Making colour choices for a project can be the most fun or the hardest part.
For some people this is where they get excited to either get new yarn or use up some of their stash. (But come on now, who uses stash when you have the perfect excuse to get more yarn, right?)
The Virgo in me makes me overthink sometimes, but the engineer part insists of a decent amount of perfectionism and when translating a story into a pattern, I truly believe that it is justified to honour that story by going deep.
Every stitch of the design has a meaning and so it is only fair to apply the same amount of thought to the colours.
Here is some background information about the squares to give you an idea of the story. You may or may not want to go as deep as I have, but maybe it sparks your imagination to hear my reasoning and then you can come up with your own.
If you have read the Outlander novels, you are familiar with the depth of description Diana Gabaldon puts into her work. So much so, that the description of the happenings of just one day spreads over several chapters. Hours of research go into minor details, like that of the birds Brianna shoots or chicken breeds Claire wants to trade for honey.
So, in honour of this depth, here are my five cents of colour reasoning for a blanket where each colour has been chosen in direct relation to the story each square tells.
The blanket I intend to make from these squares is a simple big square and will have the following layout:
Storyteller Colourway
Colours used:
White for the Claire square and the border of each square. Top left around clockwise:
natural, brown, pistachio (or an olive green), dark green, blush pink, admiral, light grey, scarlet, paper, mustard, light sky blue, dark grey.
This blanket is going to be rather large, as I am using DROPS Paris for the squares, one of my favourite cotton yarns. I usually order it from *Wool Warehouse and there are even *yarn kits available for three colourways (Not the Storyteller, though).
The Claire Square in the middle will be white.
The reason for this colour is first for contrast and second because Claire is often referred to as “La Dame Blanche” – the White Lady, or the white witch. She also is a nurse (and later on a doctor), who at that time wore white uniforms. Plus, at the time she goes through the stones, she is wearing a white dress.
Even though she is married and has some history going on with Frank’s ancestry, I still feel that she comes into this new time with a “clean slate”. She owns nothing and brings nothing (except for “mental baggage”, of course) into this new timeline.
Year Of The Ox
Off-white to represent innocence and potential, a new life pale and fresh coming into the world.
Read more about this square You can find the full background story here:
Sawny
Warm Brown in reference to the whittled snake in which Sawny is engraved.
You can find the full background story here:
Goodbye Mama
Soft Green for the grass on the hill on which Jamie’s mother Ellen Caitriona MacKenzie Fraser is burried after she died in childbed.
You can find the full background story here:
Guarding His Right
A rich and dark Green for the depth of Jamie’s friendship to to Ian.
You can find the full background story here:
Manners and Chess
Soft Blush Pink for a girl starting to become a woman.
You can find the full background story here:
L'Université
Dark Blue/Petrol representing the colour of knowledge and confidence.
You can find the full background story here:
The Duel
Steel Grey – the colour of the swords with which Jamie and his opponent is fighting a duel over a French lady.
You can find the full background story here:
Scars
Rich and dark Red for the blood Jamie looses while being flogged by Black Jack Randall.
You can find the full background story here:
Parchment Yellow like the Scroll that plays a central part during Jamie’s adventure in France with Rebekah.
You can find the full background story here:
Hunting
Mustard as a colour of camouflage when the hunter becomes the hunted and the colourful Scottish forest in autumn.
You can find the full background story here:
Next of Kin 1
Sky Blue – when you get hit on the head so hard that you are almost blind and the sky is the only discernible fix point.
You can find the full background story here:
Square 11 – Next of Kin
One of a Kin(d) - Light
During the release of the previous patterns it became obvious to me, that the design of this square was almost too simple and in no way as challenging as my Clan has become accustomed to.
That’s why I decided to design an alternative to this square that is a bit ‘prettier’, a little more challenging and more ‘cell-like’ in structure. It is the ‘light’ version of the Heirloom pattern “One of a Kin(d)”
You can find the full Background story here:
Sassenachs
A dark Grey, like the stones of Craigh Na Dun, where Jamie meets his least and his most favourite ‘Sassenach’.
You can find the full background story here:
The Kilt Layout Colourway Sample
What seems to be the most popular layout is what we call the Diamond Kilt Claire 20, which includes all squares, the big Claire Square, plus the triangles and the outer border.
Here are some ideas how you could arrange your colours to make a reference to a tartan/kilt. Joining the squares in contrast colour will emphasise the look.
You could choose any colour combination that you like (find some ideas from the yarn kit post) and replace the suggested layout idea with the ones you like most.
Our blank colouring in planner sheets are a great resource to play with your favourite colours.
Yarn Kit Colourway Suggestions
Below is a table with suggestions how to use the six colours in the currently available kits for the different colourways:
Square Samples
I will be constantly updating this post for colour choice ideas as we move further along in the CAL and as we get more squares finished in different yarns and colour combinations.
DROPS Baby Merino Original Design Colourway
Cream center with borders in light Grey, Green, Rose, Heather, dark Grey and light Blue
DROPS Paris Colourway
Storyteller Colourway with White Square Border