November 29, 2024 • 14 mins
In this episode, Sasha talks about the importance of value as it relates to color.
Mentioned in this episode:
Deb Menz: Color Works
You can find the script for this episode HERE.
You can comment on and discuss this episode here in The Flock, Sheepspot’s free online community for inquisitive spinners.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:59):
Most spinners either love barber-polling in their yarns, or they hate it.
Whichever kind of spinner you are, you can learn to predict and control barber-polling
if you understand what it is and why it happens.
And you will by the end of this episode.
Hello there, darling Sheepspotter. Welcome to episode 132 of the Sheepspot Podcast.
(01:25):
I'm Sasha, and my job is to help you make more yarns you love.
In today's episode, we look at another facet of color, value,
and the effects it will produce in your hand-spun yarns and the cloth that you make from them.
I also have an important announcement at the end of this episode,
(01:46):
so be sure to hang around until the end for that, otherwise you're going to
be super confused next week.
There are, as we've discussed, three aspects of color.
There's hue, which we talked about last week, and that's the color's address on the color wheel.
(02:06):
There's saturation, which is the relative brightness or dullness of a color,
and which can be changed by mixing a hue with white, gray, black, or its complement. it.
And then there's value, which is the relative lightness or darkness of a color
when it is compared to a 10-part gray scale, where 1 is white and 10 is black.
(02:34):
In order to determine the value of a particular color, you need a value scale,
and you can find zillions of examples on the internet or you can buy one at an art supply store.
Place your scale on top of the color whose value you're trying to determine,
hold them both at arm's length, and squint at them.
(02:59):
The gray that is most similar, that is the contrast the least with the color
you're working with, is the value of that color.
But even if you don't go to the trouble of determining the value of every color
in your yarn, there are ways to work with value that are less exacting,
(03:20):
but still useful to us as spinners.
In her book, Colorworks, Deb Menz introduces the chapter on value this way.
She says, quote, This may be the single most important chapter in the book.
The value relationship is the first aspect of a piece that a viewer will perceive from a distance.
(03:47):
The actual colors are not obvious until the viewer gets much closer.
The range of values used in any design will evoke some emotional response.
If you use values that are not consistent with your intentions,
the colors chosen will not be pleasing to you.
But when you learn to see the relative values of colors, you can choose colors
(04:11):
that are consistent with your intentions.
When we are creating and working with our yarn, we are in very close proximity to it.
But most people will see your work from much farther away.
And in that situation, the values that will be present will be the first thing that they see.
(04:33):
Cool hues on the blue side of the color wheel fall higher on the value scale,
that is that they are darker than warm colors, those on the orange side of the color wheel.
Yellow is the lightest of the hues, which is why it often dominates a color
combination, even when it's used sparingly.
(04:59):
Ranges of values are often described in color theory as major or minor keys, by analogy with music.
When a yarn or piece of art is in a major key, that means that the values of
the colors in it range all the way from the top to the bottom of the value scale,
(05:20):
from very light to very dark.
When it's in a minor key, that means that all the values of the colors fall
into a narrow part of the color scale.
So a yarn in a major key would have a wide range of values, and one in a minor
key would have colors that are all similar in value.
(05:45):
We can further break down the major and minor keys as follows.
There's what's called the high major key, and that uses the full range of values,
but the lightest values predominate.
There's the middle major key, which uses the full range of values,
(06:05):
but most of the colors are in the middle of the value scale.
And then there's the low major key, which uses, again, the full range of values,
but most of the colors are at the low or dark end of the value scale.
Similarly, there are different minor keys.
(06:26):
In the high minor key, all the colors are from the lightest third of the value
scale, so think pastels.
In the middle minor key, colors are all coming from the middle third of the
value scale, and in a low minor key,
(06:47):
colors are all coming from the darkest third of the value scale.
Now, you may be thinking to yourself, that's great, Sasha, but what does any
of this have to do with barber poling? So let's get into that now.
Barber poling is produced by strong value contrasts.
So color combinations in the major keys will be most likely to barber pole.
(07:13):
The high and the low major keys are particularly prone.
So whether you love the effect of barber pulling or you hate it,
it's worth getting into the habit of taking a moment when you're combining colors
in a yarn to think about the values that are present, or in other words, to name the key.
(07:36):
Different keys produce different effects in the viewer.
The major keys are bolder, the
minor keys are quieter, and we have strong associations with some keys.
The high minor key, which uses all light colors, is often used in products for newborns and infants.
(07:58):
Let me just try that again. The high minor key, all light colors,
is often used in products for newborns and infants.
The low minor key, which is all dark colors, feels very heavy and somber.
As with any other aspect of color, the first step to being able to use value
(08:20):
intentionally in your spinning is to first notice it.
And if the language of keys feels overwhelming, just start by making it a practice
when you're encountering color schemes to recognize the range of values present
and to identify which values predominate in the combination.
(08:41):
When you get started with this, it can help to take a black and white picture
of the scheme in question.
When working with multicolored braids, this quick assessment will tell you a
lot about what you can expect in a yarn.
When you're blending colors, say in a bat, that's another great opportunity
(09:03):
to think about and experiment with value.
In this episode, we've defined value, the relative lightness or darkness of
a color in relation to a 10-step scale from black to white.
We've talked about why it matters. It's the first thing we see when looking
(09:23):
at something from a distance.
We've talked about major and minor keys.
We've related all of this to the phenomenon in hand-spun yarns of barber-polling.
And I've suggested two ways to start to notice value in your own work if that's
not yet part of your spinning practice.
(09:45):
There is a dedicated discussion thread in the flock where you can comment on
this episode and discuss it with me and other listeners and this week we're
going to try something a little bit different in that thread.
We're going to post pictures of three colorways from a truly brilliant colorist,
Marianne Pagano of Three Waters Farms, in the thread.
(10:08):
So these colorways are in different keys, and they are also all,
as of this writing, available in Marianne's Etsy store, just in case you fall
in love with them and need to take them home with you.
So if you'd like to give yourself a little quiz on values and keys,
head over to the thread, have a look, and identify the key of each of the colorways in a comment.
(10:35):
Now, never let it be said that this isn't a full-service podcast.
Now I'm giving you quizzes for Pete's sake.
As always, the link is in the show notes for this episode, which you will find
right inside your podcast app.
So just open up the description for this episode, click the link and you'll
be taken right to the thread.
(10:57):
And please note that the colorway pictures will not be in the show notes.
They will only be in the discussion thread in the flock.
Darling Sheepspotter, that is it for me this week. Thank you so much for listening.
I will be taking a break from creating new episodes during December and the
(11:19):
first couple of weeks in January.
And I'm a little apprehensive about this because when you start a podcast,
everyone tells you that consistency is everything and that you have to adhere
to your schedule no matter what.
Terrible things will happen if you don't.
And I'm quite proud of the fact that with the exceptions of a few episodes that
(11:41):
were posted on a Monday rather than a Friday, I've been able to do that this year.
But the fact is that, A, I need some time to catch up and work on some other projects.
And B, I really want to normalize taking breaks when we need to.
So all that said, I will be taking a break from the podcast from now until January 17th.
(12:05):
However, do not despair. We will continue to post episodes during this time,
and I've decided that we're going to air some selected snippets,
let's call them flashbacks, from my very first podcast, Spin Doctor,
in place of our regular episodes.
(12:27):
I made Spin Doctor on and off from 2010 to 2014.
It was a very different kind of
show than this one and I thought it would be fun to share some of it with you
so over the next six weeks you'll hear about my trips to Maryland Sheep and
(12:47):
Wool in 2011 and Rhinebeck in 2010 when I was still an itsy bitsy little baby spinner,
And I'm also including interviews with Deb Menz, author of Colorworks,
which I talked about in this episode, and also Color and Spinning.
(13:08):
An interview with Beth Smith, author of The Spinner's Book of Fleece on choosing fleeces.
And an interview with Deb Robeson, author of The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook.
There will also be bits of, not the whole thing,
but bits of a particularly hilarious episode I did with Jillian Moreno when
(13:30):
we were rooming together at the Madrona Winter Fiber Arts Retreat in 2012 before
either of us were spinning teachers.
I really hope that you enjoy this little trip down memory lane,
and while you are waiting for the first flashback episode to arrive next week,
(13:50):
do try and take some time out from the holiday madness and spin something.
I am certain that it will do you good.
Most spinners either love barber-polling in their yarns, or they hate it.
Whichever kind of spinner you are, you can learn to predict and control barber-polling
if you understand what it is and why it happens.
And you will by the end of this episode.
Hello there, darling Sheepspotter. Welcome to episode 132 of the Sheepspot Podcast.
(01:25):
I'm Sasha, and my job is to help you make more yarns you love.
In today's episode, we look at another facet of color, value,
and the effects it will produce in your hand-spun yarns and the cloth that you make from them.
I also have an important announcement at the end of this episode,
(01:46):
so be sure to hang around until the end for that, otherwise you're going to
be super confused next week.
There are, as we've discussed, three aspects of color.
There's hue, which we talked about last week, and that's the color's address on the color wheel.
(02:06):
There's saturation, which is the relative brightness or dullness of a color,
and which can be changed by mixing a hue with white, gray, black, or its complement. it.
And then there's value, which is the relative lightness or darkness of a color
when it is compared to a 10-part gray scale, where 1 is white and 10 is black.
(02:34):
In order to determine the value of a particular color, you need a value scale,
and you can find zillions of examples on the internet or you can buy one at an art supply store.
Place your scale on top of the color whose value you're trying to determine,
hold them both at arm's length, and squint at them.
(02:59):
The gray that is most similar, that is the contrast the least with the color
you're working with, is the value of that color.
But even if you don't go to the trouble of determining the value of every color
in your yarn, there are ways to work with value that are less exacting,
(03:20):
but still useful to us as spinners.
In her book, Colorworks, Deb Menz introduces the chapter on value this way.
She says, quote, This may be the single most important chapter in the book.
The value relationship is the first aspect of a piece that a viewer will perceive from a distance.
(03:47):
The actual colors are not obvious until the viewer gets much closer.
The range of values used in any design will evoke some emotional response.
If you use values that are not consistent with your intentions,
the colors chosen will not be pleasing to you.
But when you learn to see the relative values of colors, you can choose colors
(04:11):
that are consistent with your intentions.
When we are creating and working with our yarn, we are in very close proximity to it.
But most people will see your work from much farther away.
And in that situation, the values that will be present will be the first thing that they see.
(04:33):
Cool hues on the blue side of the color wheel fall higher on the value scale,
that is that they are darker than warm colors, those on the orange side of the color wheel.
Yellow is the lightest of the hues, which is why it often dominates a color
combination, even when it's used sparingly.
(04:59):
Ranges of values are often described in color theory as major or minor keys, by analogy with music.
When a yarn or piece of art is in a major key, that means that the values of
the colors in it range all the way from the top to the bottom of the value scale,
(05:20):
from very light to very dark.
When it's in a minor key, that means that all the values of the colors fall
into a narrow part of the color scale.
So a yarn in a major key would have a wide range of values, and one in a minor
key would have colors that are all similar in value.
(05:45):
We can further break down the major and minor keys as follows.
There's what's called the high major key, and that uses the full range of values,
but the lightest values predominate.
There's the middle major key, which uses the full range of values,
(06:05):
but most of the colors are in the middle of the value scale.
And then there's the low major key, which uses, again, the full range of values,
but most of the colors are at the low or dark end of the value scale.
Similarly, there are different minor keys.
(06:26):
In the high minor key, all the colors are from the lightest third of the value
scale, so think pastels.
In the middle minor key, colors are all coming from the middle third of the
value scale, and in a low minor key,
(06:47):
colors are all coming from the darkest third of the value scale.
Now, you may be thinking to yourself, that's great, Sasha, but what does any
of this have to do with barber poling? So let's get into that now.
Barber poling is produced by strong value contrasts.
So color combinations in the major keys will be most likely to barber pole.
(07:13):
The high and the low major keys are particularly prone.
So whether you love the effect of barber pulling or you hate it,
it's worth getting into the habit of taking a moment when you're combining colors
in a yarn to think about the values that are present, or in other words, to name the key.
(07:36):
Different keys produce different effects in the viewer.
The major keys are bolder, the
minor keys are quieter, and we have strong associations with some keys.
The high minor key, which uses all light colors, is often used in products for newborns and infants.
(07:58):
Let me just try that again. The high minor key, all light colors,
is often used in products for newborns and infants.
The low minor key, which is all dark colors, feels very heavy and somber.
As with any other aspect of color, the first step to being able to use value
(08:20):
intentionally in your spinning is to first notice it.
And if the language of keys feels overwhelming, just start by making it a practice
when you're encountering color schemes to recognize the range of values present
and to identify which values predominate in the combination.
(08:41):
When you get started with this, it can help to take a black and white picture
of the scheme in question.
When working with multicolored braids, this quick assessment will tell you a
lot about what you can expect in a yarn.
When you're blending colors, say in a bat, that's another great opportunity
(09:03):
to think about and experiment with value.
In this episode, we've defined value, the relative lightness or darkness of
a color in relation to a 10-step scale from black to white.
We've talked about why it matters. It's the first thing we see when looking
(09:23):
at something from a distance.
We've talked about major and minor keys.
We've related all of this to the phenomenon in hand-spun yarns of barber-polling.
And I've suggested two ways to start to notice value in your own work if that's
not yet part of your spinning practice.
(09:45):
There is a dedicated discussion thread in the flock where you can comment on
this episode and discuss it with me and other listeners and this week we're
going to try something a little bit different in that thread.
We're going to post pictures of three colorways from a truly brilliant colorist,
Marianne Pagano of Three Waters Farms, in the thread.
(10:08):
So these colorways are in different keys, and they are also all,
as of this writing, available in Marianne's Etsy store, just in case you fall
in love with them and need to take them home with you.
So if you'd like to give yourself a little quiz on values and keys,
head over to the thread, have a look, and identify the key of each of the colorways in a comment.
(10:35):
Now, never let it be said that this isn't a full-service podcast.
Now I'm giving you quizzes for Pete's sake.
As always, the link is in the show notes for this episode, which you will find
right inside your podcast app.
So just open up the description for this episode, click the link and you'll
be taken right to the thread.
(10:57):
And please note that the colorway pictures will not be in the show notes.
They will only be in the discussion thread in the flock.
Darling Sheepspotter, that is it for me this week. Thank you so much for listening.
I will be taking a break from creating new episodes during December and the
(11:19):
first couple of weeks in January.
And I'm a little apprehensive about this because when you start a podcast,
everyone tells you that consistency is everything and that you have to adhere
to your schedule no matter what.
Terrible things will happen if you don't.
And I'm quite proud of the fact that with the exceptions of a few episodes that
(11:41):
were posted on a Monday rather than a Friday, I've been able to do that this year.
But the fact is that, A, I need some time to catch up and work on some other projects.
And B, I really want to normalize taking breaks when we need to.
So all that said, I will be taking a break from the podcast from now until January 17th.
(12:05):
However, do not despair. We will continue to post episodes during this time,
and I've decided that we're going to air some selected snippets,
let's call them flashbacks, from my very first podcast, Spin Doctor,
in place of our regular episodes.
(12:27):
I made Spin Doctor on and off from 2010 to 2014.
It was a very different kind of
show than this one and I thought it would be fun to share some of it with you
so over the next six weeks you'll hear about my trips to Maryland Sheep and
(12:47):
Wool in 2011 and Rhinebeck in 2010 when I was still an itsy bitsy little baby spinner,
And I'm also including interviews with Deb Menz, author of Colorworks,
which I talked about in this episode, and also Color and Spinning.
(13:08):
An interview with Beth Smith, author of The Spinner's Book of Fleece on choosing fleeces.
And an interview with Deb Robeson, author of The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook.
There will also be bits of, not the whole thing,
but bits of a particularly hilarious episode I did with Jillian Moreno when
(13:30):
we were rooming together at the Madrona Winter Fiber Arts Retreat in 2012 before
either of us were spinning teachers.
I really hope that you enjoy this little trip down memory lane,
and while you are waiting for the first flashback episode to arrive next week,
(13:50):
do try and take some time out from the holiday madness and spin something.
I am certain that it will do you good.
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