Hello, friend! I recently got some yarn in the mail for an upcoming crochet blanket design, and I am so excited to share it with you. Scheepjes Chunky Monkey is a yarn that I have worked with a couple of times already, and as I build a stash, it’s certain to become a regular in my yarn rotation.
Keep reading to see a tiny peek of this latest blanket design, take a look at my newly-arrived Scheepjes Chunky Monkey yarn, and see some fabulous color combinations that I put together.
Scheepjes Chunky Monkey
The yarn I am using for my latest design is Scheepjes Chunky Monkey. I have used this yarn in my Chevronnie Blanket released in the Fall of 2020, and in my Morris Blanket recently released in Scheepjes YARN Bookazine, issue 12: Romance (affiliate link).
Chunky Monkey is plush and squooshy, as well as being durable, soft, and anti pilling. It is perfect for any project as it’s durable and easy-care.
Head to WoolWarehouse or Deramores to shop Chunky Monkey through my affiliate link – this helps support my work at no extra cost to you! Or head to a Scheepjes Retailer near you.
The color range is outstanding! I made a couple of free patterns – my Namaste Mandala and a sample for my Merryweather Square – with Chunky Monkey. They turned out great and I can’t wait to work up another blanket with it.
I spend hours looking at the Scheepjes website Chunky Monkey page, seeing what unique color combinations I could come up with. With the amount of colors in this range, it’s easy to spend a whole afternoon just color planning.
Keep reading to see the nine color schemes I came up with! Then I’ll show you which two I decided to choose to work up a couple of samples for my new design. But first, to see the method behind the madness, a bit of color theory.
A Little Bit of Color Theory
I have always said that every designer should study color theory and learn the rules of color, just to find the best way to break them. A great place to start is with a tool that you have definitely seen before: the color wheel.
You’ve definitely seen it, and you probably even know about analogous and complementary colors.
- Analogous colors are next to one another on the wheel, and are perfect for a predictable and comforting color palette.
- Complementary colors oppose one another on the wheel, and are great for a more dramatic and unexpected color palette.
- For a monochromatic palette, you can choose lights and darks all along the same color for a really lovely look.
When I build a color scheme, I like to choose some analogous colors, and then throw in a pop of contrast with a complementary color. If you make a “Y” of any width on the wheel, you’ll end up with something glorious.
For Autumn, I wanted to consider cool and warm colors and have some fun playing with them. When I started to mix some colors, I decided to choose some from the warm side, and some from the cool side. For example, purple is a cool color, but it can definitely mix with oranges to make an Autumn palette.
Here are the color combinations that I came up with for my Autumn design. I went ahead and showed you the Chunky Monkey colors that I used, in case you like any of them!
Dusty Autumn Palettes with Orange Hues
In all of these combos, I used the same light orange (Chunky Monkey No. 1026) and medium coral (Chunky Monkey No. 1132), but I mixed them up with three other colors, a medium hue, and a dark and light for contrast. You can see the idea for the design here as well. It’s like a plaid close-up, but I’ll talk more about it in my next post.
For now, look how easy it was to create completely different feels with the three colors I added to the oranges. In fact, for the top left and bottom right combos, I only changed one color, and look how different they are!
If you decide to make this blanket, you can come back to this page and sub in you chosen color combo. Those were my dusty and warm palettes. Now for some bold, bright, and fresh palettes.
Bold and Fresh Autumn Palettes
I’m truly in love with each and every color combination below, and if I had more hours in the day, I’d hook them all right up! The green one and the mustardy one – chef’s kiss.
Maybe you have been inspired by these simple five-color combos. I enjoyed making them! Next, I’ll show you the two combos that I decided to choose for samples of my new design.
The Chosen Color Palettes
For my two blanket samples, I chose these colors:
I told you I loved that green one! And of course, you will never see me leave my beloved orange and purple behind.
The yarn is all in my hot little hands, but I fat-fingered the keypad when I placed the order, so the 1422 didn’t come in, and I got a sort of cadet blue color instead. Don’t worry though! I already ordered the correct shade, and it’ll be here in the next few days. The orange and purple blanket is on my hook first anyway.
Happy Yarn Mail!
All yarn mail is happy, but this box of squishy delight just makes me want to get in and take a cozy nap.
Here are all of the lovely yarns for my first blanket sample.
And here are the colors for the second blanket sample, except for the Aqua which is on its way! Isn’t this combo gorgeous with these four colors? The Aqua is really going to set it off though. I can’t wait!
This is the cadet blue color that I ordered by mistake! I am definitely happy to add this to my Chunky Monkey stash, as it will mix nicely with the shades that I already have.
Tiny Peek at My Latest Design!
I know I gave away the blanket layout in the color combo graphics, but when it is actually hooked up, the texture and striping are so playful and sweet.
This strip practically flew off my hook all in one day. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of the versatility and soothing repetition of linen stitch. It’s just in my soul and my bones at this point. In my excitement, I just had to go ahead and start a few more strips. They’re join as-you-go, so it’s easy to work ahead, and that’s how I help myself not to lose interest in my works!
With that in mind, I’m going to turn this messy pile into a, FO! Until next time, thank you for reading about my color journey today! Hopefully you came away with some inspiration. I can’t wait to share more about the design with you, but that will have to wait until next week.
Thanks again for stopping by! Happy crafting to you,
Rachele C.