4 Tips for Knitting With Hand-Dyed Yarn
One of the best things about hand-dyed yarns is that every one of them is unique, this makes them special, but this impressive quality can also make it hard to get the right finish on your design. Put simply, when you have hand-dyed yarn it’s impossible to know if the colour is evenly distributed or not.
That means it’s more difficult to get the finish you may desire. Fortunately, there are 4 excellent tips to help you get the right finish whether you’re using Debbie bliss yarn or something you’ve dyed yourself.
- Alternating skeins
Even when you purchase two skeins of hand-dyed yarn with the same code number, there is no guarantee they’ll be exactly the same. The problem is that if you use one skein and then the other any difference between the yarns will be obvious.
However, if you alternate the skeins as you knit, you won’t have this problem, any colour variance will be lost in the blend.
Of course, alternating the skeins as you type will take longer but the finished product will be worth it.
- Joining the yarn
Another option that can help to ensure there are no colour irregularities is to blend the skeins. Simply take one piece of each yarn and hold them together as you knit. This is a great solution if you are knitting something bulkier.
This is an effective way to ensure the colours look uniform and not irregular.
- Watch For Pooling
Pooling is when colours start to appear in uniform bocks, even though you’ve been alternating your yarns. The problem is often most noticeable when you’re knitting something that doesn’t have a great number of shapes, such as a scarf or a shawl.
It’s because despite the yarn being hand-dyed, it will have regularities in its colour, these hit your garment in the same place every time and cause the colour blocks.
The best way to avoid this is to use a lot of increases and decreases as you knit, there are specific patterns that incorporate this and will make it easier for you to achieve the desired result.
However, there are times when you can use pooling to your advantage, such as if you’re knitting a garment with diagonal stripes. If you get it right then you’ll have a stunning garment.
- Research First
The key to getting it right with hand-dyed yarn is to research your yarn first. This means looking up projects that have been created by others with the hand-dyed yarn you’re hoping to use.
This will allow you to see what the yarn looks like, to get feedback from others regarding how uniform the colours are, and to see the scope of things you can create with the yarn.
It should inspire you to get started and make something that you can be proud of.
Don’t forget, knitting with hand-dyed yarn is no different from knitting with any other yarn, you just need to be aware of how the finished item will look.
