Colour Play in Knitting: Part 1

This two-part blog post is about my ongoing studies on colour play in knitting. March is synonymous with Holi the festival of colours, so it makes sense that I blog about colours.

Backstory

I never really put a thought to colour theory; in practice I stick to neutrals and pops of colours. The kitschy eclectic bohemian style that is so characteristic of India just wasn’t me. To be honest, I was (and still am) low-key envious of those who could achieve that look.

I learnt about colour theory in architecture college, but … maybe I should say, it was not what I focussed on. Even as an urban planner, the only colours I dealt with professionally was colour codes to interpret land use. Personally, I still stuck to basic and some experimental colours. Even as I kept knitting during those times, colours choices were largely dependent on what was available at the haberdashery. There was no deliberate intention in choosing colours, and I often gravitated to Japandi styles.

The Quandary

Obviously I got fed up of looking at the same colours and so I slowly started learning colour theory. First with the wheel, then slowly with watercolours and my own clothes. Books helped me to understand terminologies, techniques, theories put into practice as well as how to observe colours in real life.

However, these ideas didn’t translate very well into knits, because:

• I was unable to dissociate texture from colour. I felt that the stitches were far too pronounced, to let colours blend or stand out or just play.
• Colourful combinations in clothes made out of woven fabric just didn’t work the same in knits.
• The way colours blended in watercolours, I just couldn’t see that happening in my crochet scarves.
• Lastly to get colours really working and blending, I believe that lighter yarn and smaller needles work better. I prefer DK and worsted weight yarns, so lace and sport are generally not available in my stash.

And so, it felt like I hadn’t progressed at all. I was just frustrated with my slow progress and limited vision.

Colour plays in Brioche Knitting

Change in this outlook only came when I stumbled upon double colour plays in brioche knitting. It was like a light bulb that turned on in my foggy mind. It was no longer only about the stitches or the patterns; it was all about the colours! I could finally focus on the colour combinations first; it was only a few minutes later that I would look at the stitch pattern.

I went on a brioche deep dive, looking at hundreds of photographed brioche knits over and over again. I had no idea how to make them, but I was like this possessed person – I had to know everything! Eventually I got around making my very first brioche scarf, with 5 bright coloured cotton yarns by DMC. What a pathbreaking moment in my life – to be able to actually play with colours while knitting! And when it was the product bought first in my first winter drop, I knew I had done something right.

Brioche knitting continues to be my main method to explore colour plays even to this date. I have tried multiple variations with different hues, tints, tones, temperatures, values and dominance. Each time I have understood colour better than in any other form of knitting. And once I learnt syncopation (where brioche stitches get reversed) to my skillset, it’s so much fun playing with so many colours!

Solid yarns

Technically speaking, solids offer the easiest way to play with colours. Previously, I worked with multiple colours to knit striped products or crochet granny squares. To get better combinations however, I started applying a few tricks:

• The colour wheel:
  • to understand complementary, analogous, triadic, split complementary and tetradic colours.
  • to know how to match 2, 3 or even 4 colours.
  • to understand contrast by thinking about colour value and dominance – beautiful yarn colour combinations don’t always end up as beautiful knit products.
• Understanding placement of different solids in a knit product was the next one. Knitting hems, collars, neckline and tassels in different colours while the body in a different one. This is where I could experiment a lot.

• Increasing the challenge levels by using different colours for different stitch patterns and yarn weights, as demonstrated by Nancy Marchant in her 9 patch quilt pattern vest. This is essentially intarsia, a skill I am yet to master.

• Using speckled yarns, which are technically a solid but with specks of complementary or contrasting colours. Previously, I would pair the speckled yarn with a solid that is in the same colour as the specks. Now, I think I would try using the triad or split complementary strategy, to use a solid that is contrasting or complementary to the speckled yarn.

Variegated yarns

Another way to understand colour play in knitting and crocheting is to use variegated yarns. I always used to feel that to use variegated yarns is not the best way to understand, since the dyer did all the critical thinking required. All I needed to do is match it with a solid yarn, using any one colour that is present in the said variegated yarn. Simple?

No. Because then I stumbled upon Stephen West and his extremely different sense of colour combinations. I would say his sensibilities are polar opposite to mine, and are sort of quintessential of what India feels like. Colour riots in each project, sometimes jarring, sometimes harmonious, sometimes whacky and sometimes gorgeous.

I took a workshop of his on colour play, and gained a very unique perspective. I realised that its perfectly fine to match variegated yarns with solids, with speckled yarns and even with other variegated yarns. To not overthink and overanalyse it, but eventually go with the flow of things.

Of course, I don’t combine variegated yarns with complicated stitch patterns – only one thing can shine at a time. That’s best left to solid yarns.

Ombre yarns

The first time I used ombre yarns, I didn’t pair it with any other colour. I had to go through pre-knitting envisioning and planning, to figure out where to join a new ball of yarn which was close to the colour that I had just knit up. Not rocket science, but just something to be aware of. But now,

• If I get my hands on an ombre yarn: I would certainly use it in a brioche product with a solid yarn.
• If I can’t find what I want: I would probably use multiple solids to create an ombre effect, with a contrasting solid as a visual break.

Stranded, Intarsia and Double Knitting

I really haven’t explored these at all! It’s a pity, and I hope to get to these when I understand colours better. The dream of course is to knit gorgeous stranded and intarsia products, using Indian motifs. Double knitting would probably be a challenge to use where I live, since the fabric is thick and India is hot, but one never knows.

 The first part of this two-part blog post ends here. Next blog post should feature lessons learnt from the AW collections of various fashion weeks that I followed this year, as well as inspirations from other knitwear designers.

How do you perceive colour play in knitting? Does it challenge you, or does it come intuitively to you? Let’s meet in the comments!