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Making Colors

I’ve been amazed at blending and creating colors from just the basic three colors.

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It started as yarn dyeing, and took me to watercolors, which helped me understand color on a whole different level. I haven't painted in a bit. But I have been playing with yarn dyeing…..

The inspiration, a photo from a spice market in Morocco! The spices, the colorful clothing, and the sky!

I discovered if I do my yarn dyeing in multiple steps, laying the colors in one at a time, (wash, add another color, wash repeat as many times as you desire) that the colors come out cleaner! I’m loving the results.

The above set is Morocco spice, especially dyed for someone!

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It is best to think of the color wheel and lay in your lightest colors first, do some planning. Think of what color the overlapping colors will make.

colorwheel

Red is the strongest, so I always add that one last.

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Want to warm it up? Put the entire skein in a weak color bath of a warm color, red, orange, or yellow. Cool the color, try a weak color bath of blue or green.

Too bright? You can drab it down a tone by adding the color that is opposite the color you have on the color wheel. For instance too red? Add some green!

And always remember you can always add but not subtract color!

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All boxed up and ready to ship out! I know it turned out well when I want to keep it and cast on something!

May your knitting needles fly as fast as dragonflies….

glittery-animated-dragonfly-insects

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Comments

  1. Walden2/28/2011

    Lovely! I cannot wait for Spring to really arrive so I can do so dyeing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Unknown3/03/2011

    Your yarn is gorgeous! I love how you are a self-taught dyer and your yarn look better than most of the commercial yarn. You go!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Loree Jackson3/05/2011

    Wow! the colors are incredible! I've been watching Sister Wendy videos lately and she was talking about Poussin's "Rebecca". Look at that painting when you get a chance. The colors are very inspiring.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Karen G.7/17/2012

    Hi Vicki, I just Googled color wheel and this post was listed as the first image! I've always loved your dyed wool!

    ReplyDelete
  5. knittingdragonflies7/19/2012

    Oh gosh, thanks so much! It is always fun to discover what you can make with just the basic colors!
    Vicki
    Have fun!!

    ReplyDelete

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