Knitting with Hand Dyed Yarns

[@mslaceyrose413]

I knew the importance of alternating hand dyed skeins while knitting but I never thought about the importance of using one full and one partial skein so they don't run out at the same time. Great tip! Your tips on choosing, ordering, and marking skeins were extremely helpful. Your videos and tutorials really are the best of the best. You teach of all the little details and refinements that are so important, but often omitted by other teachers.

[@SuzanneBryan]

Thank you Lacey. Hugs and Happy Knitting.

[@nancygoldberg376]

I love the way you explained how to decide which skeins of hand dyed yarns to choose and then label. Thank you

[@SuzanneBryan]

You are so welcome, Nancy!

[@popaiulia3]

Starting my first project with hand dyed yarn! Thank you for the information, it's so helpful

[@SuzanneBryan]

You are so welcome, Iulia! Best of luck with your hand dyed yarn, I'm sure your garment will be lovely! ❤️

[@veravanslyke9676]

This is great. Now I'm able to understand the key points of a skein to identify. Thanks for doing this.

[@SuzanneBryan]

Perfect. Hugs and Happy Knitting.

[@smallfootprint2961]

Being a beginner, (again), I love these tips. It's great to know what to do in situations that used to make me give up. So far, so good. Thanks to these great videos on KZbin.

[@SuzanneBryan]

Thanks. Hugs and Happy Knitting.

[@cfierron]

I simply love all of your work and videos! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge on a way even simple mortals like me understand it :)! 🙏🏻

[@SuzanneBryan]

Thank you. Hugs and Happy Knitting.

[@theastewart6721]

I always enjoy your videos. Thank you for sharing your expertise! I take a class at least 3 times per month so I’m loaded with knitting and crochet projects but I love learning from videos as well and getting different takes on different techniques. Thanks again!

[@SuzanneBryan]

You are welcome. Hugs and Happy Knitting.

[@Ellinesscrafts]

Very helpful video. I am embarking on my first sweater using handdyed yarn and was wondering how I should mix up and alternate the yarns. I was going to just start both skeins at the same time, so I’m glad you pointed out that that may cause issues for my blending the next skein later. Thank you so much.

[@SuzanneBryan]

So glad to be of help. Hugs and Happy Knitting.

[@jennylarking1936]

This would be a good idea but not many (if any) yarn sellers are willing to let you unwind their skeins to have a close look at the yarn and impossible for many of us who have to buy online.

[@SuzanneBryan]

If they want to see me $200 of yarn, they better let me look at it first. I generally spend that much per sweater. There is no way I am going to wait until I get home to find out that one skein has a big surprise on the inside. Hugs and Happy Knitting.

[@loisyamada316]

I have found that my LYS ( and there are several in my area) encourages you to open them up a take a look 😀 They seem to understand the importance of it and to your finished product.

[@lesleyphillips931]

I agree with you, Jenny. In Spain, first you've got to find a wool supplier and my guess is that no way would they let you unwind one skein, let alone seven. It's all internet purchase here including needles. Still, lots of good info here on working with irregular colours and I'm grateful.

[@gjk540]

Gorgeous yarn, but as someone else mentioned, I don't know of any yarn store that will allow one to open and untwist skeins to comparison shop--unless one personally knows the owner/proprietor.

[@SuzanneBryan]

I suspect that those yarn stores don't sell sweater quantities of yarn either. There is no way I am going to buy $200 worth of yarn without inspecting it first. My yarn store owner sells lots of sweater quantities of yarn. Helps keep him in business. He doesn't mind us checking the skeins first. Hugs and Happy knitting.

[@erikahansen2684]

Suzanne, your videos are amazing, you've taught me so much!!! Thank you!! :)

[@SuzanneBryan]

You are so welcome!

[@atrinka1]

Thanks for all the tips! What about a new video knitting in the round with this type of yarn?

[@SuzanneBryan]

Excellent idea. Adding to my todo list. Hugs and Happy knitting.

[@thaberkorn6853]

Thank you Suzanne, another great video!

[@SuzanneBryan]

Thanks. Hugs and Happy Knitting.

[@fatimadehaan9025]

Thanks for your nice details again!

[@SuzanneBryan]

You are welcome. Hugs and Happy knitting.

[@PattymacMakes]

What a great explanation!!! I love the tripod comment! HA HA! Suzanne, you crack me up.

[@SuzanneBryan]

I didn't think about it until I realized I was zigging and zagging all over the place. Hugs and Happy Knitting.

[@beckyb76563]

Fabulous - Thank you!

[@SuzanneBryan]

Glad you enjoyed it, Becky! ❤️

[@agnesadyana7344]

Thank you for sharing. So not I could chosse whice yarn is good for knitting.

[@SuzanneBryan]

You are so welcome!

[@jennymoon7563]

This is great, thank you. Any tips for alternating skeins in the round?

[@SuzanneBryan]

I will be making that video in a couple of weeks. Keep an eye out for it. The method is really good. Happy knitting.

[@rosalindnewman1254]

Thank you for this useful information. Just wondering where the yarn store is that helped you unwind the yarn?

[@SuzanneBryan]

Bakersfield California, The Twisted Skein.

[@rosalindnewman1254]

Thank you.

[@ema2945]

Thank you! 😁

[@SuzanneBryan]

Happy Knitting!

[@devonnejoy0515]

I'm about ready to begin a pullover sweater, and have 4 skeins of hand dyed madelinetosh. I usually start with the back, then the front piece, but sometimes end up with sleeves that don't always match. Any suggestions? It looks like you knit from the first skein (till 1/2), and then blend into the 2nd, then 3rd and 4th, etc. to finish all the pieces. Do you alternate two yarns for the entire project? I didn't quite understand.

[@SuzanneBryan]

I alternate every other row if knit flat and every row if knit in the round. Happy Knitting!

[@garyweybright3227]

All comments below are spot on! ClaudiaSJI

[@SuzanneBryan]

Great. Thank you.

[@nogaly123]

How do I find the beginning of the skein when I open it?

[@SuzanneBryan]

It is often tied to one of the threads keeping the skein organized. 🧶

[@kathleenjacobse4183]

I am knitting a blanket with a multicolored variegated hand dyed yarn.... There is quite the difference in the skeins, would you still wait to use up half a ball before adding in a second? You also talk about not worrying about the edge since it will be hidden in the seem... For blankets that is not the case. What you would you recommend for a cleaner blanket edge? Thanks for your help!

[@margiewatkins9076]

That's a question I have, as well, though I'm not knitting a blanket. Is that first ½ skein the only time you knit more than one or two rows of a single skein?

[@kathleenjacobse4183]

@@margiewatkins9076 I decided to knit 4 rows of one skein and then started the second. Since I am doing a baby blanket I used enough yarn in the 4 rows to have my two balls of yarn be a noticeably different in size. I plan to add a third skein when the first ball has about a quarter left and then adding a 4th skein when the second ball only had a quarter left. Hopefully it works out, everyone I know only uses standard acrylic so they thought it was crazy I would have to knit two or more skeins at once.

[@margiewatkins9076]

@@kathleenjacobse4183Thank you for the reply! I'm using hand-dyed yarn in a sweater, so I'm thinking I'll treat it like helical stripes. I'm just a bit confused about the videos instruction to use ⅓ to ½ skein of one yarn at the beginning. How big is the blanket? And do you like the way it is looking?

[@kathleenjacobse4183]

@@margiewatkins9076 End size of the blanket will be 30" x 35". Even though my skeins are the same dye lot some are more fall colors (red, yellow, green) and some are more summer colors (red, orange, green blue, purple). So I am very happy with my decision to do a few rows and then add the second skein because in addition to color variation some skeins are brighter then others. It blends in very well and I think if I waited to use half a skein there would be a noticeable change.

[@SuzanneBryan]

Yes. If your project is going to use more than two skeins, and you start the second skein at the same time as the first, you are likely to run out of skein 1 and 2 at the same time, then there will be a huge difference when you start skein 3. It is better to stagger the skeins.

[@kat1984]

I've been alternating yarns incorrectly for 6 years. No wonder I had a hard time picking up stitches.

[@SuzanneBryan]

Hugs and Happy Knitting.