Thursday, August 8, 2013

Magic Numbers and Color Blending

My most recent project experiments have been to use two of designer/yarn producer Laura Bryant's techniques.  The first is a shell sweater knit using her color blending technique.  The pattern is a simple stockinette shell with a garter stitch drapey cowl at the front neck.  The yarn I chose is Fyberspate Scrumptious Lace which was originally natural but I dyed it in three colors: light gray, china blue, and a light brown.  The first piece worked is the back.  To work the color blending technique I started using three strands of the light gray.  After 3 inches I dropped one strand of the gray and added one strand of the china blue (2 gray, 1 blue).  After 3 inches I dropped another strand of gray and added a strand of the china blue (1 gray, 2 blue).  After 3 inches I will drop the last strand of gray and add one of the china blue (3 blue).  I will knit the 3 blue for another 3 inches.  Sweater measures 12 inches.  At this point I will drop one of the blue strands and add one strand of the brown (2 blue, 1 brown).  I will knit 3 inches (at 14 1/2 inches will also begin armhole shaping) and then drop another blue strand and add one brown (1 blue, 2 brown).  The back now measures 15 inches.  Next I drop the last blue and knit for the remainder of the back using three strands to brown.  The front will be worked with the same color blending technique.  This technique produces an ombre tweed effect.  I am currently at the 2 blue, 1 gray stage of the back.
The second Laura Bryant technique is one based on her latest book and uses what she calls Magic Numbers to produce an argyle effect when knit or crocheted with hand dyed yarn.  The first step is to determine the type of hand dyed yarn you are working with.  The yarns I am currently using are my own hand dyed and are dyed-around as opposed to dyed across.  Then you need to determine the length of one color repeat.  This gives you the magic number for that skein of yarn.  Next using that number plus one I crocheted this scarf.


 Now I am working on a knitted version.  This time I am only using 1/2 the magic number minus one.  This will make a narrower scarf and a zig-zag pattern instead of the arygle.
I also completed a baby hat for a friend knit with several strands of novelty yarn held together and worked are size 15 needles.
It looks a little odd on this styrofoam head because it is an adult size.  On a baby this will be more of a hood style hat.
Tomorrow I need to get yarn to start a couple more class samples (crocheted socks and something else).

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