Crochet

Patterns, projects and techniques

Color Me Curious

by

color grid color tool

Color Grid from kangaroodyer.com

I read about this tool in the Summer 2013 issue of Crochet! magazine and can’t wait to get my hands on one.  I am not great with color.  I know what I like but that’s about as far as it goes.  I usually make the safest color choices since I’m not adept at complements and contrasts.  This tool promises to take the mystery out of color selection.  Finally!  Apparently, you choose a base color (main color in crochet) and place the template over that color.  Then colors that work with that main color will be identified – from colors that are very close to the base color on the color wheel to those that will stand out and add that little extra something to make your colors pop.  That’s what I need!

The tool is small enough to carry in your purse so you can tote it to the store when you are yarn shopping.  It’s inexpensive enough (about $10 with shipping) that it would make a nice stocking stuffer (okay, I know it’s not near Christmas) or gift – or to pick u[ for yourself.  It is, after all, exactly a tool of our trade.  I think I might wonder how I ever got along with this thing!

SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE EMAILED ME PERSONALLY ASKING HOW TO OBTAIN THE COLOR GRID.  I was remiss in not adding a link to the site because I assumed that the tool would be widely available in big box stores.  Wrong!  So far, it seems the stores have been slow to order this very useful tool.  So, please ask your retailer to stock these for you.  In the meantime, you can mail order yours from Gail Callahan herself here.  She is easy to deal with and ships very quickly!

UPDATE:  I received my Color Grid in the mail today and just had a chance to play with it.  It’s genius!!  It totally takes the guesswork out of color selection.  The tool is very easy to use and will be a permanent fixture in my crochet bag.  I won’t be making iffy color choices any more!

Comments

  3. I won one online last year. I guess I’m not the target audience for it, because I haven’t been using it at all.

  4. Ambar,
    Good observations, but this is better than a color wheel for me. The grid shows 8 colors surrounding your favorite or base color that are gradients of the color (not sure of the proper term so I’ll use ‘gradients’). Then, in the bar across the bottom of the grid, you see FIVE colors that would function nicely as contrasts or to make your original 8 colors ‘pop’. Those colors are on a color wheel, but I like the way Gail presents the color options. Works well for someone like me.
    jd

  5. Where can we get these tools?? I would love to try one. I am terrible with colour co-ordinating!!!!

  6. Thanks for asking – and reminding me to add a link to purchase the tool. It’s in the article now. So, please take another look.
    jd

Have you read?

Red Melt The Ice Slouch Beanie Crochet Pattern Review

Some crochet projects are made simply because we need a warm hat. Some are made because we need a quick gift, a stash-busting project, or something easy to work on while watching television. And then there are crochet projects that carry a message.

This Red Slouch Beanie Crochet Pattern PDF sits firmly in that last category.

Inspired by the Melt the ICE craftivism movement, this red crochet beanie is more than just a wearable winter accessory. It is a handmade political statement — soft, practical, visible, and rooted in the long tradition of protest through craft.

You can find the Red Slouch Beanie Crochet Pattern PDF here.

Crochet as Protest

Crafters have always had a way of saying things with their hands. Quilts have carried coded messages, embroidery has documented women’s lives, banners have marched through the streets, and yarn crafts have wrapped public spaces in colour and defiance.

This beanie belongs to that same creative lineage.

The phrase Melt the ICE gives this pattern its political edge. It connects the humble red crochet hat to conversations around immigration enforcement, detention, family separation, human rights, community care, and the role ordinary people can play in public protest.

And that is what makes this pattern interesting. It is not loud in the way a placard is loud, but it is visible. A red handmade hat catches the eye. It invites questions. It gives the maker a way to wear their values without needing to shout over anyone.

Sometimes craftivism works because it is disarming. People expect political protest to be hard-edged, but handmade work brings something different to the conversation. It says, “I cared enough to make this stitch by stitch.”

About the Pattern

The pattern itself is beginner-friendly and refreshingly straightforward. The hat is worked flat in rows, then seamed and gathered to create a relaxed slouch beanie shape. That makes it especially approachable for crocheters who are still building confidence with wearable projects.

Instead of needing to work in the round or fuss with crown shaping from the start, you are essentially making a rectangle and turning it into a hat. I love that kind of construction because it gives beginners a real sense of achievement. You are not just practising stitches — you end up with something wearable and meaningful.

The design uses a textured crochet fabric, giving the finished beanie a cozy, slightly chunky look. The slouchy shape keeps it casual and modern, while the bold red colour gives it that unmistakable activist feel.

Why Red Matters

The red yarn is not just a colour choice here. It is part of the visual language of the project.

Red is urgent. Red is warm. Red is visible in a crowd. It can suggest anger, love, warning, solidarity, courage, and care all at once. For a political crochet project, that matters.

A red slouch beanie can be worn to rallies, community events, mutual aid gatherings, craftivism meet-ups, or simply out in everyday life as a quiet statement of support. It is one of those pieces that can be as bold or as subtle as the wearer wants it to be.

Of course, you could make the pattern in any colour, but for the Melt the ICE inspiration, red feels intentional. It gives the hat its message before a single word is spoken.