Written by Michaela MacBlake Matthews
Welcome back to another edition of Color Swatches For The Soul, where we are taking a closer look at the symbolism of shades, and how to set the mood for your craft projects, fashion, and lifestyle with color psychology! Today we’re looking at Sky Blue.
The Blue Family
The color blue symbolizes calm and intellectual dispositions, and takes its time to think through problems. It is the slowest color of the three primaries, and can often represent loyalty as well, as it is so deeply interwined with time and gentle movement. Blue brings together the witty nature of air and the emotional aspect of water. As a quiet, oftentimes passive color, many shades of blue will shift their dispositions to the context of their surroundings.
How Sky Blue Sets The Mood
Sky blue is a very light and docile shade, just a bit more saturated than baby blue, and a bit less yellow than robin’s egg blue. Sky blue symbolizes daydreaming, and is often associated with Alice In Wonderland, or the dreamy-water sign Pisces.
The lightness of Sky Blue carries an air of innocence, quite literally having its head in the clouds. It is a wonderful color for relaxing mid-afternoon, halfway between creation and reflection. It isn’t a very active color by itself, and often encourages ideas that will likely never come into reality. Though this hue isn’t traditionally useful, it is part of the necessary calm between activities, and is a perfect color to embrace mindfulness.
How To Use Sky Blue In Your Craft Projects
Sky Blue is the perfect color to use when you are crafting to reduce stress and anxiety. It is a perfect color to use in bathrooms for a spa-like feel, or for any knitting project that is meant to be dreamy and indulgent, like a bathrobe, a blanket, or a loose sweater.
Sky Blue colored crafts are the perfect gifts to give to the overworked mom you love, or anyone who deserves an extra dose of self-care. It is also a great color to use in care packages, gift baskets, and ‘get well soon’ cards. Sky Blue is an optimistic color, and can help to encourage a bit of faith toward positive outcomes!
Color Palettes For Sky Blue
Sky Blue is most at home with earthy browns and greens, or warm sunset colors including pinks, oranges, and lavenders. It pairs well with most neutrals, creams, greys, and browns, as well as with other pastels. Sky Blue can be used with darks and jewel tones, but may feel out of place unless it is used sparingly in a delicate pattern, which helps to maintain its true essence in the palette.
Unlike most colors, which work well or poorly with other hues, Sky Blue tends to care more about how it is used. Soft, fluffy gradient blends from this blue into another color are much easier to work with than harsh lines. Likewise, frilly or lacey patterns with Sky Blue can mesh well even with a darker, more aggressive color, like burgundy. A color this dainty needs to feel safe in its dreaminess, and the structure of the palette can truly make or break its flowing nature.
At the end of a day, or even just on a lunch break, Sky Blue is a wonderful color for taking a deep breath, and believing in the best. (Then acting on it… later.) Use Sky Blue whenever you need to unwind, or to let yourself off the hook. Go with grace, and take your time!
If you can feel it, there’s a color for it!
"Mac" is on the Lifestyle Team here at Darn Good Yarn, and loves taking a ‘teach a man to fish’ approach to creative therapy. She is certified in neuro-linguistic programming, and is also the surreal artist and author behind Surrealismac.