Roundup | 10 Ways to Create DIY Ombres, Gradients & Fades

In knit-world, ombres, gradients and fades continue to be a big color story, which is why we've spent much of the past year exploring numerous ways to create your own. 

The reasoning is simple. Fads come and go, but gradients remain one of the most versatile strategies you can use to maximize a prepackaged kit, leverage a few skeins of newly acquired yarn, or transform stash skeins into something fresh and fabulous.

Whether they fade from light to dark or soft to bright, you can distinguish between ombres, gradients and fades based on the color strategy involved. Briefly, in my world:

Ombres feature a monochromatic approach using shades from a single color family.
Gradients typically incorporate multiple shades from two or more color families.
Fades may do either.

These guidelines are open to any interpretation that works for you, but in general, it takes at least two colors and three stages or shifts to achieve a gradient or ombre effect. Anything less, and you're essentially working some variation of stripes or color blocking. With this in mind, let's revisit 10 easy strategies for creating your own DIY gradient and ombre combinations.

(Click the titles below to see the original posts, each of which highlights five different strategies. Click a bullet item to see how-to directions for that technique.)


Ombres & Gradients: 5 Ways to Create Your Own

This post shares strategies for creating a:

• Simple custom gradient using three colors.
• Three-stage gradient using two colors.
• Four-stage gradient using five colors.
• Five-stage gradient (option 1) using three colors.
• Five-stage gradient (option 2) using six colors.

Ombres & Gradients: 5 Fresh Ways to Create Your Own

This post shares strategies for working a:

• Six-stage gradient using three colors.
• Seven-stage gradient using four colors.
• Nine-stage gradient using five colors.
• Five-stage mirror gradient using two colors.
• Three-stage variegated gradient using four colors.

As you can see, you can begin creating gradients with as few as two skeins, which makes these different approaches especially useful for stashbusting. By mixing and matching awkward orphans and singletons, it's both fun and easy to create combinations that are uniquely your own.

With more than 20 posts exploring different facets of ombres, gradients and fades, you'd think we would have exhausted this topic, but au contraire! From useful stitches and techniques to untapped color strategies, several new gradient posts are hovering on the horizon. 

Meanwhile, I hope these ideas will inspire you to experiment, because where ombres, gradients and fades are concerned the possibilities are truly endless.

RELATED

Ombres & Gradients: What's the Difference?	Stashbusting Strategies (Part II)

To see all ombre and gradient posts, click here.
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Angles Are Attitude

From a dashing hat worn at a slant to knit items worked in triangles and diamonds, there's something jaunty and appealing about angles. That may explain why lately I've been captivated by this quote:

Cock your hat, angles are attitude. ~Frank Sinatra

Once I started thinking about it, I began seeing angles in some way, shape or form in a slew of projects past, present and in the planning pipeline. 

On the accessory front, for example, there's Alaris, which features four diamond panels and can be worn multiple ways.

Dojeling, on the other hand, combines triangular wings with a center diamond panel for a classic triangle shawl worked in an easy but non-traditional manner.  

Then there's the Grey Daze wrap, with its off-kilter kite and angular wing shapes, which produces a longer, more shallow triangular profile that's versatile and easy to wear.

Angles abound in afghan world, as well. Angletyn, for instance, features a series of classic chevrons writ large ...

while Flashpoint is composed of over-sized triangular components accentuated by raised seams and trim.

With its bright, cheerful rainbow shades, Valere sports a parade of triangles that resemble colorful banners ready to wave in the next breeze.

Then of course there's Herlacyn Heatwave, my current afghan WIP, which uses a series of diamonds and triangles to create a modern take on the classic harlequin design. Here it is, in all its unblocked glory:

With so many angular projects in use or underway, you'd think I'd be over this obsession, but subtle and sweet or bright and bold, it's hard to argue with Sinatra. Angles do indeed have attitude, which is precisely what makes them both fascinating and fun.


Looking for the patterns? Valere, with its cheerful rainbow banners, has been released, and Herlacyn and the Grey Daze shawl are in development. To see all available patterns, click here.

In the Pink

At one time, I had a fair amount of pink yarn safely ensconced in stash. Some still remains, but as I was casting on a quick pair of mitts destined for the ombres and gradient series, I realized how limited my current options had become.

Naturally, I began to wonder what had happened to all those pink, rose and fuchsia skeins, and this is what I discovered.


ACCESSORIES

Colsie Mitts Rose Gradient, which feature shades ranging from red to medium pink.

Dojeling Blackberry, which looks red in some lights and decidedly pink in others.




AFGHANS

Breidan Baby, which features a strip worked in a muted antique rose.

Breidan Berry, which incorporates a range of medium and bright pinks coupled with berry and plum.

Color Check, which incorporates pinks ranging from pastel to fuchsia.

Drumlin Bright, which includes a strip worked in two shades of pink.

Lucben Rose, which illustrates a gradient moving from pale pink to deep wine.

Tikkyn Rainbow, which has five rosy blocks marching on a diagonal across the front.

Rainbow Vivid, which has flashes of bright fuchsia and magenta.

HEARTH & HOME

Graefen Bright, which incorporates an intense pink for contrast.

Sweet Hearts & Soft Spots, which has been worked in wide range of pinks from pale to saturated.

That's a fairly respectable lineup, and there are even more examples for which I don't have photos. They range from countless charity hats, scarves and blanket squares to coasters, cloths and a lovely rose gradient sweater for my dog, Stella, which I managed to shrink in the wash, so it's long gone.

I've had pink on the brain for one simple reason. Every spring, these wool-silk lace weight and rayon metallic yarns surface on my radar screen, but I have yet to find a suitable project.

Undaunted, I've come up with yet another plan, and if it works, I'll once again be in the pink.

What colors are captivating your attention right now? 



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Going Green

The Pantone Color Institute has declared Greenery (15-0343) the color of the year. It's a lovely, fresh shade that looks a bit like this:

I'm not much of a trend-watcher, but the current focus on green prompted me to wonder why I don't use it more often. The truth, of course, is it appears on a regular basis, but because I tend to favor clear, deep or blue-green shades that better suit my coloring and home decor, it's not always obvious.

That said, once I started hunting for examples, I was amazed at just how often varied shades of green surface in projects. Here's a quick roundup:

ACCESSORIES

These super-simple gradient mitts represent a knitting trifecta: They're fast and easy, designed to use up small balls of leftover yarn, and serve as an example for a new make-your-own ombres and gradients post.

I'm still experimenting, but one way or another the lovely teal and lake yarn below will find a home in a stole, shawl or wrap. In this photo, the colors appear a bit bluer than they are in real life.

AFGHANS

This version of Valere has flashes of mint green and deep teal ...

while this one incorporates shades of jade and mint.

Angletyn Rainbow features a soft shade of teal.

Breidan Baby incorporates a light, minty green.

Color Check Meadow features six shades of green ranging from soft sage to rich teal.

In Drumlin Gemtones, the color appears aqua here, but in reality the strip at the upper right is a rich, saturated teal.

In Drumlin Bright, two shades of green were worked in two-row stripes, which made both colors pop.

In Lucben Tidepool, a mix of purpose-bought yarn was combined with leftovers to create a simple custom gradient.

In this shot of Tikkyn Rainbow, you can see a few of the teal color blocks that stairstep across the front.

HOLIDAY

When I'm making Christmas Trees for the holidays, yarns in shades of pine, balsam and spruce climb out of the cupboards, scamper around the studio, clamber onto the needles, and eventually turn into WIP piles like this:

SWEATERS

In Moore Colors, the mint green stripes peeking out at the right lead into various shades of green, teal and blue that occupy the back.

Last but not least, 20 years ago, I made a lovely teal sweater-jacket in soft, tweedy wool. It's held up beautifully, so I still wear it fall through early spring. Unfortunately, I don't have photos, but I'll try to get some soon.

Meanwhile, daylight savings time has arrived, St. Patrick's Day is a few days away, and snow may be on the ground, but spring with its fresh young shoots and leaves is on the horizon. If you're choosing yarn for a new project, try going green. Not only is it right on trend, it's the ideal way to celebrate the bright promise of this lovely season.

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Knitting the Rainbow

When we looked at rainbow color combinations a few months ago, I realized for the first time just how many of my projects incorporate rainbow themes.

Please don't misunderstand. I wasn't oblivious to this phenomenon, I just hadn't fully recognized how often they crept into the picture. Some versions are bright, others are muted. Some focus primarily on color, others feature a blend of color and texture. In all their variations, rainbow combinations continue to pop up everywhere. The most recent examples include:


Angletyn Rainbow
A delightful Raveler in the Afghans & Blankets group called this a sophisticated rainbow, which is a lovely description:

Breidan Baby
When this was released, readers and Ravelers commented on how much they enjoyed the muted shades rather than the conventional baby pastels:




Color Check
Together, the two Color Check panels create richly varied rainbows in vivid, mid-range and soft shades:

Drumlin Gemtones
On their own, the saturated gemtones of Drumlin are an incomplete rainbow. This afghan can usually be found draped over the back of an easy chair in the family room, which is painted a creamy yellow that visually completes the rainbow scheme:

Tikkyn Rainbow
Clearly I love rainbows in all their forms, but I especially like the play of color and texture in Tikkyn. On the front, the colors are frosted with cream and slightly more subdued, while on the back (upper left corner) they're more prominent:

Twegen Berry & Harvest
It's a bit of a stretch, but when these two afghans are displayed together, they create a modified rainbow. (And yes, I do sometimes drape them in tandem on the back of the couch just to see this effect in action. I can be goofy that way.)

Through the years, rainbow schemes have surfaced in toddler sweaters, baby hats, cardigans (Moore Colors), scarves, and too many dishcloths to count.

The recent flurry of colorful knits means the stash is awash in partial skeins and leftovers in almost every shade of the ... well, you know.

To put them to good use, I'm working on several new concepts. One's in the swatching stage, and another's just been cast on. It doesn't look like much yet, but bear with me, the end result could be interesting:

Gradually the assortment of partials and remnants will find new futures, which is a very good thing. Once they're gone, I'll face the classic dilemma: Either stop knitting rainbows, or bite the bullet, buy more yarn, and start the cycle all over again.

What's a knitter to do?


If you're fascinated by rainbows, too, you can see all rainbow-related posts here.

Spotlight | Red, White & Blue Holidays

In the US, we'll soon be enjoying an extended holiday weekend in honor of America's Independence Day (July 4). I'm also sharing a list of red, white and blue holidays, which I hope you'll find useful. 

Many of us enjoy brightening these occasions with our handcrafted items, so this list of patriotic US holidays will help all of us get the maximum enjoyment from the things we make:

JANUARY
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Third Monday: Recognizes his contributions to American society

FEBRUARY
National Freedom Day. Feb 1: Celebrates the law that abolished slavery

Lincoln's Birthday. Feb 12: Celebrates Abraham Lincoln

Washington's Birthday. Feb 22: Washington was born Feb 22, 1732 (or Feb 11, 1731 using the Julian calendar in effect at that time)

President's Day. Third Monday: A joint holiday to recognize Washington and Lincoln

MAY
Loyalty Day. May 1: A time to reaffirm loyalty and celebrate American freedoms

Armed Forces Day. Third Saturday: Recognizes our Armed Forces

Memorial Day. Last Monday: Honors those who've died protecting our freedoms

JUNE
D-Day. Jun 6: Commemorates the 1944 Normandy landings, the beginning of the end of World War II

Flag Day. Jun 14: Celebrates the adoption of the US flag in 1777

JULY
Independence Day. Jul 4: Celebrates the US Declaration of Independence in 1776

SEPTEMBER
Labor Day. First Monday: Recognizes all American workers

Patriot Day. Sep 11: Remembers the 2996 people who died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks

Constitution Day. Sep 17: Celebrates the signing of the Constitution in 1787

Citizenship Day. Sep 17: Recognizes the rights and responsibilities of US citizenship

Gold Star Mother's Day. Last Sunday: Honors the mothers of those who've died serving in the US Armed Forces

NOVEMBER
Veteran's Day. Nov 11: Celebrates all veterans on the anniversary of the World War I Armistice in 1918

DECEMBER
Pearl Harbor Day. Dec 7: Honors those who died in the 1941 Pearl Harbor attacks

With so many opportunities to celebrate, perhaps you'll feel inspired to make something in red, white and blue.

Sweet Hearts & Soft Spots

Have a relaxing and enjoyable weekend one and all, whether or not you're celebrating Independence Day or Canada Day. Meanwhile, if you're seeking inspiration, you might enjoy these posts:

• Brave Heart
• Bring Out the Red, White & Blue
• Colors of Summer
• Fiber Fun on Flag Day
• Heartland
• Fruits of Our Labor
• More Red, White & Blue
• Summer Means Red, White & Blue
• Spotlight: Red, White & Blue

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Picture It: Color Combos in Action

Over the past few months, we've been discussing the challenge of choosing the right colors for the people in our lives. We wrestle with this whether we're making something for our favorite fellow, a beloved grandparent, family friends, a new arrival, or a kid heading to college.

We've been exploring color from a variety of perspectives, because knitters often tell me they have no color sense (their words) or have difficulty envisioning how colors work together. In both instances, it helps to picture the possibilities, so let's look at assorted color combos in action.

Guy-Worthy
Let's start with a small handful of guy-worthy knits featuring colors that are bold, neutral or a mix of both. (Just click the link below the photo to see details about that specific design, and keep reading, there are more guy-worthy examples to follow.)

    

        Flashpoint Black and red with deep purple 

    

        Drumlin Cool neutrals with red

        Twegen Warm neutrals with black and cream

Share-Worthy

It can be quite challenging to hit a happy balance when you're making something like an afghan that's intended to be shared by several people, whether that's a newly married couple or an entire family. While many combinations above might work in these instances, here are a few that tend to hold crossover appeal:

        Color Check Shades of red, fuchsia, plum, purple and blue

        Color Check Greens, blues and yellows

    

        Drumlin Rich gem tones

    

        Twegen Shades of gold, pumpkin and clay

Kid-Worthy
Any of the options above could conceivably work for kids, too. In my family, for example, one kid adores red combined with purple, one loves shades of green and gold, and a third gravitates toward color wheels and rainbows. Another has a passion for the Ohio State Buckeyes, so the red and gray combination would be his pick.

Because the kids in your life have their own preferences, here are a few more kid-worthy examples:

    

        Breidan Muted rainbow shades

        Breidan Fuchsia, rose, pink and lavender 

    

        Drumlin Vivid greens, blues, purples and pinks

When in Doubt
Clearly, any of these color combos would work not just for afghans but for almost any item you might choose to make. 

If you're completely stumped and all else fails, remember my tried-and-true knitting rule: When in doubt, make it blue. Both personal experience and statistical results support this rule, since kids and adults of both genders consistently cite blue as a favorite.

        Flashpoint Turquoise and cream

    

        Breidan Blues with shades of blue-green

The point is this: Color plays a different role for each of us.

For me, it's a powerful force. It drives my devotion to clean lines, non-fussy stitches and unisex designs. These elements quickly shift from strong and masculine to gender neutral or soft and feminine with nothing more than a color change, so it's easy to tailor a piece to a particular recipient. It contributes to my fondness for strip and modular construction, which allows me to alter colors and their placement at almost any point in the process. It keeps knitting fun and interesting, because color makes even a familiar pattern or stitch fresh and new.

But that's enough about me. 

What's your story? From the projects you choose to the yarns you use, how does color influence your knitting journey?


For more guy combos, click here.
For rainbow combos, click here.
For more kid combos, click here.
For more on rich combos, click here.
For thoughts about color and afghans, click here.