Skill Guide to Color Theory Part 1: Value

To truly understand colors, you need to understand color theory. I admit, for a long time reading the words color theory made my eyes glaze over. How could color choice be a science—don’t you just pick two (or more) colors that look nice together, and Bob’s your uncle? As it turns out, sometimes looking nice together on the cone or in a skein isn’t enough—colors that look lovely separated don’t always play nice when on the loom. This can be the case no matter what kind of loom you’re using or weaving you’re doing.

Massive tomes could be written on all there is to know on color theory—and I’m sure there are a few out there. But I think it’s helpful to build knowledge in the same way as you build a weaving: thread by thread. For this skill guide, we’re covering value—what it is, how to gauge the value of any given yarn, and an easy trick for choosing yarns of different values for color-and-weave.

Contents include:

1. About value
2. Value tutorial
3. The value of color theory
4. Value strategies video
5. Projects to try
6. Next steps: level up

Tackle the basics of color value and why it matters to weavers with this skill guide!