Color combination ideas for “Ellie” :)

The choice of colours in jacquard is both part of the great pleasure of knitting in colour but can also be a bit intimidating as the possibilities are endless and the results change! For her pattern “Ellie” knitted in Ulysse, Nadia offers two beautiful versions which perfectly illustrate the impact that the choice of colours has on the perception of the patterns. I have tried to analyse the colour palette chosen for these two versions to give you some hints to choose your own palette 🙂

In this first version, the main colour (CP) “brouillard” and the contrasting colour 1 (CC1) “quartz” are of a similar intensity, which creates a smoother transition between the yoke and the rest of the plain body. The contrasting colour 2 (CC2) “merlot” is much darker than CP and CC1, which makes the patterns in this colour stand out clearly and draw small friezes.

In this second version, the CC1 “bruyère” and CC2 “érable” are of a closer intensity and contrast with the much lighter chosen CP “bouleau”. The separation between the yoke and the rest of the body is more pronounced and the yoke patterns in CC1 and CC2 appear almost on the same plane, creating a complex and intricate geometric pattern. The CCA stripes that were very present in the first version are much less visible in this example.

You can therefore play with the intensity of the colours chosen in relation to each other and with their distribution: for example, if you choose a dark colour in CC1 and two colours of similar intensity, light or medium, in CP and CC2, the patterns perceived in the foreground will be different from those in the first version.
Alternatively, you can choose to highlight the patterns in CC2 as in example 1, but choose colours of stronger intensity for CP and CC1 (e.g. “cypres” + “caramel” or “nuit + “poivre”) and a lighter colour for CC2 (e.g. “poivre blanc” or “bouleau”).

In the same way, the marked contrast between the yoke and the body and this “all-over” pattern effect of the second version, can also be obtained by reversing the light/dark colour ratio by choosing a medium or dark CP and a lighter CP1 / CP2 duo. In this case, unless you are looking for a very blended result, you will have to keep a minimum of contrast between CC1 and CC2 so that the pattern remains visible, for example CP “cypres” / CC1 “bouleau” “CC2 “goéland”.

Here are some ideas for colour combinations that work well together (and are currentlyavailable) and that you can choose to place in either position depending on the effect you want:

With a bit of “genêt“: