Knitting

Patterns, projects and techniques

Learn What to Do with All those Great Gradients

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gradient knits book reviewGradient yarns are having a moment, and with good reason. People love the ease of being able to work from one ball of yarn and have amazing color changes appear before their eyes, or using mini skeins in a range of colors to create projects that look a lot more complex than they are.

But the process of using gradient yarns can be a little daunting. How do you know what kinds of stitch patterns will look best, or even what kinds of garments to make with those skeins?

Tanis Gray is here to help with her book Gradient Knits: 10 Lessons and Projects Using Ombre, Stranded Colorwork, Slip-Stitch and Texture.

The book is not only a helpful guide to the world of gradient yarns and how to use them, it all serves as a primer for basic-and-beyond knitting skills.

Each chapter covers a particular technique:

  • knit and purl
  • slip stitch
  • alternating stripes
  • thrumming
  • cabling
  • fair isle
  • intarsia
  • lace
  • modular knitting
  • wrap and turn short rows

A tutorial on this basics is given, then a pattern using the technique helps you build your skills.

I’m not seeing the book on Ravelry yet (it’s technically out Oct. 1, but Amazon has it shipping already) but you can see some of the pretty patterns on the cover. I especially like the lace shawl worked in a ombre with long color runs so that each part of the pattern is worked in a different color. It was designed by Mindy Wilkes. (Several designers contributed to the book.)

This book is a lot of fun if you like colorful knits without a lot of work. Some of the patterns are a little harder than others, but none of them are beyond advanced beginner to intermediate knitters. And if you’ve got a lot of mini skein sets or gradient yarn balls on your shelf and are wondering what to do with them, this book will give you a few ideas!

About the book: 144 pages, paperback, 10 patterns. Published by Barron’s Educational Series, October 2017. Retail price $21.99.

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Add a Little Lace to Your Knitting Patterns

If you’re new to lace knitting or just aren’t sure how to incorporate the technique into garments, check out these tops and sweaters that use lace as a decorative element.

The easiest lace out there is eyelets, and you can practice them plenty with this eyelet covered sweater from Knitcro Addict. It uses light/DK weight yarn and is worked in four pieces knit flat. It’s intended to be a little cropped and a little oversized, and includes sizes XS to XXL in the pattern.

If you’re in parts of the world where it’s getting colder as you read this, the Nora sweater from Bummbul might be a good choice. This is actually a great one for learning lace because it’s worked in super bulky yarn, which makes it easier to see what you’re doing and makes the lace super graphic. This one just comes in one size, with a 42 inch (106) cm bust, but that could fit a variety of people depending on how much ease you like.

Minimi Knit Design has a cute allover lace cardigan worked in one piece from the bottom up. It’s worked in lace weight mohair held double, which maybe isn’t the best for those new to lace (because it can be hard to rip out) but it sure is pretty. Sizes range to fit from 30 to 66 inches/76 to 168 cm bust measurements.

If you’d rather not have lace all over your sweater, you can knit the Lumi sweater from Originally Lovely, which has a chevron lace pattern on the yoke and is otherwise worked in reverse stockinette stitch. (It’s worked inside out so you don’t have to purl every stitch.) The pattern has 9 sizes from XS to 5XL and uses worsted weight yarn.

Or try the super romantic sookie blouse from Trust the mojo (available on Ravelry). This sweet top is started working flat from the bottom up and has a V-neck and I-cord edgings. The sleeves are worked separately in the round, and the pieces are all joined together to work in one piece to finish off the top. It comes in eight sizes and is available in English and French.

You can also pair lacy sleeves with an otherwise plain top, like on the Starflower Wrap from Annelise Driscoll Gingrow. This intermediate pattern makes a wrap sweater with generous lacy sleeves and a double wrap belt. The pattern has nine sizes, from XS to 5XL, and is available for free from Hobbi.