Who knew? There’s a Colour of the Year and this year it’s orange. To be more precise it’s Tangerine Tango – so says Pantone, who chose the colour as part of their fashion forecasting.

Some like it hot – feature colours from Resene’s 2012 fashion fandeck, including Whizz Bang (walls), Outrageous (floor) and April Sun (table).

Orange is an unapologetically strong colour and many people either love it or hate it. It’s also a warm colour (you really can’t get much more orange than glowing coals) and it has many positive associations. In China and Japan orange means love and happiness. To the American Indians it denotes kinship. Orange is also a royal colour – if you happen to come from the Netherlands. Indeed, the now ubiquitous orange carrot was once a novelty bred to celebrate their royal house – most older carrot varieties being white or purple. In modern times orange often means safety; think road cones, high-viz clothing and warning signs. (I suppose that puts those of us in Christchurch right on trend!)

Perhaps because of the colour’s warm and happy associations, I find I’m drawn to orange accessories in winter. To be honest I’m a little scared of large amounts of bright colour (I’m still in recovery from my goth years) but I love colourful highlights. Likewise, orange is a wonderful colour for home accessories: try an orange rug or throw to brighten up a cold flat, or orange pillows and blankets to create a snuggly winter bed.

Kids seem drawn to it too. I think my most successful gift ever was a psychedelic orange dinosaur for a young friend – if chewing is a measure of love then it remains one very well-loved companion!

More than anything, however, when I think of orange I think of the ’70s. (Yes, I guess that dates me.) I remember the morning sun coming through the kitchen blind in my childhood home. The blind was a glorious tumble of purple, magenta and orange flowers and the light coming though that exuberant pattern is a warm-toned snapshot in my memory.

What springs to mind when you think of the colour orange? Do you have a favourite orange accessory, piece of clothing or other crafty thing? Tell us your thoughts below and tune in on Thursday for some tasty tangerine treats from Felt!

Jo Drysdall has a variety of alter-egos, running the gamut from librarian to corsetierre, archivist to horticulturalist. When not facing identity crises she enjoys ogling books on textile art and vegetables.