Today on The Knitting Needle and the Damage Done, we're going to have a look at a selection of gradient knits. I've been finding as I write my knitting design reviews that I'm always especially drawn to a successful gradient effect. There's something so pleasing about the effect of a beautifully blended colour progression. It's a look largely dependent on its palette, as any striped or colour-block design could be used to achieve a gradient effect so long as the yarns work well together on that level. If you decide you want to try a gradient knit, be prepared for a challenge, as achieving a flow of colour in yarn can be harder than you might expect. It's a prospect that reminds me of the exercises I once had to do when I was taking a colour theory course as part of a certificate program in Visual Arts that I did at George Brown College here in Toronto in the early 2000s. We had to paint colour charts in evenly progressive gradients from white to black, or from the palest shade of a colour to its darkest shade, and any disproportionately large "jump" between any two shades stood out like a sore thumb and was ruthlessly marked down by the course instructor. But then you'll be mixing and matching yarns at your local yarn store rather than sweating over the possibility that a infinitesimal drop of added white or black paint might prove too much, and you won't be marked on your effort, so do go ahead and have fun picking out your gradient colourways. And there are also knitting design techniques that can help you integrate your selected palette of yarn, which I'll be pointing out throughout this post of selected gradient designs.
The above design is the Humphry shawl, by maylin Tri'Coterie Designs. I love the psychedelic rainbow effect, which the designer has made work by selecting an array of uniformly vivid shades and using black to offset them.
Changing Light, by Jennifer Weissman. In this gradient knit, the designer has used alternating stripes to blend adjacent shades together. Solid colour blocks with no softening transitions can look a little crude, even when one has selected a good colour range.
Gradient Dip, by Suvi Simola. Here again we have the alternating colour stripes, and the designer has restricted the gradient effect to the sleeves for a look that really pops.
Pixelated Pullover, by Jennifer Beaumont. Another technique for transitioning between two shades is this "pixelated" effect of artfully arranged random stitches of the second colour.
Metamorphic, by Lisa K. Ross. This design uses alternating stitches to "morph" from one shade to another. I've had my eye on this sweater pattern for some time and intend to make it in 2019 for my grandnephew Bug's sixth birthday.
Colorshift, by Carina Spencer. In this cowl, the designer has bridged the difference between her two yarns by knitting with two strands. This is a great technique for turning two colours of yarn into a gradient colourway, because you're creating the connecting colours.
All About Green, by Natalie V. In this design, repeating thin bands of colour are used to unite the palette of four shades of green.
Degreenify, by Josh Ryks-Robinsky. In this pattern, the designer has used the classic ripple afghan pattern (which is traditionally used to integrate numerous different colours) and added alternating stripes to ease the shade changes.
Reflected Lines, by Suvi Simola. I wouldn't have thought of putting these three colours together, but they look amazing.
The Umbra & Penumbra sweater, by Jennifer Thompson, published by Knit Picks in Burnished: 2014 Fall Collection. That's an impressive array of shades, but this would be an expensive pattern to knit, as one would need so many skeins of yarn and have so much left over.
Polar Prism Cardigan, by Jennifer Beaumont. In this cardigan, the designer has united the colours by using a neutral background colour.
Colorslide, by Nicole Nehrig. This pattern uses alternating stitches of colour to transition. These individual colours are beautiful, but I would have kept working on this palette a little more. The top three colours are warm tones and the bottom two are on the cool side, which makes for a bit of a disconnect in the midsection.
Three Greys Aurora Turtleneck, by Berta Karapetyan. I am quite sure my colour theory art instructor would have approved this grayscale.
Ombre Sweater, by Debbie Bliss. This ombre effect was created by combining strands of the different shades, and by using a mohair silk yarn, which has a halo that helps with the blending effect. The resulting effect is soft and muted and lovely. (I reviewed this design previously, as it appeared in Debbie Bliss Knitting Magazine's Fall/Winter 2014 issue, and it seems I really liked it then too.)
Posh Petals, by Rose Beck. The three gradient bands of colour interspersed with dark lines give this otherwise traditional cowl such a striking and contemporary look.
Primus, by Dawn Prickett. Here we have a shawl that's contemporary in both its colourway and its style. The designer has managed to give the pattern such interest and movement using only three shades and an arrangement of stripes.
Curio Cowl, by Kelly McClure. Linen stitch does a particularly good job of blending colours together, and I love the colours used here.
Such a welcome post, as I bought several shades of rose, pink, oatmeal & cream alpaca yarn recently (on sale) to make a gradient sweater. I might do a damask fair isle pattern, but the pixelated look is appealing too...
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