Taking a Spin on the Color Wheel

I recently had a sudden desire to play with a certain type of color combination. I wanted to use color themes that had the colors going from lighter in the center to darker at the borders. I've found that I almost always prefer darker colors along both borders in any design I weave.

These 3 guitar straps were the result of my experiment.

I had forgotten the term that refers to this color combination, so I went to play on the internet with color wheels.  Adjacent or analagous colors is a theme which uses colors that neighbor each other on the color wheel. An example is a color scheme that includes various values and intensities of reds and oranges. Analogous color schemes are often found in nature and are harmonious and pleasing to the eye. For more about basic color wheels and how to use them, you can have a look at this website.


And then I found this photo which  is the most beautiful color wheel representation that  I have ever seen!!!!!



It comes from Kathrin Weber who is a talented weaver and dyer living in the mountains of North Carolina. I cross paths with Kathrin on Facebook and her photos often make my mouth water! Here is an exerpt from her website's home page "I have been dyeing and weaving since the late 70's. I weave fabrics that are used for decorative wall pieces, blankets, runners, pillows and bags. I particularly enjoy the flow of colors as I combine primary dye colors to make a full color palette for the fabrics I weave. I use simple sturdy weave structures that showcase my dye work."
I highly recommend that you visit her website here where she shows the step by step process of how she creates her colorful and beautiful fabrics.  She just might be teaching a workshop in your area! Many thanks to Kathrin for permission to use this photo.

My favorite Etsy treasury of the week is one that uses a monochromatic theme featuring the color gray and includes 16 lovely handwoven items. It's called "Even Gray May be a Beautiful Color!"
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d6a19bb8b9a6d91289e93a6/even-gray-may-be-a-beautiful-color?index=14