Choosing the right wool is all about choosing the right value. Color is important, but value is what makes it work. Look at these wools I pulled off the shelf to hook a pine tree. Will they work? The colors look right, but are the values right?
One way to check is with a value finder. As usual, I could not find mine but I don’t use it much anyways. They come in many shapes and sizes, sometimes in two colors, red and green. Use the green one for cool colors and the red for warm colors. When in doubt, use them both. With the Easter season approaching, you can use red or green cellophane, the stuff used to wrap Easter baskets. The problem with this material is that it wrinkles easily and the wrinkles make it harder to see the wool. It does not travel very well.
Technology has changed so much in just the last year or so that I no longer need the value finders. The easiest method is to take a photograph and then change the photograph to greyscale. Your camera may have an option for this, but the view finder is quite small and can be difficult to see.
My favorite gadget, the iPad, can make this really easy. Just search the app store for grayscale or greyscale (you’ll get different results) and try one of the free apps. The one I really like is called Grayscale Camera. I works just like the camera on the ipad except it gives you a small black and white preview in the lower left. You may not even need to snap the photo!
UPDATE: This app is an iPhone app. After you search, you will have to select the button at the top of the page for iPhone. The app works just as well on the ipad. After installing, just click the 2x button once in the lower right. It will fill the screen and act just like an iPad app.
From this photo we can tell that there is enough difference between the values. The color really doesn’t matter. Flip this around and use the grayscale method to choose your background wools. If you can’t tell a difference in black and white, you will not see a difference once they are hooked. They will blend beautifully.
Wow – Thanks for this great information! When hubby gave me my iPad a year ago, I wasn’t thrilled about it, but now I love, love, LOVE it because of things like this! I just discovered Facetime and now I can video chat with my brother 700 miles away – it’s awesome!
Seems like I find something new every week. I need to write up a new post. I’ve discovered many more neat things since then.
Great tip! Sorry I didn’t have it earlier this week at rug camp!! But I will get the app and use it from now on!
Hi Cindy
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and promoting rug hooking. There are not many artists who have the confidence in their own work that they are willing to share tips and techniques. It takes a special person to be willing to do that. I have been able to advance my own knowledge by using the things that you share.
Robin, Thank you so much for your comments. Please consider writing a Google+ review. I need about 15 for them to “count.”
thanks for this info. this app works great.
Hi Cindi,
Thanks for the post and the iPad app. I was at a class last weekend and used my friend’s red and green value finder to look at some wool, but honestly, I had no idea what I was supposed to look for!
This is great info! Thank you!
Thanks so much for this tip Cindi! No more squinting for me!
I love these little techie tips.
Fantastic info !! Thanks for sharing it with us, I can’t wait to get the app in my iPad- learning new things all of the time.
I really enjoyed this information. I have a great deal of difficulty with values. I often look at the wool I have selected and think that there is enough contrast, but when hooked, the colors don”t show up. I hope you can cover this topic more at Ohio Rug Camp. I don’t have an i-Pad, but would like more information about gray scale, value finders, and using a camera to select wool colors.
I’ll add those lessons to the class at Ohio Camp this April. See you there!
Thanks Cindi… All your hints so great and love your book in kindle app on my iPad .
Thanks Starr and thank you for the Amazon.com review! Reviews there or on my Google+ page are very precious.
Thanks so much for the great info! I can’t wait to try!
Della, Let me know how it works for you once you try it. Using value to choose your rug hooking wool can be very enlightening.