You probably already know that you can add stripes to almost any knit/crochet pattern… and it’s a great way to use up leftover yarn! Another fabulous way to use up leftover yarn is to make an afghan using medallions (like a granny square) will all of your extras.

But if you’re like me, the hardest part about colorwork isn’t the actual knitting/crocheting… it’s putting the colors together in an aesthetically pleasing way!

Today I’ll share two amazing online tools that will help you plan your colorwork. Thanks so much to the folks in my Ravelry Group for pointing me to these great sites!

First, pick your colors

For a successful colorwork project, you’ll want to group colors that go well together.

We all have our favorite colors, so chances are that a lot of your stash already coordinates! If you want a little more help, read this post on color theory.

Random Stripe Generator

Okay, let’s say you want to throw stripes into your project. Getting random-looking stripes can be tricky (since us humans are pattern-seekers and tend to go into a pattern even if we don’t want to). That’s why I love the Random Stripe Generator over at Biscuits and Jam!

The website allows you to input the colors you’re using and maximum stripe thickness. Then… presto!

Here are the stripes it generated for me! Isn’t that neat?

The page also provides a text pattern in addition to the image.

Granny Square Generator

Selecting colors for granny squares poses a similar problem: you don’t want like colors touching, but you still want a look of randomness to it.

Fortunately, Granny-Square-Colors.com has you covered!

Input the colors of yarn you have available and you get back a chart:

Follow the image for each square, and assemble as shown. Nifty!

The number of colors per square is a parameter in the generator, meaning that you can use this same generator for any number of medallion patterns, not just granny squares!

Aren’t these fun?

Give them a try and tell me what you think!