knittingthestash Tutorial: My Guide to Hand Dyed Yarn

There are so many kinds of hand dyed yarn: variegated, tonal, self-striping . . . the list goes on! Ever wonder what will they look like knit up? Ever wonder how to tell the difference between them? Then this is the guide for you :) I pull several skeins out of my stash to help you understand the differences between solids, semi-solids, tonals, gradients, variegated, speckled, self-striping, and self-patterning yarn. There are, of course, may ways to break this info down, but this is my guide to those beautiful hand dyed skeins.
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Yarns Featured (*no endorsements, just stashed and loved yarn):
Hedgehog Fibers
SweetGeorgia
Biscotte Yarns
Brown Sheep
Regia
Yarn Candy (UK)
Madeline Tosh
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Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:38 Important Terminology
05:45 Semi-Solid
08:15 Tonals
10:17 Gradients
12:43 Variegated
16:09 Speckled
17:46 Self-Striping
19:52 Solids and Self-Patterning Examples

[@ladydlc550]

I wish I could give you a dozen thumbs up for this excellent video about hand dyed yarn. Thank you.

[@hannahchet]

Another way to use variegated yarn is as the contrast colour in stranded colourwork, together with a solid (and maybe neutral) main colour. It can be very beautiful, both in sweaters and mittens.

[@maryellenalexander4914]

Thank you! So clear and informative!

[@nz-nz]

Excellent video!

[@catallsopp]

Thank you!! That was exactly the tutorial I needed and I so appreciate your excellent presentation! Can't wait to knit up my mysterious
variegated skeins now. :-))

[@knittingthestash]

Awesome! Thanks, Catriona :)

[@evelina_crafts]

Thank you! This was very helpful 😊

[@rachelchudley1527]

Thank you x

[@mrscraftalot]

This was a great tutorial! Even as a long time knitter I found it very informative and interesting. Thanks for sharing the info from Stephanie of Space Cadet yarns, too!

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks so much! Yes, Stephanie's work on hand dyed colorawys is so helpful!

[@gerivandepol4077]

Very, very helpful - Thanks

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks, Geri! Appreciate it!

[@victoriapileski3966]

Thanks for that in-depth look at different types of hand dyed yarns. Even though I’ve been knitting for a lot of years it was very informative

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks for saying so, Victoria :)

[@CelticPurl]

You always have such informative podcasts.

[@knittingthestash]

Thank you, Hollie!

[@lindawilcox6617]

So helpful. I'll share this with my knit group, and try to rewatch it before heading out to fiber shows.

[@knittingthestash]

Wonderful to hear! Thanks for sharing, Linda!

[@preetiakirekadu9369]

Superb tutorial! I’ve been puzzled but now I know, thanks to you! I look forward to the tutorial on tweed.

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks so much, Preeti!

[@abirhussein9781]

Another great lesson.
Hope to see more. It's good to understand the yarn I've been knitting with forever 😊

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks so much, Abir!

[@tinmanlover1994]

I've never bought or used any small business yarns their very pretty and fancy looking compared to the yarn i get at Walmart

[@nlturcott5168]

Once again an excellent tutorial. Thanks so much for the learning in multiple ways.

[@knittingthestash]

Yay! Thanks so much for saying so!

[@KittenWAW]

This is really good information for project planning. Thanks. Categories and subcategories and archetypes and outliers and no wonder our stashes grow so large!

[@knittingthestash]

Don't ya just love it! Insider jargon for the win!

[@cisaak6368]

This was a great tutorial. I've been thinking about this a lot lately. Thanks!

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks so much for saying so :)

[@majar.8231]

thank you again, as usual fun to watch and so helpful. lot´s of love ☺

[@knittingthestash]

Awesome! Thanks, Maja!

[@kimdrapic379]

Another great yarn tutorial!

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks, Kim! :)

[@teresaharp]

Thanks Melissa! 😊 Have a Happy 4th

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks, Teresa!

[@MikiCrespo]

Thanks so much. It's so useful 🧶🎨

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks, Maria :)

[@rachelraye285]

Thank you! This was helpful!!! I

[@knittingthestash]

Wonderful! Thanks, Rachel!

[@teresas3528]

Another excellent learning video!

[@knittingthestash]

Thank you, Teresa!

[@Janet-ov7zx]

What a great explanation of all the yarns and what they do! I wish I had been able to watch this video when ai first started knitting. Thanks! harpingJanet

[@knittingthestash]

Thanks, Janet :)

[@wandarutledge4260]

Yes that was ever ever helpful thank you

[@knittingthestash]

Awesome! Thanks, Wanda!

[@LottaSocks]

Thanks for this!! I’m learning about all the terminology re color... Semi-Solid vs Tonal, for instance- clueless for quite a while!! Hue & Tones ... Agree that Indie Dyers are Totally Amazing with stripes! Speckles look sooooo yummmm in the skein!! I just want to look at them! I thinks it’s more difficult to choose a yarn for a sweater nowadays... so many gorgeous colors! Summer=Socks + a lot of the yarns you used for color demo are in my stash (ahem...). Which is Good, keeps me Happy. grin grin

[@knittingthestash]

Yes, LOVE hand dyed yarn--sop many beautiful people making beautiful colors :)

[@marynolan6627]

I love hand dyed....let's be honest I love all yarn!!!!

[@knittingthestash]

me, too, Mary!

[@mrscarlier]

You are so much fun! I loved all of this. But why do you say skeen? Is that a thing in some areas? I’m from Minnesota and now in Oregon and when people say skeen here, we always correct them to say skayn.

[@Mlrww]

Excellent tutorial on the different types of yarn colorways; however, I see a sweater behind you, not socks. I would appreciate a episode on determining what type of colorway would work well for a larger diameter sweater such as what you have behind you. Thank you for explaining the terminology of yarn dyeing.

[@rachelraye285]

When using hand dye, should a certain type of needle (steel, carbon, bamboo, or laminate) be used?

[@knittingthestash]

Rachel, I am guessing there are a lot of opinions out there. I think it depends on the knitting project, for the most part. Hand dyed yarns that are superwash might be easier to knit on wooden needles, for example. And some hand dyed yarns can bleed color onto wooden or plastic needles. Great question!

[@janetteimrie3626]

You can’t add white to dye to lighten it. There is no white dye for yarn or fabric. Lighter hues are created by using less dye.

[@knittingthestash]

Right you are. I was speaking about colors more generally, not to the specific process of dyeing yarn.