How to Fade Yarn in a Knitting Project

One great way to use a bunch of different colors of yarn in a knitting project is to do a fade, which is a special way of working with different colors of yarn so that they appear to blend or “fade” into each other.

I’m pretty lazy so the way I usually do this is by working with two strands held together. I change one yarn out at a time whenever I run out of yarn, so it naturally fades as I go without having to do any extra work. I knit a whole tunic-length sweater using this method, and I think it’s a great way to make different kinds of yarn look harmonious.

There are lots of ways to make a fade working with a single color of yarn, too. It’s typically done by working a couple of rows of one color, then mixing in the next color gradually over a few rows before working exclusively with the new color.

This video from Fuzzy Peach Fibers shows a common way to do it, with two rows of the new color, four rows of the old, two of the new and two of the old before carrying on with the new. This works great in garter stitch because you get a ridge of the new, then two of the old, one of the new and one of the old.

In stockinette stitch, you might want to carry on your fade for longer or use a different formula, like this one from Patchwork Times. It sounds a little complicated in the sense of keeping track of which round you’re on, but of course it doesn’t have to be precise (though if you’re knitting a pair of socks or sleeves you might like it to be).

I typically don’t put a lot of thought into my fades because I’m using leftovers, but this post from Eat Sleep Knit has great tips and things to consider if you’re planning a fade or even shopping for yarn to do a faded project.

Have you ever done a fade? I’d love to hear if you have tips for making it look great!

[Photo: Patchwork Times.]

Over the years I have shared a lot of pumpkin knitting patterns, and I’ve knit and crocheted a lot of pumpkins myself. But it feels like there are always more fun things to try with knit pumpkins, so this year I wanted to look a little more beyond basic stockinette or ribbed pumpkins and share some pumpkin patterns with cables, bobbles and colorwork.

In the cable collection we’ve got these cute little basic cable and ribbed pumpkins from Elly Bear Knits. There are two sizes that make a wide, flat pumpkin and a taller round pumpkin. Both are worked in the round as a tube that’s cinched top and bottom when you’re done, and they use bulky weight yarn.

Another cute cable pumpkin knitting pattern comes from Gray Bear Akswokrat. This one is knit flat and it looks like a chunky yarn but you could use other weights to make pumpkins of different sizes. This one also has an I-cord stem and uses yarn to cinch up the sections of the pumpkin, giving it a more natural look.

Add some bobbles to your pumpkins with this design from Autumn Shelter Makes. Also worked in the round in a tube, it features a repeating pattern of bobbles and uses yarn wrapped around the outside to make segments. This one looks like worsted weight yarn to me.

Of course there’s nothing that says your pumpkin has to be a single color, so let’s throw in some colorwork. I love the look of the Cozy Fall Pumpkin knitting pattern from South Stitch Girls. The little leather loop adds a rustic touch but you could also just add a stick. These pumpkins have five colorwork options and are worked in worsted weight yarn in the round.

There’s also the Autumn Fair Isle Trio pumpkins pattern from Equestriann Style, which has three different sizes of pumpkins with four colorwork designs. They are worked in super bulky yarn in the round and look good with high contrast or more muted color combinations.

Have you read?