How to Use Color

Let's talk a little bit about color. If you own a color wheel you will know that complementary colors are found across from each other on the color wheel. You cannot go wrong if you use those colors and mix them in your work. But what happens if you do not have a color wheel and don't have the time to search online for palettes to give you an idea? You have to start that project and you have bought beautiful yarn, you have chosen the stitches carefully and have a becoming pattern that you can make without difficulty. But your colors don't match and the final product is more than disappointing!
You don't want to work so hard to make something for a loved one that they will wear once and then hide so that they will not have to put it on again. Worst even, you do not want to make something for sale and find out that people hate it because the colors clash and cause them to reject the item instead of being drawn to it by its loveliness.
Some complimentary colors are:
* Red and green
* Red-violet and yellow-green
* Red-orange and blue-green
* Yellow and purple
* Yellow-orange and blue-violet
* Blue and orange
Still, contrast can change a garment into something really special, instead of something that would have an expected color scheme. But if you freely admit that you are not sure how to use color to your advantage when crocheting, I will give you some pointers as to how to best crochet with color. Always keep in mind that when you choose a color or color combination; the effect will either be warm or cold. If you were to use a color wheel you would see that there are only three primary colors, these colors are Red, Blue and Yellow. By mixing them between themselves, you create secondary colors (green, orange and purple), and by combining these in different amounts and adding wither black or white, you get all the other colors. If you keep in mind where a color came from, you will be able to combine it with others of the same family and there will be harmony in your design. For example, many people don't understand why brown, purple and yellow look good together. Well, I went to Art School for years and can tell you that the reason they "match" is because if you add yellow to purple, you can get a shade of brown, so they are "related" colors with the same color origin and therefore, they harmonize. But instead of giving you a long color theory class, I will share with you some terrific color combinations that will surely make your work stand out and will help to crochet successfully with color.
You put a lot into your beautiful work and it is not fair that it would only have disappointing results. Let's take yellow, yellow is the color of cheer, of sunshine, it is a color full of enthusiasm, a color that is rich and warm. But you do not want that purse you are making to look like a lemon, you want it more to look like a gorgeous flower in a garden, drawing you to it. With blue you can be bold, bright, arresting. You can be soft, gentle, soothing. . .or you can be cold and chilly. Neutrals go with anything, from punchy colors like orange and mustard, to fresh colors like green. Shades of pink, like fun cotton candy or bubblegum, feminine like a vintage rose or bold like a bright hot pink, this color can make any garment interesting if used in small doses that are combined with neutral colors like natural and ecru. For example, you can make a really pretty handbag that any lover of pink would treasure if you use two shades of pink, one dark and one light as the accent color of the bag and surround it with lots of creme. It would be luscious! If you are a lover of bold colors, you can warm up hot pink with the use of  some pumpkin, lime green and buttery yellow. You can even add a hint of a darker yellow, close to a mustard.
If you are making a tote bag for example for a non-nonsense kind of gal and you have tons of pink thread you want to use, don't make the pink the main color in your bag, use a yummy chocolate brown or sage green, Then add a lighter green and use two shades of pink, one dark and one light to make the brown pop and look less stern. If you want a bright, almost electric  blue to look "cooler," just combine it with white. If you want to warm it up, just mix it with a warm yellow, a cheerful orange or a lime green.
By the way, lime green is an interesting shade of green, it can be combined to advantage with blue, yellow, orange, pink or with a darker shade of green. Pale pink can look lovely if you mix it with a dusty green and ecru, and then you add a bit of red for some punch. Hot pink which is very close to fuchsia, is a great way to turn a black and white bag into a gorgeous creation!
Are you looking for a striking combination? Well, take lime green again and pair it up with Victory Red, and add a dash of black. Or take lime green and use with with a dark almost royal blue and then add a bit of cream or ivory to it.
You love purple? It would look pretty with a happy, almost cotton candy pink, together with lime green. Dark purple looks absolutely beautiful paired with cream or with ecru. Ivory and purple is gorgeous as well. Let's say that you have a lot of either yarn or cotton thread that is in the color shade of emerald green (Myrtle Green, Forest Green, etc.) and you really don't know what to do with it. Well, that is one of the most versatile shades of greens! You can safely mix it with rose, add a splash of red and you have something going. A rich, deep blue goes well with this shade of green also, and if you want a striking contrast, add cream to that combination of dark green and dark blue.
Surprise with a combination of this stunning shade of green and lemon yellow, if you want to tone it down a bit, add cream. Lilac and a pale pink form a good combination with this dark shade of green as well. Melon goes well with this dark green and it has a warming effect upon it. By the way, peach and melon can liven up a maroon or a brown and make it attractive.
Red, melon and Forest or emerald green can make a lively combination. Almost all greens, most oranges, yellows and blues and any white or off white, as well as cream, natural and ecru work well with red. Of course, black red and white or black, red and linen are a classic.
So you have a lot of Goldenrod or gold yellow and you think you made a mistake in buying it. Well, you can add cream and a splash of brown to it and it will look nice. Or combine it with cream and a lime. Black goes with anything, so does natural and white. Black, red and white is an art deco classic. But have you tried black and white with a deep royal shade of blue? Or black and white with a Kelly green?
How about black, cream and red? How about wine, cream and black (NEVER put the wine and the black together, it would be very somber, but put the wine, then the cream and the black close to the cream and it will look lovely.)
Now black, red and white is one of those color combinations that you can use with Goldenrod and it will have a lovely look, a very sleek almost oriental feel to it. If what you have a lot of is pumpkin or any other bright orange, you can brighten it and at the same time, tone it down by mixing it with white or with cream; you can mix with a royal blue shade or a dark green and add a cream for contrast.
If you want it to bee "young" looking, just mix it up with melon, and peach or a tangerine-like shade of orange. Beading with opaque glass beads in a lighter shade of the same orange can make things look surprisingly beautiful.
If what you have is a ton of Aqua or Turquoise, then you can mix it with a buttery yellow, a warm peach or tangerine, or if you want it to be cool, combine with with cream or with off white. If you are working on a vintage purse pattern, make it black and turquoise for that '50s look.
Using color in crochet is not mystery, if you don't have a color wheel on hand, use the color combinations I've suggested and you won't go wrong!

If you want more information of how to use color successfully in your crochet, go to my blog and read this article:

How to Create “New” Yarns and Thread with Color Combinations

http://craftybegonia.blogspot.com/2008/11/how-to-create-new-yarns-and-thread-with.html