How to choose crochet colours without overthinking it

Here's something I hear a lot: "I love crochet, but choosing colours stresses me out."

So I want to share a thought that might help. Next time you feel unsure, try thinking in shades, not colours.

Think in shades, not colours

If you love pinks, gather dusty pink, hot pink, coral and rose together. If you love greens, mix sage, emerald, mint and forest.

Instead of hunting for the one right colour, you pull together a little family of a colour you already love. It's almost impossible to get wrong, and it always looks considered.

Think like a painter

Think of it like painting a sky. A painter wouldn't reach for just one blue. She'd layer different shades to build depth and dimension, and you can do exactly the same with yarn.

That's really what people mean when they say a piece looks like painting with yarn. It isn't one flat colour, it's shades layered together.

Try this with your stash

Next time you're organising your stash, or standing in the yarn shop, group your yarns by shade instead of by type. You'll be surprised by the palettes that emerge, combinations you'd never have planned that simply work.

If you'd like to take this further, mixing colour, texture and your own stash into something you'll actually want to wear, that's the heart of The Cozy Masterclass. It walks you through how I build a piece this way, step by step.

Your eye is already there

What shades are you drawn to right now? That pull you already feel is your eye at work. It just needs a project to practise on.

Happy making, Aluma