What are your happy colors?
Not necessarily your favorite colors, or the colors you like to wear, but which colors bring you joy? Do they change? If so, is there a pattern? These questions have been variably occupying my mind over the past two years. I gained some clarity on a recent hike while visiting my family in Colorado and thought it would be fun to share.
Michelle hiking in Durango, CO, with two of her kids.
My happy colors are some form of pink, orange, and yellow together.
I first realized this two years ago, early in the pandemic, when I created my “Happy Wrap” while setting up the weaving studio. I made mine in those three colors using Miss Babs Kunlun yarn. It felt so good to be wrapped in soft happiness that I made a few for family and friends in their three happy colors.
After I made my Happy Wrap, I remembered that my childhood bedspread was a plaid made with those very same colors! This realization also brought back memories of a soft tangerine jumpsuit that I loved to wear (can you tell I was a child in the 70s?!). It was my favorite outfit, until I went for a hike in the woods one late autumn afternoon. I climbed onto a branch overlooking the White River (ironically named as the river had a reputation for being polluted at the time), and the branch snapped, tossing me and my jumpsuit into the mud below! I could no longer wear the jumpsuit, but it is still associated with happy memories.
On my Colorado hike, I realized my current projects are also a reflection of these three same colors, albeit in different tones: The Color Affection Shawl by Veera Välimäki using our Harvest Blend, Persimmon, and Terra Cotta; and a spinning project, using Merino/Bamboo/Silk fiber with our Summer Sunset colorway. On deck is a baby blanket for a great niece on the way, using our Summer Sunset, Peach, and Peony. I think the pattern is clear!
On the hike, I thought about how the intense colors of my Happy Wrap were brighter and more joyful than the colors of the shawl. Was it just because of the seasons that I chose these particular shades? My Happy Wrap started in the spring, and my shawl started in the fall. Or was it also the timing in relation to my own mental health and well-being. Early in the pandemic, maybe I needed the happy colors of my childhood to surround me. But now at a different stage of the pandemic, I can explore different tonalities and blends, more nuanced, but still in the same happy family.
If you were to ask me my favorite color, the answer is usually green or purple. But if you ask about happy colors, they are definitely a combination of pink, orange, and yellow.
What are your happy colors? We would love to hear from you! Connect with us @colormehappy.fiberts on instagram and facebook, or email us here info@colormehappyfiberarts.com