Choosing colours should be one of the fun parts of crochet.

But I know that for some crocheters, it can be one of the things that makes them hesitate.

What if these colours don’t go together? What if I choose the wrong one? What if I make the whole thing and hate it?

Suddenly something that could have been creative and playful starts to feel like another decision you need to get right.

I don’t think there is a right way to choose colours for your crochet. I certainly don’t have one formula that I follow every time.

It depends on what I’m making, who I’m making it for and sometimes simply what mood I’m in.

I Usually Start With a Plan

I’m probably not the person who’s going to tell you to close your eyes, reach into your yarn stash and crochet with whatever colour you pull out.

That’s not really how I work.

If I’m making something for myself, I’m usually going to choose colours I know I’ll actually wear or use. I might love a particular colour, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I want to wear an entire cardigan made from it.

The project matters too.

The colours I’d choose for a blanket might be completely different to the ones I’d choose for a top. And what I’m drawn to can change depending on my mood at the time.

When I’m making granny squares, I generally have a colour plan before I start.

But having a plan doesn’t mean I’m locked into it.

You Can Change Your Mind

Sometimes colours look wonderful sitting beside each other as balls of yarn.

Then you crochet them together and…

No.

If I don’t like it, I’m most likely going to frog it.

I don’t see much point continuing with a colour combination I’m already unhappy with just because I’ve started. I’d rather pull it out, change something and try again.

And I don’t think that means my original colour choice was wrong.

It just didn’t work the way I imagined it would.

There’s a difference.

Every time you make one of those decisions, you’re learning more about what you like. You’re starting to recognise which colours you enjoy together, how much contrast you prefer and which combinations make you want to keep crocheting.

That’s how confidence develops.

Not by getting every decision right the first time, but by trusting yourself enough to decide whether you like the result.

Creativity Doesn’t Have to Mean Making It Up As You Go

I think we sometimes have a strange idea of what it means to be creative.

We imagine that a creative person can look at a pile of yarn, instinctively know which colours belong together and create something beautiful without ever questioning a decision.

And if that’s not how our brain works, perhaps we’re just not creative.

I don’t believe that.

You can plan every colour in your granny square before you make the first stitch and still be creative.

You can use a colour palette someone else has chosen and still be creative.

You can frog three rounds because you don’t like where the colours are heading and still be creative.

Creativity isn’t the absence of structure.

Sometimes having a little structure gives you the confidence to experiment within it.

What If Someone Else Chooses the Colours?

This is where things get interesting for me.

If someone else has chosen the colours, I’m much more likely to experiment with them rather than simply decide I don’t like the combination.

The colours might not be what I would have chosen, but I can still play with how I use them.

Which one becomes the dominant colour? Which colours sit beside each other? Does changing the order make a difference? What happens if I use more of one and less of another?

The colours become a creative constraint rather than something I need to change.

And sometimes working within a constraint makes you try something you never would have chosen for yourself.

That’s still creativity.

Granny Squares Are a Great Place to Experiment

One of the reasons granny squares are so good for building creative confidence is that the commitment is small.

You’re not choosing the colours for an entire blanket and hoping you’ll still love them three months from now.

You’re making a square.

You can plan your colours, crochet a few rounds and see what you think.

If you love it, keep going.

If you don’t, change it.

And if you’re not sure? Sometimes it’s worth adding another round before you decide.

The more you do that, the more evidence you collect about what you like.

Eventually, you might notice you’re spending less time wondering whether the colours are “right” and more time deciding whether they’re right for you.

That’s a very different question.

Build Your Confidence One Square at a Time

If you’d like somewhere to practise that creativity without needing to commit to a huge project, the Granny Square Club is a lovely place to start.

You’ll have granny square patterns to work from, giving you the structure, while still having plenty of room to make your own choices about yarn and colour.

You don’t have to think of yourself as creative before you begin.

Choose some colours. Make a square. See what you think.

And if you don’t like it?

Frog it and try something else.

That’s part of being creative too.

Seona x