The Kangaroo Dyer Colorgrid

The Kangaroo Dyer Colorgrid is created by one of our favorite authors Gail Callahan. Her book Hand Dyeing Yarn and Fleece is a great for beginner dyers and so is her Colorgrid. The Colorgrid will help you to discover color combination's that are guaranteed to work, and at the same time, to build your own color confidence. With the Colorgrid you are four steps away from creating the perfect color combination.

How to use the Colorgrid:

1. Choose your favorite color. Scan the Colorgrid to identify the color you like best. This is your "Base Color." Turn the template so that it is positioned horizontally, and center its largest circle over your Base Color.

2. Identify that color's close relatives. With the template in place, the eight smaller circles around it expose colors that are closely related to it. You can be confident that these colors will work well together because of their relationship to each other, Use some or all of them in your design along with the Base Color.

3. Discover the color spark. So far, you've uncovered a "safe" combination, but in the case of color, safe isn't always good. A color selection can appear dull and lifeless if its too safe. The narrow rectangular window reveals your solution: it frames several colors exactly six squares away from your Base Color. Any one of these will provide a spark to your design.

4. Plan your design. When you begin to work with these colors in your project, use the Base Color and its relatives in a proportion of about 9:1 with the color that provides the spark.

Experiment to find other great combinations that will enhance your work:

• Use the Colorgrid without the template. Substitute other color relatives for those immediately surrounding your Base Color. You can use any color in the same column: those above are lighter and those below ore darker. Maintain the same color proportion of 9:1.

• Select a Base Color, then choose a second color three squares to the left and a third color the squares to the right of this Base Color.