Knit a Shawl to Highlight Tonal Yarn

A tonal yarn, at least by my definition, is a ball or skein that is all one color, but includes subtle (or maybe even not that subtle) variations of light and dark throughout the ball. It might have little sections of each color or long runs that fade into each other and make it difficult to tell where the different colors begin and end.

You might also call it a semi-solid yarn. But whatever you call them, they’re a fun way to play with a bit of color variation without having to do any work.

The Grainwise shawl by yamagara was designed with a tonal yarn in mind, specifically A Verb for Keeping Warm’s Even Tinier Annapurna. The asymmetrical triangle is worked beginning with stripes of stockinette and reverse stockinette, edged with a bit of lace and shaped with short rows to give it a ragged edge.

When about half of the yarn has been used, garter stitch takes over and decreases are worked to get back to a point.

While this version of the shawl uses a light fingering weight yarn, you can do the same thing with yarn of different weights, and make it as big or small as you like depending on your preference and how much yarn you have.

This pattern is a really lovely way to use an understated yarn, but because the stitches used are simple, you could also use a more colorful yarn if you wanted. (Or even stash busting oddballs, you probably knew I was going to say.)

You can get a copy of this pattern from Ravelry.

Looking for more sock yarn shawls? I’ve got a nice collection of sock yarn shawl knitting patterns, each of which says it uses a single skein of yarn, though of course it depends on the yarn how much yardage you get in a skein.

[Photo: yamagara]

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When I first started knitting again after a long absence from the craft (which has now been almost 25 years ago!) I really didn’t like garter stitch that much. I found it super boring, somehow even more boring than knitting stockinette stitch in the round, even though it’s exactly the same thing.

Over the years I’ve softened my opinion, and even grown to like garter stitch. There’s nothing wrong with being plain, and actually the texture of garter stitch is more interesting than stockinette.

Also there are fun things you can do with garter stitch to make it more interesting if you want to, such as adding stripes, working on the bias, or doing fun effects to change the look.

That’s the way with the Bernat Twist My Way Garter Knit Blanket. Using combinations of casting on and binding off creates what they call a Swiss cheese effect along two sides of the blanket. This is a lot of fun in the self-striping ombre yarn they chose for the pattern, but it would also be fun in a solid color or making your own stripes.

Despite the dramatic effect, this pattern is rated easy. It’s worked from side to side (if you consider the “cheesy” edges the top and bottom) and has an eight-row repeat that involves binding off and then casting on again to make the holes. They’re kind of like giant buttonholes.

Once you get the hang of it it’s a pretty easy repeat to remember, and it will be smooth knitting as big as you want to make it.

You can download this pattern from the Yarnspirations website for free, or you can buy a kit direct from them that includes the yarn you need (and knitting needles if you need those, too). Bernat Sport Ombre Twist, which is what is used in the pattern, comes in 12 self patterning colors and is a DK weight acrylic yarn.

[Photo: Yarnspirations]

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