Which camp do you fall in - do you like to let variegated yarn do its thing and let it flash or pool OR do you prefer to do something to break up the pooling and patterning?
Honestly, it depends upon the project. Sometimes it's nice, but often it doesn't look like what you thought it would! So, there are places for variegated yarns, but not all the time.
I want to take a moment to say thank you! Thank you for acknowledging that we are individuals and like what we like. Previously I had come across a RUclipsr/ knitting instructor who basically lumped everyone into the "Nobody likes pooling" camp. I am an aspiring yarn dyer and that reverberated through me thinking that I can't do variegated yarn, because no one likes pooling or flashing, despite the fact that I do. Hearing these comments allowed me to reverse that thought in my head and now maybe I can move forward with dyeing ideas I had had previously. Thank you!
You should definitely dye variegated yarns! There are lots of people who like pooling and flashing (those were just a few of the comments - there were a lot more from people who love to knit plain Stockinette projects with variegated yarn). And even though I don't love the patterning, I like variegated yarns and want to knit with them!
@@adelinaprentice4703 I don’t. I haven’t started dyeing commercially yet. I only have a small set up at the moment to see if it is something I am any good at. We just recently moved and I will most likely expand by the end of the year (depending on finances).
I’m in the “let it do its thing” camp when making socks - the funkier the better. But for larger projects like sweaters, I generally avoid variegated yarn for the body of the sweater. I do want to try a variegated yarn for the yoke of a Fair Isle sweater - that can be a beautiful effect.
I buy variegated yarn knowing that I'm going to have fun and not quite knowing how my project will look, and it brings me great joy. I spent a lot of these videos thinking "why buy the pretty yarn then?"
I love, love variegated yarns in the skein and I buy them because they're gorgeous. But I'm a fan of cables and lace, and I find that the color changes detract from or even obscure cables and lace. However, I like it in colorwork. It's fun to use, say, a rainbow speckle or variegated skein with a black background. Electric! :) Also, I don't think you need to apologize for voicing your opinion. I enjoyed your videos showcasing how to optimize the look of the yarns. I didn't see them as negative in any way.
I really enjoyed this series and was interested in the comments you discussed here, as I also struggle with knitting variegated yarns and was surprised and interested to hear what people enjoy about knitting with them. I find I'm so seduced by the gorgeous colours in a skein, but when caked and knitted I just don't really like how it looks - so much so, that I avoid buying variegated yarns now, unless there's a specific project I want it for, such as two colour brioche, for example. This series was timely for me as I have a few skeins of a lovely variegated yarn in my stash, that I want to make a jumper in, so have been looking for ways to use it effectively, so now have a few ideas to work with! Thank you.
I am kind of in the middle of the variegated yarn thing. I love using variegated yarn in a lot of my Tunisian crochet projects. Because of the way you work the forward pass and then the pass back, it really makes things pretty. I think crochet works better with variegated yarn than knitting does. I have used variegated yarn in cowls using cables and it has looked great. Plain stockinette stitch though, to me, isn't the greatest. I have really enjoyed these videos and seeing every ones comments. We all have different experiences and it is great to see that.
I'm in the let the yarn do its thing camp. I appreciate that you acknowledged the fact that the patterning of variegated yarns is fun and enjoyable for some makers. I didn't take the videos you made on the topic as a slight or criticism of those who like these yarns. I thought they were interesting!
Thanks for all the tips on working with variegated yarn! I love the colors in variegated yarns but not always how it looks knitted up. Which makes them intimidating to work with. But, your videos have given me some new ideas about how to use them effectively. Especially for sweaters. Thank you! ❤
I love hand dyed, variegated yarn IN THE SKEIN. But I learned, years ago, that I rarely like it when knitted up. I love knitting with speckled yarn, tonal yarn, self striping yarn, but not variegated.
Wonderful. So great you present both sides about a topic or choice. It really shows your professionalism. It shows b you listen to your viewers. It encourages others to continue to watch because they know they will learn something knew. Great job. I crochet and considered learning to knit. I am encouraged so much by this video.
Thank you for these videos on variegated yarn. You made me aware of some new things to try with variegated. Zuberball crazy and the baby surprise jacket are always a good match. Other than Zauberball yarns, I will continue to shy away from variegated yarns for sweaters, vests, and larger clothing items, I've been burned too many timed. Truth - it was two different baby vests -😕 - the pain was real.
I love the pooling and flashing in the yarn! I look for those types of yarns just to have it lol. But to be fair, you did say in your first video that it was cool if you like that, but the second video was for people who wanted to minimize that. I watched it anyway though lol
I love variegated yarn. It's pretty. I love to just let it be what it is. Not a fan of pooling. It seems to involve too much planning. Makes my head hurt like math. I am going to find your three previous videos on variegated yarn and enjoy your perspectives on it.
I very rarely buy variegated yarn, but a few things I like to do with it are granny squares, amigurumi where the pooling looks like an animal print (eg marine animals, tiger stripes) and socks with a slip stitch pattern. I might try socks with assigned pooling, never heard of this technique before!
I'm in a category of my own. I'm fairly new to varigated yarns, and yes I have been disappointed when knitting with it and not at all recognizing the yarn I fell in love with. But! It's not as simple as let it do it's thing vs. not. It is about recognizing that yarn you fel in love with, sometimes that means let that baby run wild and make the most wonderful unique piece. Other times it means counting stitches, test knit, rip out, cast more on, test knit, rip out cast a little less on untill I find the magic number. For me, both things are for accessories. A little pop of bright colors and energy to brighten up you everyday outfit. A whole sweater would be too busy for me, I can't pull that off 😂
Undulance #2 by Suzanne Bryan is a very cool and easy sock pattern utilising short rows. It is in my queue for some time and this video totally pushes me over to cast on!
Thank so much for this discussion. Learned new things and got sone great ideas. Scored a new copy of the Artful Color Mindful Knits book on eBay. Thanks for sharing that recommendation. Take care!
I am glad you came back to this topic, I am a new knitter I am drawn to the variegated yarns - in the first video it was pretty obvious that you don't care for them so it was good to see both the stitch patterns and the various ideas for patterns that can make them lovely. I suspect I will fall into the Let Them do Their Own Thing camp when I am more experienced but who knows.
I like the way variegated yarn does its thing, but I also enjoyed your take and especially the swatches of different stitches. I loved your advice about letting the yarn or the stitches be the star of the show, but not both.
For me it depends on how the colors pool or flash. I would love to do something with that, but what I have usually ends up looking like a mess. I know there's software or apps that help with that. Is like to know the most useful for others. I appreciate you for the revisit!
I don't enjoy flashing/pooling etc. so I loved the series but I did think the series would still be of interest to everyone just to think about all the ways you can switch up how that variegated yarn looks. Who doesn't love all the fun possibilities?! 😊
I watched a view videos on planned pooling for crochet projects. To me, it seemed like too much work. I'm not sure if I'd attempt for knitting. The assigned pooling sounds like something I'd try. There is a new yarn out (sorry I cannot remember the name/brand) which is marketed to crocheters not wanting to weave in ends for granny squares. Several experienced crocheters tried to make granny squares - they gave up out of frustration. Best advice I ever got - you do you!
I do enjoy the random pooling but I also appreciate the idea of changing the stitches to highlight a particular color. So even though most of these videos weren't for me, I did get something to try. Lots of love 🧡
@@NerdyKnitting I have learned so much from you after knitting for a couple of decades. I didn't get my sweater done from your class this winter but am going through the course again. I'm really glad we get access to the new videos ☺️🧡
Thank you for your series. I looked forward to each one to learn how I can make something that intentionally places colors so it doesn’t pool and lets each color shine. Buying a skein of yarn that ends up pooling has been frustrating. Sometimes when the colors pool it muddies the end product. Hope to see maybe one more episode about this subject? Maybe? If you’re not too tired of talking about it.
I love variegated yarns but I do organise them in the making a bit. So I guess I have a foot in each camp. Mostly I'll work with 3 or 4 different colours. I'm looking for the happy accident that you get when painting. With longer variations I'll use vertical stripes and allow the colours to do there thing within each stripe. Currently, I'm crocheting 4 colours that have quite short runs of colour. I'm making a plaid with two yarns in any one stitch. Vertical colours act as warp in weaving while horizontal balls act as weft. This is turning out to be really really slow because keeping 5 active yarns relatively untangled takes care and concentration. However, so far I'm really happy with the out come. I'd insert photos if it was possible.
I think both camps are valid. For me, it depends on what I’m knitting. I don’t mind letting the yarn do its thing on socks. However, with a larger project which is more dressy I might not want the color pooling. It would be okay on a more casual top.
I’m in Camp Tanya. I do not like the pooling and flashing of hand dyed variegated yarns and will almost always buy yarns that are single colors or tonals.
I do like we are all different and free to have things we like or don't like. This just goes for all topics in general . As far as variegated Yarn , I guess I am standing up on this fence , balancing. I don't feel strongly in either direction on this one. So so unpredictable to make a garment with variegated, so many many hours, and I have no idea what my results will be , will I love it or will I hate it. Husband is retiring and I am seeing less time for knitting as he stays home more and more, (he doesn't understand for me it is relaxing, I have work and this is my play) I do use color changing sock yarns , because it is a known circumference, so I don't have to come up with random color sequence , and patterns, sometimes I might contrast a toe, heel and / or cuff. I am fussy about them matching , I will lay out the yarn side by side to make sure I am at the exact same point. some people would HATE that, but I am doing ME. Let me do it hahaha :D I also am using a slow changing , fading colourway for the Papillon shawl , but pretty much that is the only larger project (because of short rows) Semi related note : I was all over the color pooling patterned plaid -ish crochet blankets, for my child (30 now ) , at the time she adored them and crochet comes natural to me , they were fun and I had someone to give them to. They stayed with her , now a throw at her own home.
I knitted the back piece of a sweater using a tonal variegated yarn. I really liked the tonal variation. I simply knitted it in stockinette and bound off per the pattern. To my horror, when I looked at the finished piece, I noticed the pooling effect. It was very obvious and just didn't look good! I ended up not completing the garment and giving it away to charity. Needless to say, I learned something about variegated yarns. Now, when I use variegated yarns, I alternate skeins throughout the piece. I knit a few rows from one skein and change to the other skein for a few rows alternating between the two. It seems to work! I do like using variegated yarns. It does pay off to consider the overall effect.
I’m on top of the fence- I like variegated yarn with short color changes- but do not like variegated yarn with longer color change. Don’t like the weird pooling , etc. 🧶🧶🧶🧶
I’m definitely in the hate pooling and flashing camp. I avoid variegated yarns because the amount of work required to avoid it (helical knitting, knitting from both ends, switching skeins, etc) is fussy and takes the relaxation out of knitting for me. I strive to make my garments look less “homemade, arts and craftsy” and more like high end designer items, where people may ask where I purchased it, not if I made it. I figure if I’m paying a pretty penny for high quality yarn, and if I WERE to sell it (combined 60-80 hours of labor and $100-$200 in material), it would be priced LIKE those high end garments at $1000-$2000, so it may as well LOOK that way. I’ve never seen a designer or custom item with flashing and pooling in the yarn, so I suppose that had influenced my opinion. That said, I highly value hearing from folks who DO love it and it helps me to appreciate the variety of opinions. I frankly have only ever heard people going to great lengths trying to avoid the pooling and flashing of their beautiful hand dyed and variegated skeins, so this video opened my eyes to a whole new world! When I first learned to knit 22 years ago, I bought some beautiful hand dyed yarn, lured in by the magical colors. I have tried knitting several things only to frog and re-wind the yarn because the pooling was so off putting. I was delighted by this series because I’ve been hanging onto that yarn for all these years, hoping someday I may be able to use it in a way that brings me joy. I bought it as a souvenir with a dear friend who tragically died and it makes me think fondly of her. So thank you for the tips through this series. I feel confident that I will be able to work with it now 😊
I agree - I like my projects to look well-finished as well. And I hope you're able to find a project that suits that skein of yarn you're holding onto in memory of your dear friend. ❤️
I am in the middle of the road with variegated yarn, I may like most of the colors in the skein but there always seems to be one of the colors I do not like, so I do not buy them often.
To be sincere, I don't know where I side on this topic. I'm not a real fan of the random striping but I'm fine with the pooling, strangely enough, I'm fine with random speckling because I have some knitted sweaters (2 different but using the same yarns) that have 3 different thin strands of color together (cream/off white, blue and dusty blue) and I love that effect, but that is not the same as the effect variegated yarn does. Probably my problem with the striping is the same I have with polka dots: all comes down to my astigmatism and the way that they make me dizzy when I look at them specially if they are moving, obviously I can't wear them and I don't directly look to people wearing them. Another problem I may or may not have with variegated yarn are the colors because I already have problems dealing with colors in everything (I struggle to "like" a lot of colors specially if they are too bold and saturated) so even finding a skein with colors I can deal with is an ordeal in itself. I see other people's works and they look pretty (despite me not liking the colors) but I wouldn't make them OR wear them myself. I envy AND respect people that like them and work with them because I COULD NEVER do it. I'm too picky when it comes to colors and textures (that's why I did watch the entire series) so I can relate with the "I don't like it" people more than with the "I like it" but I can't really say that "I don't like it". Makes sense? Probably no but well... I tried I guess.
I have lots of variegated yarn bc it's pretty. But I never know what to use it for. As I prefer to use solids in jumpers. Recently I've been crocheting them. I won't knit with it.
I love them but when i work with them i usually do light and airy things like shawls with lots of holes. I like them less just straight up knit tight together like in a sock.
Which camp do you fall in - do you like to let variegated yarn do its thing and let it flash or pool OR do you prefer to do something to break up the pooling and patterning?
Not a fan of variegated yarn.
Definitely prefer to break up the pooling.
Not a fan except for on amigurumi animals and granny squares, and occasionally socks.
I don't really mind the pooling 😅
Honestly, it depends upon the project. Sometimes it's nice, but often it doesn't look like what you thought it would! So, there are places for variegated yarns, but not all the time.
I want to take a moment to say thank you! Thank you for acknowledging that we are individuals and like what we like. Previously I had come across a RUclipsr/ knitting instructor who basically lumped everyone into the "Nobody likes pooling" camp. I am an aspiring yarn dyer and that reverberated through me thinking that I can't do variegated yarn, because no one likes pooling or flashing, despite the fact that I do. Hearing these comments allowed me to reverse that thought in my head and now maybe I can move forward with dyeing ideas I had had previously. Thank you!
You should definitely dye variegated yarns! There are lots of people who like pooling and flashing (those were just a few of the comments - there were a lot more from people who love to knit plain Stockinette projects with variegated yarn). And even though I don't love the patterning, I like variegated yarns and want to knit with them!
I am glad to see you say you are going forward with your dyeing ideas. To me there are not enough hand dyed variegated yarns out there.
Do you have an instagram or anything? I love variegated yarn, but I'm only just getting into using it :)
@@adelinaprentice4703 I don’t. I haven’t started dyeing commercially yet. I only have a small set up at the moment to see if it is something I am any good at. We just recently moved and I will most likely expand by the end of the year (depending on finances).
I love indie yarn dyers! Do you have a sales platform yet,
I’m in the “let it do its thing” camp when making socks - the funkier the better. But for larger projects like sweaters, I generally avoid variegated yarn for the body of the sweater. I do want to try a variegated yarn for the yoke of a Fair Isle sweater - that can be a beautiful effect.
Thank you so much. These videos were very helpful.
I buy variegated yarn knowing that I'm going to have fun and not quite knowing how my project will look, and it brings me great joy. I spent a lot of these videos thinking "why buy the pretty yarn then?"
I love, love variegated yarns in the skein and I buy them because they're gorgeous. But I'm a fan of cables and lace, and I find that the color changes detract from or even obscure cables and lace. However, I like it in colorwork. It's fun to use, say, a rainbow speckle or variegated skein with a black background. Electric! :) Also, I don't think you need to apologize for voicing your opinion. I enjoyed your videos showcasing how to optimize the look of the yarns. I didn't see them as negative in any way.
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the series.
Who knew this topic was so controversial? I have thoroughly enjoyed this series. Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.
Right?
I know! I had no idea until I started reading everyone's comments!
I really enjoyed this series and was interested in the comments you discussed here, as I also struggle with knitting variegated yarns and was surprised and interested to hear what people enjoy about knitting with them. I find I'm so seduced by the gorgeous colours in a skein, but when caked and knitted I just don't really like how it looks - so much so, that I avoid buying variegated yarns now, unless there's a specific project I want it for, such as two colour brioche, for example.
This series was timely for me as I have a few skeins of a lovely variegated yarn in my stash, that I want to make a jumper in, so have been looking for ways to use it effectively, so now have a few ideas to work with! Thank you.
I am kind of in the middle of the variegated yarn thing. I love using variegated yarn in a lot of my Tunisian crochet projects. Because of the way you work the forward pass and then the pass back, it really makes things pretty. I think crochet works better with variegated yarn than knitting does. I have used variegated yarn in cowls using cables and it has looked great. Plain stockinette stitch though, to me, isn't the greatest. I have really enjoyed these videos and seeing every ones comments. We all have different experiences and it is great to see that.
I have a Tunisian crochet project on my to-do list - I think I'm going to have to try some variegated yarn with it.
Socks and hats are fine with variegated, but larger garments looks funny with variegated yarns. It is fine if I helical knit it with a tonal.
I'm in the let the yarn do its thing camp. I appreciate that you acknowledged the fact that the patterning of variegated yarns is fun and enjoyable for some makers. I didn't take the videos you made on the topic as a slight or criticism of those who like these yarns. I thought they were interesting!
Thanks for all the tips on working with variegated yarn! I love the colors in variegated yarns but not always how it looks knitted up. Which makes them intimidating to work with. But, your videos have given me some new ideas about how to use them effectively. Especially for sweaters. Thank you! ❤
Glad it was helpful!
I think the popular shawl pattern you were thinking about might be Mary Annarella's Killer Queen Cowl. There is a Killer Queen Shawl pattern too.
I love hand dyed, variegated yarn IN THE SKEIN. But I learned, years ago, that I rarely like it when knitted up. I love knitting with speckled yarn, tonal yarn, self striping yarn, but not variegated.
Wonderful. So great you present both sides about a topic or choice. It really shows your professionalism. It shows b you listen to your viewers. It encourages others to continue to watch because they know they will learn something knew.
Great job.
I crochet and considered learning to knit. I am encouraged so much by this video.
Thank you! I thought it was important to hear both sides of the argument and I'm glad to know that's appreciated.
Thank you for these videos on variegated yarn. You made me aware of some new things to try with variegated. Zuberball crazy and the baby surprise jacket are always a good match. Other than Zauberball yarns, I will continue to shy away from variegated yarns for sweaters, vests, and larger clothing items, I've been burned too many timed. Truth - it was two different baby vests -😕 - the pain was real.
I love the pooling and flashing in the yarn! I look for those types of yarns just to have it lol. But to be fair, you did say in your first video that it was cool if you like that, but the second video was for people who wanted to minimize that. I watched it anyway though lol
I love variegated yarn. It's pretty. I love to just let it be what it is. Not a fan of pooling. It seems to involve too much planning. Makes my head hurt like math. I am going to find your three previous videos on variegated yarn and enjoy your perspectives on it.
I very rarely buy variegated yarn, but a few things I like to do with it are granny squares, amigurumi where the pooling looks like an animal print (eg marine animals, tiger stripes) and socks with a slip stitch pattern. I might try socks with assigned pooling, never heard of this technique before!
I'm in a category of my own. I'm fairly new to varigated yarns, and yes I have been disappointed when knitting with it and not at all recognizing the yarn I fell in love with. But! It's not as simple as let it do it's thing vs. not. It is about recognizing that yarn you fel in love with, sometimes that means let that baby run wild and make the most wonderful unique piece. Other times it means counting stitches, test knit, rip out, cast more on, test knit, rip out cast a little less on untill I find the magic number.
For me, both things are for accessories. A little pop of bright colors and energy to brighten up you everyday outfit. A whole sweater would be too busy for me, I can't pull that off 😂
Undulance #2 by Suzanne Bryan is a very cool and easy sock pattern utilising short rows. It is in my queue for some time and this video totally pushes me over to cast on!
Oh, that pattern would be perfect for variegated yarn!
Thank so much for this discussion. Learned new things and got sone great ideas. Scored a new copy of the Artful Color Mindful Knits book on eBay. Thanks for sharing that recommendation. Take care!
I am glad you came back to this topic, I am a new knitter I am drawn to the variegated yarns - in the first video it was pretty obvious that you don't care for them so it was good to see both the stitch patterns and the various ideas for patterns that can make them lovely. I suspect I will fall into the Let Them do Their Own Thing camp when I am more experienced but who knows.
I like the way variegated yarn does its thing, but I also enjoyed your take and especially the swatches of different stitches. I loved your advice about letting the yarn or the stitches be the star of the show, but not both.
I can't say that advice is originally mine - I've heard it from other knitters and it has just stuck with me.
For me it depends on how the colors pool or flash. I would love to do something with that, but what I have usually ends up looking like a mess. I know there's software or apps that help with that. Is like to know the most useful for others. I appreciate you for the revisit!
I don't enjoy flashing/pooling etc. so I loved the series but I did think the series would still be of interest to everyone just to think about all the ways you can switch up how that variegated yarn looks. Who doesn't love all the fun possibilities?! 😊
I watched a view videos on planned pooling for crochet projects. To me, it seemed like too much work. I'm not sure if I'd attempt for knitting.
The assigned pooling sounds like something I'd try.
There is a new yarn out (sorry I cannot remember the name/brand) which is marketed to crocheters not wanting to weave in ends for granny squares. Several experienced crocheters tried to make granny squares - they gave up out of frustration.
Best advice I ever got - you do you!
I do enjoy the random pooling but I also appreciate the idea of changing the stitches to highlight a particular color. So even though most of these videos weren't for me, I did get something to try. Lots of love 🧡
Thank you! I'm glad you found something useful from the series.
@@NerdyKnitting I have learned so much from you after knitting for a couple of decades. I didn't get my sweater done from your class this winter but am going through the course again. I'm really glad we get access to the new videos ☺️🧡
@@AntisocialAuntie I'm glad you found the course helpful!
Thank you for your series. I looked forward to each one to learn how I can make something that intentionally places colors so it doesn’t pool and lets each color shine. Buying a skein of yarn that ends up pooling has been frustrating. Sometimes when the colors pool it muddies the end product. Hope to see maybe one more episode about this subject? Maybe? If you’re not too tired of talking about it.
Maybe in the future!
I love variegated yarns but I do organise them in the making a bit. So I guess I have a foot in each camp. Mostly I'll work with 3 or 4 different colours. I'm looking for the happy accident that you get when painting. With longer variations I'll use vertical stripes and allow the colours to do there thing within each stripe. Currently, I'm crocheting 4 colours that have quite short runs of colour. I'm making a plaid with two yarns in any one stitch. Vertical colours act as warp in weaving while horizontal balls act as weft. This is turning out to be really really slow because keeping 5 active yarns relatively untangled takes care and concentration. However, so far I'm really happy with the out come. I'd insert photos if it was possible.
That sounds like a neat project - I wish RUclips allowed pictures too because it sounds really interesting!
Thank you so much for your hard work. I'm in the I do not like camp.
I think both camps are valid. For me, it depends on what I’m knitting. I don’t mind letting the yarn do its thing on socks. However, with a larger project which is more dressy I might not want the color pooling. It would be okay on a more casual top.
I’m in Camp Tanya. I do not like the pooling and flashing of hand dyed variegated yarns and will almost always buy yarns that are single colors or tonals.
I'm not very good at knitting but I love it and want to learn more
I do like we are all different and free to have things we like or don't like. This just goes for all topics in general .
As far as variegated Yarn , I guess I am standing up on this fence , balancing. I don't feel strongly in either direction on this one. So so unpredictable to make a garment with variegated, so many many hours, and I have no idea what my results will be , will I love it or will I hate it. Husband is retiring and I am seeing less time for knitting as he stays home more and more, (he doesn't understand for me it is relaxing, I have work and this is my play) I do use color changing sock yarns , because it is a known circumference, so I don't have to come up with random color sequence , and patterns, sometimes I might contrast a toe, heel and / or cuff. I am fussy about them matching , I will lay out the yarn side by side to make sure I am at the exact same point. some people would HATE that, but I am doing ME. Let me do it hahaha :D I also am using a slow changing , fading colourway for the Papillon shawl , but pretty much that is the only larger project (because of short rows)
Semi related note : I was all over the color pooling patterned plaid -ish crochet blankets, for my child (30 now ) , at the time she adored them and crochet comes natural to me , they were fun and I had someone to give them to. They stayed with her , now a throw at her own home.
I like both😮
I knitted the back piece of a sweater using a tonal variegated yarn. I really liked the tonal variation. I simply knitted it in stockinette and bound off per the pattern. To my horror, when I looked at the finished piece, I noticed the pooling effect. It was very obvious and just didn't look good! I ended up not completing the garment and giving it away to charity. Needless to say, I learned something about variegated yarns. Now, when I use variegated yarns, I alternate skeins throughout the piece. I knit a few rows from one skein and change to the other skein for a few rows alternating between the two. It seems to work! I do like using variegated yarns. It does pay off to consider the overall effect.
Alternating skeins is a great idea for avoiding the unfortunate pooling effects.
I’m on top of the fence- I like variegated yarn with short color changes- but do not like variegated yarn with longer color change. Don’t like the weird pooling , etc. 🧶🧶🧶🧶
I’m definitely in the hate pooling and flashing camp. I avoid variegated yarns because the amount of work required to avoid it (helical knitting, knitting from both ends, switching skeins, etc) is fussy and takes the relaxation out of knitting for me. I strive to make my garments look less “homemade, arts and craftsy” and more like high end designer items, where people may ask where I purchased it, not if I made it. I figure if I’m paying a pretty penny for high quality yarn, and if I WERE to sell it (combined 60-80 hours of labor and $100-$200 in material), it would be priced LIKE those high end garments at $1000-$2000, so it may as well LOOK that way. I’ve never seen a designer or custom item with flashing and pooling in the yarn, so I suppose that had influenced my opinion.
That said, I highly value hearing from folks who DO love it and it helps me to appreciate the variety of opinions. I frankly have only ever heard people going to great lengths trying to avoid the pooling and flashing of their beautiful hand dyed and variegated skeins, so this video opened my eyes to a whole new world!
When I first learned to knit 22 years ago, I bought some beautiful hand dyed yarn, lured in by the magical colors. I have tried knitting several things only to frog and re-wind the yarn because the pooling was so off putting. I was delighted by this series because I’ve been hanging onto that yarn for all these years, hoping someday I may be able to use it in a way that brings me joy. I bought it as a souvenir with a dear friend who tragically died and it makes me think fondly of her. So thank you for the tips through this series. I feel confident that I will be able to work with it now 😊
I agree - I like my projects to look well-finished as well. And I hope you're able to find a project that suits that skein of yarn you're holding onto in memory of your dear friend. ❤️
I do not like the pooling in sweaters, tanks, etc. I do not mind in socks. I have never alternated yarn by rows, but will now try.
I am in the middle of the road with variegated yarn, I may like most of the colors in the skein but there always seems to be one of the colors I do not like, so I do not buy them often.
To be sincere, I don't know where I side on this topic. I'm not a real fan of the random striping but I'm fine with the pooling, strangely enough, I'm fine with random speckling because I have some knitted sweaters (2 different but using the same yarns) that have 3 different thin strands of color together (cream/off white, blue and dusty blue) and I love that effect, but that is not the same as the effect variegated yarn does. Probably my problem with the striping is the same I have with polka dots: all comes down to my astigmatism and the way that they make me dizzy when I look at them specially if they are moving, obviously I can't wear them and I don't directly look to people wearing them. Another problem I may or may not have with variegated yarn are the colors because I already have problems dealing with colors in everything (I struggle to "like" a lot of colors specially if they are too bold and saturated) so even finding a skein with colors I can deal with is an ordeal in itself. I see other people's works and they look pretty (despite me not liking the colors) but I wouldn't make them OR wear them myself.
I envy AND respect people that like them and work with them because I COULD NEVER do it. I'm too picky when it comes to colors and textures (that's why I did watch the entire series) so I can relate with the "I don't like it" people more than with the "I like it" but I can't really say that "I don't like it". Makes sense? Probably no but well... I tried I guess.
Yes, it makes sense! Color preference is really a personal thing - and varies from person to person.
The Hipster by Joji Locatelli. Was that the pattern with the dropped stitches that you were thinking of?
No, it wasn't that one (it was the Clapotis) - but the Hipster would work really well too!
I have lots of variegated yarn bc it's pretty. But I never know what to use it for. As I prefer to use solids in jumpers. Recently I've been crocheting them. I won't knit with it.
I love them but when i work with them i usually do light and airy things like shawls with lots of holes. I like them less just straight up knit tight together like in a sock.
In order for me to even think about using a variegated yarn, it would have to be the only yarn left on earth.