5 Tips for Choosing Yarn Colours

If you are planning on knitting/crocheting a garment or accessory that uses more than one colour of yarn, how do you go about choosing which colours go together? I find it much easier to choose if there are only two colurs in my project. Complicated fair-isle or stranded colourwork patterns can seem very daunting unless you work with the exact colours used in the sample.

Here are some tips to help you choose yarn for your next stranded colourwork project.

1. Use a colour wheel

One way to choose colours is to use a colour wheel. On the wheel you can choose whether you want bright, paste., or a more grey colour palette (shade, tint, tone).

Use a colour wheel

Once you've decided on shade, tint, or tone, choose the colour combination you would like. Often technical words like complementary, split-complementary, analogous, and triadic are used when choosing colours. You can use these methods for color choice (and I think it's good to know what they mean), but there's an easier way to choose.


2. Use your favourite shirt

I really like to use fabrics to choose colours. Someone has already done the hard work for me and I can choose fabrics that appeal to me.

Use fabric to choose yarn colours

Take a look at your clothing. I'm sure you have a favourite patterned shirt or skirt. What colours are in it? Can you seehow they work together?

The next time you are out shopping, be sure to look at the patterns and colours of the clothes you like. Maybe even take a few photos to analyze later when you are stuck on which colours of yarn to combine.

Use photos from pinterest

Alternately, look online (specifically pinterest) for those colour charts where the colours are taken out of a picture and combined for you. Harrisville yarn company does a fantastic job at this.


3. Add some drama

Colours on opposite sides of the wheel are complimentary and often cause drama or tension in you project. Choosing two colours that have one colour separating them (like green and blue) and then adding in their compliment (red-orange) makes for an exciting knitting garment. This is called split-complimentary. 

Add a pop of colour

This fair isle sweater is a good example with green, blue and white as the main colours and peachy/pink which is opposite on the colour wheel from the green and blue. Adds just a bit of pop to the design.


4. Vary the values

Vary the values of the colours you choose. If you use all dark colours they just blend together and the pattern doesn't stand out. By choosing a light, medium, and dark colour you are really able to see the 3 colours of yarn work together to make a pattern. You can also add white and/or black to the colour mix.

Vary the values

5. Take a black and white photo

Finally, to see if you have enough contrast between your yarns, take a photo and convert it to black and white. If all the yarns are a similar shade of grey you know that the yarn choice needs to be altered a bit. Try adding a darker or lighter yarn and retake the photo.

Use a black and white photo

In the photo to the right, the teal and peach yarns are similar in shade (as seen in the black and white photo). They work in this design though because they are opposite in colour. That is, they are complimentary or opposite on the colour wheel.

If you are looking for a small knit project to try out these tips you can check out my Stranded Flower Hat knitting pattern.

Stranded Flower Hat knit pattern

Or a crochet pattern to try could be Falling Leaves Baby Blanket which uses 4 colours of yarn.

Falling Leaves Baby Blanket

Happy Knitting and Crocheting!

5 Reasons to Join I Like Crochet

Have you looked at the I Like Crochet online magazine? It's packed full of crochet patterns for everything under the sun. 

© Prime Publishing LLC

Here are five reasons why you should go check them out ...

1. Six issues are published every year. Approximately 190 projects and 42 tutorials yearly. That's a lot of content for one magazine. 

2. Each issue has at least 30 projects and 7 tutorials. From beginner to advanced, home, baby, garments, accessories, there's something for everyone in each issue. The latest issue is February 2016.

3. Back issues are available once you have a subscription. This magazine started in April 2014 and you have access to all those patterns too. 

4. Famous designers have published patterns that are available to you. You can find patterns by Dora Ohrenstein, Roseanna Beck, Amy Gunderson, Darleen Hopkins, and so many more.

5. My designs are available there. 

© Prime Publishing LLC

What's holding you back? Head over the I Like Crochet and check them out. I know you won't be disappointed!

Happy Crocheting!

Crochet Hooks

Do you crochet? What is your favourite brand/style of hook to use?

I have a variety of hooks that I've used over the years.

From left to right ... Boye plastic, Boye aluminum, Addi Comfort Grip, Clover Soft Touch, Knitters Pride Aluminum.

You've probably used the Boye hooks as these seem to be the most readily available in most big box craft stores. I don't really like them for large projects or extended use. They just aren't that comfortable.

The Addi Comfort Grip hook is not one of my favourites either. The grooves on the hard plastic handle tend to rub on my hand and I don't seem to be able to get into a rhythm with it. Not sure what it is about the hook, but it seems to get caught on every couple of stitches.

That leaves the last 2 ... Clover Soft Touch and Knitters Pride Aluminum. I love both of these hooks. 

The handle on the Clover Soft Touch is hard plastic with a soft thumb grip. The shape of the handle is comfortable. The handle on the Knitters Pride is also plastic but has a "soft" feel to it. The shaft is aluminum so the stitches slide easily.   

One more bonus of both the Clover and Knitters Pride hooks is that the size (both US and metric) are printed right on the handle in large font. Easy to find which size hook I need.

Happy Crocheting!

Working Cables In The Round

Have you ever tried working a simple cable in the round? How do you keep track of which round you are on so the cables are crossed consistently? 

I've tried counting rounds but could never figure out exactly which round the cable was crossed on. I've also tried those "click" type row/round counters and would get a few stitches past the beginning of the round and think .... "Did I click it or not" (I have a very, very short memory)!

Following are a couple of ways I keep track ....

If I'm working a hat for example with multiple cables that all cross on the same round I usually use this funky row/round counter (I found it on Etsy a long time ago). Each ring counts one round and the beaded loop counts each 10th round for a total of 100 rounds.

Row/Round counter found on Etsy

If, for instance, the pattern I'm using crosses the cables every 5th round, I would do so when the counter is at 5, 10, 15, 20, etc. rounds. Not too difficult? 

Place marker on first ring after first cable cross.

Work rounds in pattern until fifth ring is on the needle.
Cross cables on this round.

Work even until 10th ring on needle ... cross cables again on this round.
Continue in this manner and your cables will be even.

What if I have cables that all cross at different times? It could be very confusing to figure out which rounds to cross a specific cable. 

For example, the cable on the sleeves (worked in the round) of this pullover has a cable that crosses at odd intervals. 

Cable on sleeve worked at odd intervals

In this case, I use a removable marker to keep track of how many rounds I've worked since the last cable cross. 

Insert marker through stitch on round cable is crossed

Work even and count rounds worked from the marker to the current round
(2 rounds worked above)

Here 7 rounds worked and ready to work cable round

After cable is worked, remove marker and insert it into the new stitch

Work even until round for next cable cross
(1 round worked above)

After cable worked, remove marker and insert it into the new stitch

Continue in this manner (working cable cross and inserting marker into new stitch) and you won't have to wonder if it's time to cross that cable.

Happy Knitting!

Note: Here's a similar row/round counter on Etsy (Knitting Row Counter by WychwoodDreams). It counts up to 110 rows/rounds.

Japanese Lace Stitch

In a few of my designs I use this pretty lace stitch that I found in a couple of Japanese stitch dictionaries. It's really easy to work and creates a different fabric depending on if you work only one stitch or multiple stitches in a row. 

I call it the pkyk stitch for Pass Knit Yarnover Knit

On my Strolling Cardigan it is worked multiple times in a row to create a lacy lattice.

On this grey cable and lace cardigan it is worked once in a column with 2 purl stitches on either side to create a faux cable.

To work this stitch (pkyk):
Worked over 3 stitches.

• Pass the third stitch on the LH needle over the first two stitches and off the needle
• Knit one stitch
• Yarn over
• Knit the second stitch

Work to where you want to create the pkyk stitch

  

Slip 3rd stitch purlwise  

Slip stitch over first 2 stitches and off the needle

Creates a "bar" across the first 2 stitches

Knit one stitch

Yarn over

Knit one stitch

Result of finished pkyk stitch

Knit to end of row

Pkyk stitch with 3 rows of stickinette in between on a stockinette background

Happy Knitting!

Picking Up Stitches

In all of my cardigan patterns, the button and buttonhole bands are picked up and knit after the cardigan body and sleeves are completed. This technique can often give knitters problems. How does one pick up stitches so they are even along the body of the sweater?

For this technique you will need: 

• a cardigan with the fronts completed
• a tape measure
• a crochet hook approximately the same size as your knitting needles (one without a plastic grip so the stitches can slide from one end to the other)
• knitting needles, either circular or straights
• removable stitch markers

Step 1: Dividing front into sections

The pattern should indicate the total number of stitches needed along the front band. Depending on the total number divide this into 5 to 8 sections with approximately 20 stitches in each section. The fewer stitches in each section the more accurate your picking up will be

The Math

Example: This cardigan requires 109 stitches along the front. I've divided this number into 5 sections.
I know that 110 can be divisible by 5 evenly so 110 / 5 = 22 stitches in each section but I only need 109 stitches so 4 sections have 22 sts and 1 section has 21 sts (22 x 3 + 21 = 109)

Lay the tape measure across the front to find the length and divide this length into 5 sections. For this sample I have 20.75" length divided by 5 equals 4.15" for each section.

Using four markers, mark each 4.15" section.

Step 2: Using Crochet Hook to Pick Up Stitches

Using your crochet hook, pick up your calculated number of stitches from the starting edge to your first marker. 

If you don't want to eyeball the evenness of the picked up stitches you can count the number of rows in the section and divide it by the number of stitches you need to pick up. For example, if I have 44 rows in the section and I need to pick up 22 stitches I would pick up 1 stitch every 2 rows (pick up a stitch, skip a row).

I like to poke the crochet hook through the 2 strands of each knit/purl stitch along the edge, wrap yarn around hook and pull through. 

Step 3: Transfer Stitches to Knitting Needle

Once all the stitches required for the first section are on your crochet hook (for this cardigan, 22 stitches), they will now be transferred to the knitting needle. Slip each stitch from the non-hook end of the crochet hook onto the knitting needle.

Step 4: Repeat

Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the remaining sections along the front edge. 

Don't forget that some sections may have 1 stitch more or less than a previous section so the total number of stitches along the edge works out according to the pattern instructions.

Once you are finished all stitches should be sitting on your knitting needle and you will be ready to work a wrong side row.

Happy Knitting!

Wrapping

A couple of upcoming designs will include a "wrap" or "cluster" stitch. This is where you wrap the working yarn or contrast yarn around a set of stitches. Sometimes this technique is used for smocking but I'm using it more for texture than to draw in the knitted garment. 

Here's a short tutorial on how to do a wrap stitch demonstrated on my upcoming hat pattern, Currant.

WRAP TECHNIQUE

Start by slipping 3 stitches from the left hand needle onto a cable needle.

Take the working yarn or contrast yarn and wrap around the stitches on the cable needle from the back of the work to the front. 

Wrap the yarn 3 times around the 3 stitches on the cable needle. 

Knit the 3 stitches on the cable needle onto the right hand needle. 

Carry the contrast yarn loosely behind the work until you reach the next stitches to be wrapped. 

Happy Knitting!