The Knitter's Guide to Hand-Dyed and Variegated Yarn: Techniques and Projects for Handpainted and Multicolored Yarn

by Lorna Miser

Cast on for your next variegated yarn project with new skills and renewed confidence
 
Do you covet the gorgeous colors of multicolored yarn but have been disappointed by patching, pooling, and other unintended “designs” that develop as they’re knitted?
 
In The Knitter’s Guide to Hand-Dyed and Variegated Yarn , hand-dyed yarn guru Lorna Miser transforms the experience of working with these beautiful yarns, whether they’ve been dyed by hand or commercially produced.   
 
This informative stitch dictionary includes 10 simple, accessible techniques, 65 stitch patterns, and 20 projects that make the most of the dazzling color combinations and creative possibilities that variegated yarns have to offer. 

Genres: Knitting, Nonfiction, Reference, Crafts

144 pages, Paperback

First published November 16, 2010

About the author

Yes, I'm that Lorna. The one on yarn labels with Laces following my name. However, I sold that company several years ago and now design full time. I also write books and teach workshops. I also make original mixed media art and purses. Life is very creative!"

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first judged this book by its cover, my thought was, "A furry shawl on the front? This isn't going to be good..."

I had a specific hand-dyed skein in mind when I read this book. I decided that I would give a good review if and only if (that's the math brain talking) I could find a technique that would prevent this skein from pooling badly. See, it's purple and orange and sock yarn. And sock yarn is notorious for pooling badly. There's even an "Examples of Pooling (Good and Bad)" thread on Ravelry if you'd like proof.

So I received this book and read straight through with this orange and purple on my mind. Some of the techniques were new to me and were very creative. It's definitely something I'll go back and look through in the future. It's an anti-pooling stitchonary! I decided that my bad-pooling-skein is going to become the sock pattern in the book. If it turns out well, I'll bump this review to 5 stars.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book for people who like hand-dyed or variegated yarn. Miser explains how to check yarn to see if it's likely to pool. She also covers multiple strategies for preventing pooling and working with multiple skeins of hand dyed yarn to ensure consistency. There are patterns in the book, too, to make the best advantage of these multicolored yarns. Alas, the book is probably really useful for other people, but not so much for me. Working with variegated yarns of my first two pairs of socks has definitely taught me that I am not a variegated yarn person. Quince and Co. for life!

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great resource to check out from the library. Articulated lots of thoughts I was developing about variegated yarns, and how best to use them. Stitch examples & patterns were fine enough. Great examples of how to use the theories, but not "I need to buy this book" mind-blowing. Still, great explanations!

[G · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great resource on how to choose projects to show off hand-painted and variegated yarns to their best advantage. Example projects are included, but more importantly the fundamental concepts of how to choose the best projects for your yarn to achieve specific results are explained.

[Nicolette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I thought it was going to be but great information to be had anyway.

[Mckinley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't see what made these patterns particularly designed for variegated yarn.