How to Create Planned Yarn Color Transitions in Crochet
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I like to think that I am not a controlling person. Give me a crochet hook and some yarn though and all bets are off. Learning how to create planned yarn color transitions in crochet can take an ordinary crocheted gift and transform it into an out-of-this-world-extraordinary crocheted gift. We are not talking about planned color pooling (which is gorgeous, don’t get me wrong) but the actual controlling of the colors in a variegated skein of yarn so that the colors transition the way you like.
How to Plan Yarn Color Transitions in Crochet
Creating planned yarn color transitions in crochet takes nothing but patience (and a little extra weaving in ends) and I’ll show you how.
When choosing your yarn, you’ll want to find a nice yarn cake (or variegated yarn without too frequent color changes). You don’t want to have to cut and reattach your yarn every ten inches. In fact, I wouldn’t even try to control the colors if that’s how it going to be.
In this tutorial I am making a pair of my Dragon Tears Fingerless Gloves because I love the way they look when I tell the colors where to go. Since this pattern is two gloves instead of just one item (say a baby cocoon for example), it would be easiest if I had two skeins of yarn. That way I could pull the same color from each skein, making the gloves nearly identical. While it would be easiest, that doesn’t mean it can’t be done with just one skein without wasting a whole bunch of yarn in the process. In fact, I like the result of planned yarn color transitions with this method even better.
These two pairs of gloves were made from the same skein of yarn. Yes, these are from the same skein of Mandala (Chimera colorway). GORGEOUS!! You could use any other yarn cake or yarn that transitions slowly from color to color. If you are working with just one yarn cake like myself (in this tutorial using Lion Brand’s new Mandala yarn in Thunderbird) color controlling may be a bit more difficult. Get your hook, your yarn cake and your scissors and do your finger exercises.
1. Cut it up
First we are going to “open up” the skein by finding where each color ends. Clip them so that you have piles of yarn in each color: yellow, blue, orange, brown etc.
2. Plan it out
Decide which way you would like the colors to transition. Do you want to start with brown, then move to orange, then yellow? You may also take into account how much of each yarn you have. If you want the wrist portion to be mostly one color, then you’ll need to position the color with the most amount of yarn for the wrist portion etc. Play with the colors and when you’ve decided, move on to step #3. Here’s how I’m planning my gloves:
3. Pull from each side
Since I am using a pattern that requires two gloves to be made (and I want them to be identical) I am going to pull from each side of each color as I crochet. Left glove comes off the left side of the yarn pile, right glove comes off the right side of the yarn pile.
4. Back and forth
Complete one row on each glove until you don’t have enough yarn to complete another row on each. If I start my gloves with the brown, I’ll complete my foundation row and my first row of crocodile stitches on my left glove, then I’ll complete my foundation row and my first row of crocodile stitches on my right glove.
When I don’t have enough brown to complete an entire row on each, I’ll clip that yarn and prepare to change colors to the next in my sequence. Tip: Don’t toss that brown yarn! We just might be able to use it later on!
5. Change your colors
Change the yarn color to the next on your sequence using the same technique outlined in our How to Change Colors in Crochet article. Continue with the pattern, completing one row on the left hand and one row on the right hand. Alternate back and forth until you cannot complete a row on each glove using that color.
That is it! You will have to weave in a few extra ends this way. But to me it’s worth it.
Remember that planned yarn color transitions uses more artistic license than simply picking up a skein and letting the colors fall where they may. You are in control, so if you decide that you don’t like the way one particular color looks next to another, you can frog it (rip it, rip it out) and change the order. No harm no foul.
I personally try to keep similar color families together. For instance, I may not want to place the blue RIGHT NEXT to the yellow, for the simple fact that I want my gloves to be more “earthy” with the brown, orange, yellow etc. BUT if you are using the Mandala you can use the blue, green and that muted blue to make a second pair. One Mandala yarn cake is large enough for two pair!
Will you try planned yarn color transitions? If you do, I want to see your work! Share a photo with us in the Heart Hook Home Crochet Community group on Facebook!
More yarn love before you go:
The Difference in Bernat Pop! Yarn Cakes, Caron Cakes, Mandala and Sweet Rolls
Inexpensive and Easy Yarn Organization Wall
How to Size Crochet Beanies + Master Beanie Pattern
The Crab Stitch Crochet Stitch + Video Tutorial
How to Weave in Yarn Ends {So They Don’t Come Out}
How to Crochet a Corner to Corner (C2C) Throw + Video Tutorial
