Yarns to Love
Juicy and Blah: A Quick Tutorial
Here at MDK we have a time-honored principle of color that has served us well over many years of colorwork: Juicy and Blah.
Let’s take a moment to review this foundational concept. We’re not going to say this is foolproof, but it’s pretty damn close to foolproof. I mean: when you follow this basic idea, you’re going to have a swell time.
A giant pile of Rowan Felted Tweed will serve as visual aid.
The Juicy
These are colors with saturation, depth, zing, and oomph. They could be called “gutsy.” One might go so far as to call them “vivid.” We’re going to keep digging up adjectives until we need to go home.
The Blah
To be clear, “blah” is a high compliment to us. Blah colors are the gentle, soft friends where subtlety and nuance are the name of the game. These are colors that let your eye rest, that tug at your heart. They are soothing, kind, friendly. We are not going to use the word “pastel.” But we are going to use the words “Jordan Almonds.”
A knitter will find a lot of fun simply working within each of these two worlds of color. Maybe you think of yourself as a Juicy person. Or maybe Blah is your jam. We get that.
But we’re here to help. Maybe today is the day when you rethink everything and jump over the fence to the other side. Juicy, meet Blah. Blah, this is your new friend Juicy.
What Happens When You Combine Juicy and Blah?
Well, have a look. In each of the panels below, you’ll see Juicy up top, with a totally random Blah below. I spent about four seconds putting these combinations together, and I submit that they’re all at least interesting.
Up top: Juicy. Below: Blah.
There can be low or high contrast Juicy and Blah combinations.
The tweedy beauty of Felted Tweed adds a layer of depth to any combination. In some cases, the fleckly bits are a slightly different texture, creating even more interest.
You can stay in the same color family, or not.
When to Use Juicy and Blah?
The cowls and scarves in Field Guide No. 13: Master Class serve as perfect canvases for exploring Juicy and Blah. Kaffe Fassett has made a career of exploring the juxtaposition of color. We hope you’ll jump in with us as we astonish and amaze ourselves with color experiments.
These are all Rowan Felted Tweed colors, which you can see in more detail over in the MDK Shop.
It has always been tough for me to match more than two colors for a project. Now I have a great system Jucy and Bright.
This is so much fun!
Thank you for sharing Juicy and Blah color choices. It took forever for me to decide on “contrasting” colors, which is very limiting.
My friend Tammy used to do my color combination for my projects….now I need to find a new color specialist….deb
Great food for thought! Love your combinations.
Taking me back to the days of One Million Miters. I think I said to you, “Mr. Watson, come in here…”
I have had your juicy/blah concept in my head ever since.
I love both juicy and blah. I tend to knit a project of one type and then I need a project of the other type on my needles as well. That’s why I have so many wip’s!
Same here! 😉
Love felted tweed yarn I am so happy MDK is carrying this wonderful yarn.
I am a lover of color, mixing and switching oh my brain gets carried on a delightful excursion. Contrasts compliments, tertiary…I have even gone old school on occasion and used a color wheel for planning.
I bought Kaffe’s book, the Color boys. I made the parallelogram cushion or pillow. Eleven colors, Kaffe used 12. Rowan cotton glace which is so close to knitting on a cloud. I stopped at 11 because I bought the yarn at the closing of Windsor Button in Boston. They only had 11 colors in stock. I made it work. A non knitter asked me, Did you buy all these yarns in a kit? No, I replied. She gasped, you mat her 11 colors yourself. I must,admit I was proud. I guess I have some color sense.
Thank you again MDK, love the snippets.
I love all the colors but am not confident of putting colors together. Juicy and Blah helps! Thanks
I could look at those colors forever. And eventually will have to buy some. Was going to save personal buying until after Christmas but …FELTED TWEED!
Juicy and Blah! I love it. Easy to remember, but oh so helpful! Brilliant.
Genius! I’m saving this post!!
“Jordan Almonds”, so descriptive! You know they come in “Juicy” color now?!
Great post. I just organized my stash and I shall look to combine as you have shown me! Thanks!
Very interesting. I hope I will know when to use juicy and when to use blah.
I’ve been studying and teaching color theory for most of my life, but you guys simplify it so beautifully! I love it! And as Patricia Werner of “Dazzling Knits” told me once, ” no colors in nature clash.” I say go for it! Combine with wild abandon! Forget the rules! Run wild in the field of colors! The patterns in your newest book give us templates to play play play.
Very nice demonstration!
I have no problem finding combinations, but I have a heck of a problem choosing combinations. Any advice on that one? 😉
Exactly the same problem! I can spend days rearranging colors. My husband has a great eye for color, fortunately, so now I save myself days of angst, and just ask him! Assigning juicy and blah as descriptives is brilliant.
Kaffe would tell you not to dither! Make one thing and then make another. Get going!
I love mixing Juicy and Blah. Typically a Blah, a Blah and a Juicy. I love that you assigned names to this … you are brilliant.
Thank you! I always resort to the same color combos and this helps me with a way to re-think my choices.
Silly me, I thought I was going to be immune to Master Class temptation. I haven’t been in a colorwork frame of mind at all. Then Ann showed pictures of her gorgeous blanket yesterday. And today, those really close closeups of balls of yarn. I could just keep clicking through them all afternoon. Sigh.
Blah is definitely NOT!! a good word over here in the UK (which is after all, where the luscious Rowan Felted Tweed comes from!) How about cosy, or soft instead? But please not blah 🙁
Ann: “But we are going to use the words “Jordan Almonds.””
Sabrina’s brain: So, you know, pastels.
My mom’s favorite candies are Jordan Almonds. Very familiar with the soft, inviting colors. Everyone can use a bit of pastel from time to time. No shame in that.
Love these posts where you play with color. I like seeing what other people do to kick me out of my own ruts.
*looks at her own wardrobe, not a pastel to be found* Gray is just pastel black, right?
This is so very helpful; matching colors is hard for me, and this was just what I needed.
Great system! I will think of this next time I am hovering over the “add to cart” button
I just choose what I like or sometimes I try to follow my limited knowledge of color theory. Juicy and blah will help me choose colors for my mitered blanket squares.