Handling creams or neutrals in your rugs

Certain colours can be very flat or boring in your rugs. Cream is one of them.

I remember the first rug I made with a cream background. It was so awful. I hooked it all in two shades of off white and it was as dull as a ditch. Actually as I child a ditch could be quite interesting . Lets restate that. Duller than a ditch.

Grey have the same way of working. It can flatten out. Brown does too. Some colours need a little love when you are using them.

Here's how to give them the love they need so that when you use them they come out rich and interesting instead of flat.

1. Mix your neutrals. Throw in some grey to contrast with the cream. 

2. Add a really heavy texture in the same colour such as wool jersey or boucle yarn to create a contrast in texture. Having some wools higher and some lower really add dimension to your work.

3. Use your neutrals against other neutrals. That is try some tone on tone, using the neutral colour not as a background to brights but to other neutral colours.

Extra tip... Use many shades of the same colour...like ten, twelve or even twenty and it will not look flat, even if large areas are hooked.