ColourSpun in Stitches - Knit Ombre

I've recently listed ColourSpun Ombre Stacks on www.colourspun.com , here's a good way to use them

There are many ways to produce ombré or gradient knitting. You could purchase specially dyed balls of yarn which slowly change colour as you work through them. Using these yarns means the colour changes gradually as you work through the ball without you having to think about it, so they are great for both mindless knitting, when you don’t want to have to think at all and for complicated stitch patterns when the stitches need your full attention.

If you want more control over the colour change, there are ways to produce the ombré effect using separate balls of yarn in a range of colours from light to dark. This means you could knit a garment where the hem starts with a dark yarn and the colour gradually changes, getting lighter and lighter as you work up to ending the neckline with the lightest yarn.

One way of producing this effect is to choose your range of colours in a yarn half the weight (thickness) that you pattern calls for and to use it double. You need at least 3 different colours; from dark through medium to light.

1. Start with 2 strands of the darkest colour (or lightest, depending on your preference)

2. Work a number of rows – you will have to work out how many according to the number of rows in your pattern and the number of different colours in your range

3. Cut one strand of the starting yarn and join one strand of the next colour, work a number of rows

4. Repeat “3” to end.

The swatch here was worked in stocking stitch as follows:

Cast on 20 stitches using 2 strands of light yarn, work 5 rows (light + light)

Break off 1 strand and join 1 strand of medium yarn, work 5 rows (light + medium)

Break off light yarn and join 2^nd strand of medium, work 5 rows (medium + medium)

Break off 1 strand of medium and join 1 strand of dark, work 5 rows (medium + dark)

Break off medium yarn and join 2^nd strand of dark, work 5 rows (dark + dark)

Cast off.

Happy knitting!