Experience Knitting and Crochet with Color Changing Yarn- Free Patterns Included

One of the greatest inventions ever made in yarn, next to the hand dyed specialty yarns is the self striping yarn or also known as color changing yarn. It is very cool to watch your very own special creation unfold as you knit or crochet along.

When you have a yarn that changes color in just a very short length is referred to as a print. You will notice the color change every three to four stitches. You may notice a combination of about 3 different colors in the skein.

There are also yarns that change color after a very long stretch, and the colors are very harmonious and they sort of just meld into each other. Lion Brand yarns has this type of dyed color changing yarn called Amazing, and let me tell you it is well named.

When you knit or crochet with color changing yarn, everything you make will look completely different. That is the point of this yarn. The wider your project is like a scarf or maybe a baby blanket, the less often your color will change, it will look like you have blocks of different colors rather than a striping effect.

It is a bit tricky adding a new skein of yarn into your already started project. But this simple tip will help you with that. Don't just add the new skein from the beginning of the yarn on that skein, it very likely won't be at the right color. It will make your pattern in your design look strange, like someone stopped and started which is of course what you have done, but you don't want everyone knowing that's what you have done. Just very simply pull the yarn out until you find the exact place in the color scheme where you left off. You may waste a few inches of yarn but it will be so worth it on your finished pattern.

When you knit and crochet with this self striping or color changing yarn in a straight pattern you will not be disappointed in how striking it looks when you are done. But what about trying some different patterns. You may be very pleased with the effects you get if you crochet blocks to be sewn together later. It is actually very dramatic.

And also try knitting on the diagonal. For instance a baby blanket. Or how about a miter corner pattern. Those have a spectacular effect without the striping yarn, just imagine the look. Miter corner patterns are also really interesting with striping yarn.

It is really unlimited with what you can accomplish with this great color changing yarn. Try different weights of yarn and different shades of color changing yarn. Your own imagination is the only limit. I hope you have fun. I have included some free patterns for you to try at the end of this article.

Source:

The Magic of Color Changing Yarn

Free Patterns to try some color changing yarn with:

Sylvan Star Washcloth

Crochet Baby Blanket

Homespun Mitered Afghan

Bias Knit Scarf

Miter Cornered Gloria Scarf

Diagonal Baby Blanket