Knitting

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Get the Goods on Gradient Yarns

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gradient knits book review

The winner is Linda.

Last week I shared a review of a brand-new book from Tanis Gray all about gradient yarns and ombre mini skeins. Gradient Knits not only provides great lessons in using these colorful skeins, it also offers 10 lessons in knitting skills, particularly as they pertain to colorwork knitting.

If you’d like a chance to get a copy of this book for yourself, leave a comment on this post before the end of the day Sunday, Oct. 8.

I’d love to know if you’ve used any gradient yarns or multicolored mini skeins in a project before. I have some of these yarns, and I had an idea I wanted to try with one of them, but I’ve since forgotten what it was so I haven’t broken it out just yet. Typical.

Thanks for visiting and commenting, and good luck!

Comments

  1. I would love to learn how to use gradient yarn properly. I used a multi colored yarn for a project a while back and I didn’t really like the look of it. So winning this book would be so awesome!

  3. I have two sets of mini skeins, neither is a gradient set. One was a hat kit, and the 5 colors work together, wonderfully. The other was a “grab bag” and while they might be forced to work together, they certainly weren’t picked with that in mind.

    I haven’t tried any modern gradient yarns, but as far back as the 70s I made the gradient effect by holding two or three strands together, trading out colors (or shades of the same color) every so often. For instance 3 of A, then 2A and 1B, then 1A and 2B, 3B, 2B and 1C, and so on for as many colors as you like. Of course, it works best with finer yarns. I still see this method pop up every now and then. It cracks me up when designers act as if they’d invented it, because that’s what I felt like the first time I did it. Thanks for the giveaway.

  4. I have made a shawl with a gradient yarn and I love the way one color blends ino the next . This would be an awesome book to learn more about gradient yarns. Thank you for the chance to win.

  5. I have some gradient yarns just waiting for the perfect project. This book looks to be full of useful ideas!

  6. gradient & avoiding pooling – my math just isn’t up to them yet, despite my prolific reading & math attempts!

  7. I haven’t knit with a gradient set. I won a gradient set as a door prize at a knitting retreat this past summer and have been trying to decide on the best use for it. This book would sure help me pick the perfect project!

  8. Hi – I haven’t really used any gradient yarn yet. I’ve done many projects with Noro yarn and love the color-changing effects of their yarns. I’m excited to learn more about the projects in this book. Thanks for another great giveaway!

Have you read?

Apple Knitting Patterns for Fall and Back to School

It feels like it’s too early to be thinking about back to school, but as I write this my daughter has just a couple of weeks of summer left! So let’s get in that school and fall knitting spirit by looking at some apple knitting projects. 

If you have a 22 needle circular knitting machine, knitting an apple is one of the easiest things you can do. I have an apple pattern over at Our Daily Craft that will take you just a few minutes to knit and they’re a great addition to your fall decor. 

Apple hats are a classic, and whether you want to knit a hat that looks like an apple or one with apples on it, we’ve got you covered. For hats that look like apples check out the rolled brim version from Emma Crochet Design 4 U, which uses worsted weight yarn and comes in sizes for kids of all ages; and the ribbed brim version from Hand Knit Hugs. This one also calls for worsted weight yarn and comes in four kids sizes. Both include a stem and leaf. 

If you’d rather have apples on your hat, try the Red Apple Hat from Little Red Window. This one is sized from newborn to 2T and calls for four colors of worsted weight yarn. 

How about apple socks? You’ll find Ariel Chang’s Apple Picnic Socks as a free download on Ravelry. These use three colors of sock yarn and come in three sizes. Stone Knits also a pair of stripey apple socks that show the inside of the apple. These also have three sizes but they use six colors total, with the main color being a self-striping yarn. 

If you want a little apple accessory for the house, the apple potholder from Nifty Knitter Designs is cute and a great way to practice double knitting. It uses two colors and you’ll find the colors in the reverse on the other side. The pattern only uses about 50 yards of each color of worsted weight yarn, so it’s a great use for odd balls, too. 

Once you’ve got your double knitting skills sorted you can also try the double knit apple scarf from Crow and Chai Shop. The Winter Apples scarf is shown in red and gold, but you can use whatever colors you like. There are apples, stars and random stitches in the design, which calls for DK weight yarn. There’s also a matching fingerless glove pattern.