Personally, I would prefer to just knit everything in orange. Maybe throw some green & purple in once in awhile but orange is always my go-to color. And I'm finding that I'm not alone. Most people have that one certain color that we're drawn to and, try as we might, we just can't get away from it. Even when I make a concerted effort to choose a color other than orange, 9 times out of 10 the project has some sort of orange in it somewhere. But I'm OK with that.
When I was a kid one of my favorite things to do was color and one of my most prized possessions was the Crayola box of 64 crayons! You know, the one with the sharpener in the back. Nowadays crayons have been replaced by yarn and color selection has gone way beyond 64. Every hue has varying shades and those shades are blended with others to create the incredible fibers we've come to know and covet. There's just no describing the feeling of finding the perfect yarn in the perfect shade for a particular project. But you know, don't you?
And there are so many different ways for discovering the perfect match! Some of us are drawn to the pattern because it's designed in the color that we love and can't imagine it any other way. When this is the case I consult my good friend Ravelry to show me the same pattern in other colors & sizes just to I can be sure it's the pattern and not necessarily the color that I'm drawn to. And then I knit it in orange.
Others are drawn to the yarn and just can't live without it even though they have several bins, tubs, drawers, boxes & shelves (not to mention the trunk of their car) at home. It calls to them, pleads with them to take it home and convinces them that they're sure to find the perfect pattern someday. But for now it's all about that particular yarn in that color.
And then there's the dilemma of knitting for someone else, someone who may not like orange, which makes the color selection even more difficult. For instance, let's just say that someone says they like blue and you want to knit a birthday gift. Do they realize how many shades of blue there are or are they just trying to be difficult? Are they knit worthy? Will they even appreciate that you were forced to knit with a color you don't particularly care for? If not, find someone who loves orange and knit something for them.
All kidding aside, I've found a whole new appreciation for color over the past year and have come to admire color combinations that I would have never considered before my venture into this world I've come to know and love so much!
According to Color Matters, "Orange is vibrant. It’s hot, healthy, fruity and engaging – but it can be abrasive and crass. It’s a polarizing color. People either love it or detest it." Click here to see the meaning of your favorite color!
