Similar to the last post this is a bit more introspective rather than focussed on a specific craft. I want to talk about colors, specifically favorite colors and how they play into crafting. Over the years I’ve had plenty of different favorite colors. When I was younger it was sky blue, then cherry red, grey and cobalt. recently I have really been liking a peach-pink color. But I’ve been wondering, how does that carry over into crafting choices? I’ve got a whole color wheel of options aside from my favorite colors in my yarn stash, both solid, gradient and speckled.
I think how the item is intended to be used is a factor in color choice. While I do work with my favorite colors occasionally, none of them are ones I use all that often in crafting. Probably the closest would be a dark blue that I have used in personal projects two to three times, as I like the color. The dark blue has mostly been used on items I personally wear. Things that are more for decorations or that are intended to be given away often have a wider range of color options. I’ll get much more creative with the color choices in a baby blanket than I would for a blanket I’m making to throw on my couch.
For personal projects that would just go around the house I wouldn’t say I often use “favorite” colors. Often the color choice I make for a project depends on what look I’m trying to replicate, or what color I feel the pattern would look best in to me. If I’ve got a pattern that replicates the shape of leaves I may look for a green yarn, or if it makes me think of a sunburst I may pick up a brighter color like yellow or orange. Even then the hue would be determined on whether I want it to be a bright, energetic piece or a calmer, more laid back one. I wouldn’t say those choices have no impact by favorite colors but there is a difference based on what is used.
Sometimes I pick the color of yarn I’m using because I’m making a project from someone else. The choice is determined by their favorite colors or the pattern they want. Since these are gifts my color choices don’t have much input, simply because whether or not I think it’s a good color choice isn’t as important as whether or not the person getting the item likes it. Now, that’s not to say I wouldn’t make suggestions if it looked like they were going completely off the rails on color options. That’s just never happened before.
Ultimately, the choice of color depends on how I intend to use the item and whether I intend to keep the item or give it away. The more frequently I will be using the item the more likely it is to be a favorite color. The less frequently it is to be used / more passive decoration then the more likely I am to have a wider variety of colors to choose from.
