Not happy with most of what I make--big crochet vent

[winterlights08]

So I have a couple of WIP and I'm just not happy with any them . I have my 63 square blanket going on, and it's coming along, but I'm having trouble with random squares so I move on to an easier one. Eventually though I'll have to go back to the ones I had trouble with. Or make duplicates of the easy ones, I suppose. I'm doing it in solid cream which I'm happy with.

 

I purchased the Babette pattern on a whim and I guess I should have followed the pattern exactly because my first square turned out totally lopsided. I wanted to do my color change in the corner. Of course my first square I chose to do was the one with 12 rounds. So I put that aside for later. Not real thrilled with my color choices.

 

I just started the Ruby Hexagon blanket and the pattern is super easy but I don't know about my color choices (about 18 Vanna solids). Since I have the Babette pattern I thought I could use the color coding formula but I'm not thrilled with those combos either. I'm about 9 hexes in.

 

So before I started to make more hexagons I didn't love, I thought the Vintage Vertical Stripe blanket would be easy since I could use my stashed blues, purples, and pinks for my daughter. But I'm about twenty rows in and my blanket is curved. I used a larger hook for my starting chain. I tried crocheting over my ends, then changed my mind and pulled out half of the six inches and threaded it back through the other direction. Well I think these extra ends are causing my blanket to be "taller" on the ends. If that makes sense. So that will most likely hibernate until I can decide to live with it or not.

 

I hate acrylic, it gives me the creepy crawlies. Yet it's all I really can afford since I have this blanket addiction. I'm limited to the typical craft stores and I can't seem to come up with the color combos I want. I love love love Attic 24 and her use of color. Unfortunately I was not blessed with an eye for color or style. Until it gets put together and it's obvious it doesn't look good. I look at all these blankets on flickr/raverly and a lot of times they're made with Vanna or Simply Soft and they're gorgeous! Why can't I come up with good colors??

 

It just seems the more I do, the worse I get. I guess I should just take a break. I do make little things here and there that turn out okay. If there's a blanket pattern that I love, I guess I should just order the same exact yarn the person used, and not try to come up with good colors at AC Moore. It doesn't help that I've just been feeling so down lately and usually crochet is relaxing for me. I almost feel like I have to do it, it's part of who I am, and what else is there to do? Besides the obvious, of course.

[Mrs. Principal]

Hang in there, we all go through these slumps! I find having a friend pick a pattern/ colors they would like and making a special gift just for them helps me.

[mandymae]

Sometimes, just spending a lot of time in the craft stores helps you get an eye for the colors. I was with my sister today, helping her pick out yarn for an afghan I'm making her as a graduation gift, and I would just take one skein off the rack and just hold it up to other random colors. Sometimes the combo was weird, and other times, I put together combos that looked surprisingly good! (my sister picked dark chocolate brown and mint green--not a color combo I would ever pick out for myself, but I think it'll end up looking good!)

 

As far as the projects where you're struggling with pattern or color, if you REALLY hate it, you could always donate it. I know there are a lot of people on here who run charity organizations, or you could always get in touch with your local Project Linus chapter.

 

I'm pretty sure anyone on here would be more than happy to talk with you and help you work through your color choices/pattern problems, if you need it.

[Titus2woman]

I say take a break from the big projects and just enjoy lots of little things for a while. I promise it'll come back! I don't know how long it will take, sometimes it's a shorter season and sometimes not, but it WILL! Just enjoy starting and completing things for a while. (((((HUGS))))) sandi

[DebraKay]

When I start becoming unhappy with my color combos, I go back to using the pattern colors for a while, until I get my "eye" back. I have started afghans that just did not look good in the colors I chose -- I just stop, rip it out, and regroup. No problem. I figure many of those pattern designers tried a few combos before the ones they wind up publishing. Don't beat yourself up.

 

Just think of how many people see your finished projects wishing they could do it too! I figure being able to crochet is a gift (true one that just about anyone can do if they try, but a gift all the same). Picking the right colors, designing the patterns, those are different gifts too. We don't all have the same ones at the same time. Enjoy what you do have and don't let it take away from your joy when a project turns out less than what you wanted. Just try again! Looking at your blog, I see some beautiful projects! Your 63 squares are looking great and that bedspread is GORGEOUS!

[magiccrochetfan]

I'm a fan of Attic24 too, and Sara London is another blogger whose use of color is inspiring. I feel frustrated too when I try to come up with yarns like they use. At this point I feel that the craft store yarns just do not have the color range that I would like to work with. Berroco Comfort is one acrylic that has a good color range http://www.berroco.com/shade_cards/comfort_sh.html.

You might like to try some wool yarns, like Cascade http://www.cascadeyarns.com/cascade-superwash.asp

These kind of yarns can be a bit pricier than craft store yarns, but much more satisfying to work with.

 

Also i try to remind myself that a photo of a project taken in just the right light shows it to its best advantage. Sometimes I've been surprised by how nice an FO of mine looks in a photo, better than it does in person. Comparing my FO to an online photo taken by a really good photographer is like comparing apples and oranges, in a way.

 

ETA: You said "I was not blessed with an eye for color or style. Until it gets put together and it's obvious it doesn't look good." I think most people have to actually put the thing together and then decide if it works. I have had colors that I felt went together really well, but when crocheted together they just didn't. That's why we have to rip out and try again Reading about using color in crochet and knitting has helped me make color decisions; you might look at your local library for books on the subject. Jenny Dowde has several books on freeform that have good color sections.

[Real Deal]

Step away from the yarn! Yes, this can help you.

 

When you are yarn shopping, stand the skeins up in the top of the cart all next to each other, and walk a few feet away. Turn around and look. Do you still like the colors? Go back a few more feet. What about now?

 

One time when I was doing this, I was very surprised that I didn't like my color combo from 10 feet away, even though I did like it close up. I absolutely loved the main color, so I kept it, and one at a time, I tried different complementary colors. I ended up trading in 2 for brighter shades, and I never regretted it.

 

Now I always do the "Stand Back" test.

[pat54]

Hang in there. I myself have no sense of color whatsoever. I even bought myself the "color wheel", actually I have two, but I've never been able to figure out how to use it or I am using it correctly and the colors don't make sense.

I got on a round ripple kick for awhile but could not figure out color combos so what I did was just went on line here and also googled "round ripples" and looked at all the color combination's that others used. That really helped me a lot with picking out colors. When I'm bummed I make squares. People always need them and if you just do them in one color you don't have to worry about matching anything.

I'm going through a bit of depression myself lately and all I've been doing is crocheting squares. Sometimes when we are depressed we don't think we can be creative so anything we do, we greatly criticize.

Sending you a to feeling great soon.

[TurtleLvr]

We all get frustrated. I think you need a break too and do something simple that doesn't take a lot of thought. You'll get through this.

 

[RoseRed]

Pick a project you enjoy doing. Whenever I get into that type of slump I either start a round ripple or a seraphine (braindead patterns) and do it in a solid color that you do enjoy. Sometimes we get so overloaded with colors and textures and combos that we just need to go back to the basics and re-learn why we enjoy crocheting. Once it becomes work for me I put it down and stay away.

 

I dont want something I enjoy doing to feel like a burden.

[Elvee]

I saw a gorgeous hexagon afghan on Ravelry and the lady who made it said, "I put all my yarn in a large trash bag and reached in and picked a color for my next row" She came up with color combos she would never have thought to use together and her afghan was stunning.

 

Also, on the 63 square afghan there is a crochet -a-long for that and people explained some of the harder squares so that the instruction challenged among us could figure them out.

 

I think maybe you are being too hard on yourself. Hang in there!!!

 

[Threecats]

Sorry you're feeling good about your crochet projects. I think it's a good idea to step back from a project once in a while to get a good look at it. If I put it down for a while I start to get excited about it all over again when I go back to it. As for colors, well I always pick my personal favorites.

 

I wanted to give you some a link to the color wheel. You might find some of this interesting. It explains how colors relate to one another.

 

click this link for information on the color wheel

 

http://www.worqx.com/color/color_wheel.htm

 

I hope your fall in love with your crochet projects again soon.

[DesertCrocheter]

I agree with these wise ladies: take a break. Too many afghans made with multiple colors and motifs. It's overload.

 

You enjoy afghans, right? Okay, take one of the colors you have a supply of and you don't like or are sick of, and make a simple kid blanket that measures about 3 feet. One awesome looking blanket that goes super quick and looks great is either a woven stitch pattern (which is sc, ch 1, sc...; and then on the return, sc in the ch 1 space, then ch 1, repeat...) or the up and down stitch, which is the same as above except using double crochets. Great texture, goes fast, and you will have a finished product in no time at all. That will get your engines revving. Don't know a kid who needs a blanket? My mom donates them to the Essex County chapter of Project Linus, and I'll bet there's a chapter near you, too.

 

Can't sttand to touch acrylics? Go buy some Peaches n Cream or Sugar N Creme and make yourself some lovely place mats for the summer. After all, it's barbecue time, with eating outside for every possible meal. These would be fast, too, and cheery. You could even make coasters to match. And cotton yarn is cheap, so you wouldn't have to feel guilty buying more yarn when you have so much you're trying to use up.

 

Those big motif projects take a long time to accomplish. And those photos? Remember, those afghans have been washed and then blocked, so the wonkiness of the squares was stretched out. Blocking will take care of many of the issues your squares have right now, but I think you need to just leave squares behind for a while.

 

I can only work on one square pattern at a time. It's just too much otherwise. Patty

[Miss Crochet]

Coincidentally, I just posted a blog today about colours. I go through phases - sometimes I just love working with the neutrals/naturals (cream, beige, muted green, browns), sometimes I love the rich jewel colours, sometimes I go through a black/white/gray phase - and sometimes (like now) I could just dip my face into my yarn basket and EAT colour. The more, the merrier.

 

The really cool thing about crochet is that a lot of things look really good when they're finished, even if you think they're awful while they're WIPs. Take my Ugly Babette as an example. The individual squares were NOT attractive, but all together, it ended up being quite nice. Not something you'd look at and say, "Wow, gorgeous!" - more like, "Wow! Um... interesting!" but still ...

[mclendon1]

This is exactly why I have potholders coming out my ears! I always keep a few balls of Peaches & Creme in my bag so I can take a break from a big project. If I didn't I'd never finish anything.

[Feederofthepack]

http://www.kissyourshadow.com/stripe_maker.php

 

This is a random stripe generator. It allows you to choose different colors and stripe width to try on the screen before you spend money on yarns. It may help you see color results. I just like to play with it!

[beckyb]

http://websitetips.com/colortools/sitepro/

 

Here is website for a color scheme tool, choose a scheme, monochromatic, complimentary and so on, slide the bars to change shades. Instructions on the bottom of the page to help you out also. Good luck :0)

[ddc]

Hi! I'm a new member and was just poking around when I saw this thread - I know it's older, from last month.

 

But I just wanted to add with regard to color choices that colors can look very different in the bright fluorescent lighting in stores and in the usual home environment light. I have started projects with thread that was a wonderful combination in the store, and could not stand it in the lamp light I was working in. I was working with a yellow once that was yellow in the store, yellow when I worked on it during the day, and looked almost white when I worked on it at night. So sometimes it's not our choice, but the varying light conditions and make stunning colors in the store very disappointing when we start the projects at home.

[magiccrochetfan]

Hi! I'm a new member and was just poking around when I saw this thread - I know it's older, from last month.

 

But I just wanted to add with regard to color choices that colors can look very different in the bright fluorescent lighting in stores and in the usual home environment light. I have started projects with thread that was a wonderful combination in the store, and could not stand it in the lamp light I was working in. I was working with a yellow once that was yellow in the store, yellow when I worked on it during the day, and looked almost white when I worked on it at night. So sometimes it's not our choice, but the varying light conditions and make stunning colors in the store very disappointing when we start the projects at home.

 

Hi ddc, welcome to the Ville:hook

 

Really good point about the lighting! I have a color I like but it is kind of brassy looking at home or in natural light. When I take it to stitching group, it looks pretty good, somehow the fluorescent lights there tone it down.

[RoseRed]

A lot of times I'll walk over to the window before I actually purchase it to make sure the colors go well together.