Faced with a wall of bright hand-dyed yarn with colours that pop, deep and rich purples and blues, cheery yellows and reds, pinks, pinks in every shade and saturation. Solids, semis and variegated, speckles and spots these days colours can actually make our mouths start watering and we can only feel pity for those who don't share our passion.
But what about the greys, beiges, and barely their creams? What about those shades that people turn their noses up at because they're muddy, bland or boring? Do these have a place in the hand-dyed arsenal of yarn?
Dyers will often plan a palette of colours and then pick the neutrals that will work with those colours, it's a plan!
Neutrals used in a project whether it be knitting, crochet or weaving will make the brighter colours stand out, drawing attention to the lighter or brighter yarns you want to show off. Take this gorgeous shawl by Pook GB and see how the rainbow colours come forward because of the charcoal neutral.
Neutrals are also timeless. That mustard shade that we all absolutely love right now may or may not be around two years from now but a neutral, well that's an investment piece that will stand the test of time. Perhaps mixing the two is the answer. Isabel Kraemer's is the master of this
See how the neutral acts as a foil for the brighter colours? We see neutrals used in Fairisle patterns too. Do you follow Loritimesfive on Instagram? Such gorgeous inspirational photos were taken by Lori Ann Graham-Rushfeldt
In my weaving workshops, fledgling weavers often put neutral in their weaving to balance the scarves with wonderful effect.
So love those neutrals, they're your foundation to wonderful design! To see my hand dyed neutral and more click here
Lazykate Textiles Beach Pebble