Hand-dyed, multicolor yarns are so easy to love. Who among us—even the most diehard gray tweed advocate—has not fallen for these one-of-a-kind, special skeins? Like wayward puppies, they have a habit of following us home from fiber festivals and local yarn stores.
Apart from their beauty, we love the story of these yarns, the idea that they were made by hand, in a pot in the dyer’s kitchen or garage. The ultimate limited edition. But what to make with them? Why are we reluctant to knit with the most beautiful yarns we can find? It may be because sometimes it’s hard to imagine what will come of a wild, hand-dyed yarn.
Maybe you’ve had this experience: A beautiful swan in the skein knits up into a duckling that only a mother could love, with ungainly blotches of color or wacky zigzags in all the wrong places. It doesn’t have to be this way.
The solution is to work with the inherent nature of these yarns. Embrace randomness! Leave room for surprise amid the order of a pattern. When we allow these exquisite yarns to behave as they please, the results are delightful—as the three patterns included in this Field Guide so perfectly demonstrate.
Dianna Walla, Kirsten Kapur and Sue McCain.
Authors: Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne Editor/Creative Director: Melanie Falick Graphic Designer: Will Brady Photographer: Sara Remington Photostylist: Alessandra Mortola Technical Editor: Sue McCain Sample Knitters: Julie Lindsey, Susan Mitz, Nell Ziroli