times. But just hear me out because, in addition to espousing the merits and wonders of swatches and swatching, there are some actual nuggets of gold in what I'm about to share, even for those of you who hear what I say and set it aside. By taking this extra step of swatching, you can determine the color suitability of your chosen yarns and avoid potential pitfalls later on Before committing to your final color choices. Creating color swatches or small samples to see how the color interacts is such a wise investment of time and energy. This simple step allows you and me to evaluate how the colors blend, contrast or compete with one another. A key benefit of doing the test swatch for the color work is that it allows you to see how your chosen colors interact and work together before embarking on your full-scale project.

Speaker 1: 17:40

Colors can behave differently when you combine them in your actual knitting, and what looks harmonious on the yarn label or in a store display, or even in your lap in your living room just a few days ago, may translate differently into your actual knitting. I wasn't kidding when I said ask me how I know this helps. By creating a small swatch using the colors you've chosen, you can evaluate their compatibility. You can ensure that they blend seamlessly or that they create the desired contrast. This way you don't make any errors Well, i don't wanna call them errors. This way you don't have the angst of having to unknit. You can make any necessary adjustments in the swatch, even reconsider your color choices if they don't produce the desired effect on a small scale.

Speaker 1: 18:50

Now, neglecting to do a color swatch can lead to some unwelcome surprises. I have a whole nother episode in the future about the joys and the fun of neglecting to do a color swatch and the possible fun surprises, but not today. Today we're talking about if you don't do the test swatch. You may find yourself well into your sweater project only to discover that the colors that you've chosen don't work as well together as you had hoped. Perhaps the contrast is too subtle, making the color work pattern difficult to discern, or maybe the colors clash, which creates that chaotic or maybe even unappealing visual effect. This discovery can be disheartening and may require you, as it did me, to unravel hours of work and even start over with new colors. However, by taking the time to create and craft a test swatch, you can address those potential issues early on and save yourself from frustration down the road.

Speaker 1: 20:13

Those two yarns I mentioned earlier I knew, i absolutely knew they were a perfect match And so I was certain I could just cast on and go. When I hit round 27 on the color work chart, i had to finally admit that, no matter which way I held my knitting stretching it far out at arm's length, putting it close in my lap, even setting it on top of Sasha, my dog's head, poking her head through and putting it around the rough and scruff of her neck and backing up across the room No matter which way I tried, it did not look good. And I'm the girl who always, always says to swatch right Nine times out of 10, i swatch The one time I don't. Well, i wound up having to rip it all out.

Speaker 1: 21:24

Beyond color suitability and gauge consideration, a test swatch for color work provides an opportunity for exploration and creativity. Don't think of it as jail. It's not knitting jail that you've been relegated to, in fact. Think of it as playtime. A swatch is this amazing playground that you have access to to run and climb the monkey bars, to dig into the sandbox, to skip the playground proper and climb the trees around the edges of it. Swatching allows you to experiment with different color combinations and see first hand how they interact. You can play with the dominance of colors, test various pattern motifs, or you can even try out alternative yarn options to achieve a desired effect. That is exactly how I came to realize what a great fit the single ply Miss Lamont yarn would be. Of course, i came to realize that after the first snafu with the two of four mentioned not so compatible yarn colors that I chose, i then swatched and discovered oh my goodness, it was beautiful. So through swatching, you too can release your imagination and discover unexpected color harmonies, delightful contrast, dynamic changes that the yarn structure gives. This process of trial and error, done on a small scale, swatch empowers you and me to make informed choices and it really does infuse our color work projects with the touch of personal flair, When it's not just color work, it's all of our knitting adventures. By investing time and effort to create a color swatch, we open the door to endless possibilities and ensure our projects truly reflect our unique styles and artistic expression.

Speaker 1: 23:49

Back to our color palette discussion. We discussed embracing the beauty of colorful color palettes that are found in nature, using the changing seasons as our color muse, and I briefly mentioned earlier flowers. I'd like to dig in just a bit more to that concept. If I had taken the fuchsia route I mentioned earlier, my alpine blooms tea would have been reds and pinks with completely different vibes than the one currently on my needles. What an example a flower can be. You can look to blossoming flowers in your gardens or local parks for a burst of inspiration. You can also plan ahead for times flowers aren't blooming and take lots and lots of photos now Tuck them into a folder on your iPhone or smartphone and keep your knitting inspiration organized. You don't do that. Well then, that definitely needs to be a class I have to teach because it is a game-changer. So be open to exploring the really striking combinations found in nature Vibrant reds and purples contrasting with soft pinks and greens, electric blues with pops of yellows, white flower petals with bold black centers. There are so many flower color combinations that you can translate into your knitting project, infusing each one with the beauty of nature.

Speaker 1: 25:33

Here are three quick examples from gardens that I've grown Roses I got my love of roses from my dad's dad. His gardens were stunning And when I had my first rose garden, the classic combination of the red roses with the lush green leaves inspired me, and it can inspire a project featuring deep reds and vibrant greens in your knitting. Ah, and so so sunny Kauai. There were surprise, surprise sunflowers. The golden yellow petals of sunflowers paired with the rich brown centers can spark ideas for warm and sunny color palettes, just like I am knitting today. Another great idea for flowers are from gardens that I've loved are irises. Those soft, delicate petals of irises, which range from a deep purple to a soft blue, can guide you into creating a calming, cool toned knitting project.

Speaker 1: 26:53

So up to this point, i have shared ways to observe colors in nature and replicate them. It's a practice that, for years, was all that I understood, and because my kids are creative and clever, all of them interested in art, as they grew up they began to explore the color wheel and color theory. I should mention now that, as a homeschooling family, i was their teacher, and when I didn't know the answer to a question they asked, we dug in together and learned. So at the age of past 30, i found the lessons, an incredible gift and something that really sparked my creativity and gave me a sense of strength when it came to colors. Unlocking the power of the color wheel was magic.

Speaker 1: 27:58

Now, the color wheel is a powerful tool that seems at once very simple and somehow, to me, daunting. It has the power to guide you in selecting harmonious and visually appealing color combinations. Now, it's based on three primary colors. I'm going to share this with you as I learned it past the age of 30, as it was something I was in awe of, and so, for those of you who are color pros, this is going to seem like kindergarten, but for some of us, this isn't something we readily learned and drew in, assimilated and let it become part of the way we think. So the color wheel, based on three primary colors of red, yellow and blue, talks you well I'm not talking through visually, shows you the relationships that these colors share with each other each other as well as a variety of other colors. So understanding the basic principles of the color wheel can help us confidently mix colors, and I have to tell you, i have a series of color wheel prints and art that is up on my wall, up on my bulletin board. It's up tucked behind the cabinet here. I have them around me so that I can look at them frequently. I understand it when I see it And when I'm not looking at it I am flying totally blind.

Speaker 1: 29:39

So let's explore the key components together in a very basic way, briefly. You have your primary colors red, yellow and blue, which are the building blocks of the color wheel. They are not able to be created at all by mixing other colors. But then we have our secondary colors And these are created by combining equal parts of two primary colors. So those secondary colors are orange, created by red and yellow, green, created by yellow and blue, and violet, blue and red. Then we have so we've got the primary, secondary, you got it tertiary colors, and these colors are formed by mixing a primary color with a neighboring secondary color. So examples would be yellow, orange, blue, green and red, violet.

Speaker 1: 30:30

This simple concept and visualization of the color wheel, digging into primary, secondary and tertiary colors, completely changed my thoughts and understanding of color. Complimentary colors I discovered are colors that are opposite of each other on the color wheel, creating vibrant and eye-catching contrasts, and in nature we see examples of complementary color combinations, like the purple flowers I mentioned before, paired with yellow, green foliage or orange blossoms, set against a beautiful, clear blue sky, not like here. Nature is filled with examples. So complementary colors, and then you have analogous colors, which are the ones that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel And they create a harmony, a cohesive effect. And we can find plants with analogous color schemes, such as the blues and greens in a coastal landscape, reminding me of evenings along the outer banks of North Carolina, or a variety of warm yellows and oranges and reds in a sunset-inspired flower bed, as I experienced for years living in Hawaii. So complementary, analogous and now monochromatic.

Speaker 1: 32:06

Monochromatic color schemes involves using different shades, tints, tones of a single color In nature. You might find a monochromatic color palette in a blooming field of lavender showcasing various shades of purple, or something that I liked a daydream about, a field of flax with beautiful blue flowers, some very bold and vibrant, just opened and blooming, other flowers slowly bleached by the sun, who have been around for days, maybe weeks, and they're gently fading into a blue and white. Now, speaking of flax, if you want a masterclass on linen and how learning about plant fibers makes us a smarter wool knitter, have a listen to the episode entitled Unraveling the Mysteries of Linen a journey into knitting and creativity. There's even a free 20-page workbook for you to download to enrich that episode. As you listen, i will link that episode in the show notes and it'll also be on the blog.

Speaker 1: 33:27

Nature is an endless source of inspiration when it comes to color combinations for our knitting. By understanding the principles of the color wheel and observing the harmonious blends found in plants and flowers, we you and me we can confidently mix colors and create stunning knitting projects. I am not saying we will always pick perfect palettes for projects. Try saying that three times fast. I'm not saying we will always pick perfect palettes for projects, but I do mean that my color choices before the one I am currently using well, it was no bueno, but it was a fun lesson to learn the hard way, and I needed to pay attention to contrast and color modeling and how to prevent that.

Speaker 1: 34:30

And I need to swatch. I know All caps here. I need to swatch, but for the most part, these concepts and principles and examples that I've shared are solid and give me much needed support. I have guide rails for this roller coaster of ride that is my knitting, and now you do too. So step outside, immerse yourself in the natural world and let your knitting journey become a harmonious blend of colors inspired by our lovely planet. Now, wherever your feet find you on this world, wherever your eyes are gazing out in nature, i hope that the sun is shining on you and that you can find joy in your craft. Remember that you are such a valuable part of our knitting community and this world. You are important And I'm so glad that you're here. Thanks for spending today talking with me all about color wheels and color in nature and swatching. So until next time, my friend, aloha, and happy knitting.