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The Trick of Variegated Yarn: Different Looks in Different Crafts

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variegated yarn in different craftsI know a lot of knitters are multi-crafters, doing knitting as well as crochet or weaving or other yarn (or non-yarn) crafts.

And of course yarn looks different when we use it in different crafts, but I’ve never done a side-by-side comparison before.

Fresh Stitches has a great post all about how variegated yarn looks when you knit with it compared to crochet or weaving. And, as you might expect, the results are quite different.

Some of that has to do with the texture of different stitches, but they also use yarn at different rates that can make a big difference depending on the length of yarn between each color change.

This is a big lesson for me that if I’m not loving the way a yarn looks knit, maybe I should try crochet or another craft instead. You might even get some planned pooling you like that you wouldn’t have seen if you used a different yarn craft.

Have you ever done this switch between knitting and crochet with the same yarn? I’d love to hear about it.

[Photo: Fresh Stitches.]

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Comments

  1. This was a very interesting post, Sarah. Thank you so much. It never occurred to me that this was even a possibility.

Have you read?

Knit and Felt Some Tabi Style Slippers

The felted slipper craze that began last year doesn’t seem like it’s fading away. The Sailor Slippers, often striped knit and felted slippers made with super bulky yarn, because the project of the moment late last year (check out more knit slipper options in this post all about sailor slippers) and they’re still consistently popular with knitters.

Which makes sense because they are fun and fast to knit, and seeing them go from this giant thing to something that actually fits a foot feels a little magical. 

I have always loved felting (in fact my first book was about felting knitting) and it’s always fun for me to see people rediscover this technique. 

If you’ve knit enough plain slippers to fit all the feet you know, maybe it’s time to stitch up some tabi style slippers instead. 

Maymade Knits has designed these cute tabi ballerina slippers, made with bulky yarn and felted. They’re worked flat at first and then in rounds, and are available in 10 EU sizes (the Internet tells me add 31 to your American shoe size to get your EU size). The designer says the slippers are meant to have a close fit and you should choose a size a little smaller than your foot for the ideal fit. 

The pattern includes a video tutorial along with the written pattern. 

You can grab this pattern on Ravelry. The same designer has her own version of the striped felted slipper as well, called Sarah’s Striped Slippers. These are worked in super bulky yarn and have a contrasting foot and a striped body. These are knit flat and seamed and there are 7 size options available. Check that pattern out here if you’re looking for a more traditional slipper shape. They also look roomier so you can wear them with socks if you like. 

[Photo: Maymade Knits]