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Giveaway: ColorSense

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colorsense giveaway

Chris is the winner!

This week’s giveaway is not a knitting book, but it is a book that might help you become a more adventurous knitter.

Choosing colors for a project can be really daunting — I read somewhere once that something like 40 percent of knitters not only choose the same yarn used in a pattern, but the same color, too — and you don’t want to spend a ton of time knitting, say, a Fair Isle sweater and end up not liking the colors in the end.

ColorSense: Creative Color Combinations for Crafters by Susan Levin aims to make picking colors a less painful process for crafters of all types.

It covers the language of color but then goes through a ton of options, from monochromatic combinations to two-, three- and four-color palettes. What’s really cool is that each color combination is shown on a two-page spread with a bunch of little swatches showing how the colors look together in different combinations and with different backgrounds, which makes it easier to literally see what you like so you can re-create that look in your project.

The book also includes punch-out cards of different colors you can use when planning your projects and take to the yarn store with you so you’re sure to get a good match. There’s also a color wheel with multiple shades of each color for easy reference.

This book is a whole color system that will really help you make better color choices and know that you’re going to love the look you end up with, in a knitting project or anything else you make with multiple colors.

If you’d like to win this book, leave a comment on this post before the end of the day Sunday, Dec. 18. I’d love to know about your comfort level with choosing colors. I have to say even though I’ve written a book on color knitting, I still tend to stick to tried-and-true color combos. But they’re classics for a reason, right?

Thanks for visiting, commenting and sharing, and good luck.

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Comments

  1. I tend to knit in single solid colors, sometimes venturing into a single yarn with multiple colors in it. Samples of monochromatic schemes could really add depth to my projects. Multu-color schemes would really brighten my world!

  2. I am not very adventurous when it comes to color, I tend to pick the same colors but would love to branch out

Have you read?

Summer Headband Knitting Patterns

Some knitters have trouble coming up with projects they can both knit and wear when it’s warm outside. Especially if you’re not ready for garments (thought tank tops and summer tops are great first garment projects!) it might seem like there’s nothing to do when it’s hot outside.

One way to remedy this situation is by knitting headbands. Headbands are great any time of year to keep hair out of your face and make you look a little more pulled together without any effort. Wider headbands double as ear warmers when it gets colder, but skinnier ones are great throughout the year.

A couple of great examples are from designer Elly Donner, who has a set of headband knitting patterns on Ravelry you can buy individually or as an ebook. Homebody, shown here, is worked in garter stitch (the ties are crocheted but you could also use I-cord), while Slipstream uses slipped stitches and garter ridges, and Sounds of Spring has little cables. The patterns use DK weight yarn and are a great way to use a little leftover yarn from another project.

I also recently came across the lovely Plush Braided Headband by Yevgeniya Li. A free pattern on Ravelry, this wider design is covered in lush cables for a sleek and fancy look. It uses worsted weight yarn and you can customize the length for a perfect fit.

Celeste Knitwear’s Spikelet is a simple twisted headband with columns of eyelet lace to keep it from being too heavy. It’s worked flat and sewn together to make the twist, and uses DK weight yarn. It has three sizes available.

This skinny lace headband from Lusi Knits is another cute choice. It calls for fine weight cotton yarn, but you could use heavier yarn if you have it on hand to make a wider headband (or use any fine yarn you have available). It uses ties to customize the fit.

And if you want to go super basic but still really cute, try the easy ring headband from Lulu Pattern. The sample is knit pretty wide, but you could make a narrower version if you want, and the little ring turns it from a plain loop into a bow with very little extra work. It calls for worsted weight yarn but you could also use whatever weight you like for this one to change up the look and size.