Struggling to pick colors for your projects? Try the color wheel!
But first, what is the color wheel?
The color wheel is the foundation of color theory, organizing colors in a circular format. It consists of:
Primary Colors: Red, blue, yellow – these cannot be created by mixing other colors.
Secondary Colors: Green, orange, purple – made by mixing two primary colors.
Tertiary Colors: Red-orange, yellow-green, etc. – created by mixing a primary and a secondary color.
The idea of organizing colors dates back to Isaac Newton in 1666. Newton discovered that white light could be split into a spectrum of colors using a prism. He arranged these colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet) into a circle, showing their relationships.
Newton placed colors in a circular shape to show how they blend seamlessly—the last color (violet) transitions smoothly back to the first (red).
This layout mimics natural color mixing (like how red + yellow = orange).
The circle also shows complementary colors (opposite colors that create strong contrast when placed together) – which is precisely today’s subject.
Artists, fashion designers, and even crocheters (like you!) use the color wheel to create balanced and harmonious combinations.
It helps us understand color relationships, contrast, and blending.
The way colors are arranged reflects how the human eye perceives them, making it a powerful tool for creativity.
Now let’s see how we can add coherent and interesting contrast to a project using complementary colors.
Complementary colors are pairs of hues that sit opposite each other on the color wheel, such as blue and orange, red and green, or yellow and purple. When used together, these colors create a striking contrast that makes your projects pop!
For example:
Blue and Orange: Perfect for seaside or summer-themed creations.
Red and Green: Ideal for festive holiday designs. If you’re not going for the Christmas spirit, replace red with pink! Warmer shades of green pair particularly well with soft pinks, while greens with bluish undertones harmonize better with magenta.
Yellow and Purple: Great for cheerful, spring-inspired projects. Experiment with different shades within these pairs—a pastel version of one color can beautifully balance a vibrant tone of its complement. Play around and bring your projects to life with bold and harmonious color choices!
Here are couple of ideas:
Applying complementary palettes to real yarn…
To create your palette, start by selecting a main color. Then, place your yarn alongside complementary shades to see which ones work best with your initial choice. For inspiration, here are a few stunning complementary palettes from Bernat Blanket that I love:
Is it possible to create a complementary palette with variegated yarn?
Yes, but only if the complementary color is already present in the yarn. Generally, variegated yarns follow a predefined harmony—complementary, triadic, monochromatic, or another type.
Changing this harmony may result in a design that feels overly busy and confusing.
For example, I used a purple and yellow palette to create a bright and playful turtle with my Tina Turtle crochet pattern. This project allowed me to incorporate a variegated yarn because both complementary colors in my palette were already present in the yarn. The references are shown in the image:
Spicing Things Up: Split-Complementary Palette
Split-complementary colors are a variation of the complementary color scheme, offering a balance between contrast and harmony.
Instead of using two directly opposite colors on the color wheel (like in a complementary scheme), you:
Choose a base color (e.g., Yellow).
Find its direct complement (e.g., Purple).
Instead of using Purple, pick the two colors next to it (e.g., Purple-blue & Purple-red).
This results in a three-color palette with a softer contrast than direct complementary colors but still a visually interesting effect. These color combos work because when mixing both indigo and magenta, for instance, you would get the original complementary color – purple.
Why Use Split-Complementary?
More balanced than complementary colors (less harsh contrast). Easy to work with while still keeping a vibrant, dynamic look. Great for crochet because it allows for subtle color shifts without overwhelming the design.
Split-Complementary in Crochet Projects
Here’s how you can use this scheme in crochet:
For Amigurumi → Base color for the body, one split complement for details, and another for accents (e.g., a blue dragon with red-orange spikes and yellow-orange horns, claws etc).
For Blankets → Modern Stripes: Use the base color for 40% of the blanket, 25% for one split complement, 20% for the other split complaint and the remaining 15% for a richer shade of the same complement. (e.g., pastel pink, light yellow-green, light teal and dark teal).
For Wearables → A sweater in pastel yellow, red-purple and blue-purple will create a sweet and fresh look.
If you want to make your transitions smoother, add different hues of the main colors in your scheme. This will help reduce contrast and make the colors blend in more easily.
Using a contrasting color doesn’t have to be a bold statement; it can also translate as a gentle touch that makes your project stand out and look coherent. For instance, I used yellow and orange to make this little duck. If we check the color wheel, a split-complementary palette puts blue on the other side of these two colors; so I added blue eyes.
I hope this will give you a few ideas for your next project! 💖
