self patterning yarn

Self patterning/striping yarn is dyed in certain lengths of color by computer control. The striping/patterning effect is controlled by the gauge used while executing the garment. DA

I hear crochet uses up something like 3 times as much yarn per stitch as knitting does. If that is true, then the self-patterning color segments will make one third as many stitches in crochet work. If the segments are short, the colors will change very quickly. I think some of the self-patterning sock yarns would have one stitch per color in crochet. As long as you like the effect, it could work, but it won't look like Fairisle (but I don't think it looks much like Fairisle anyway).

=Tamar

Some--the Fair Isle type--will have more than one color per stitch in crochet, because they have one color per stitch in knitting on #2(US) needles.

Georgia

Can somebody please tell me in waht way this threads differ from any `normal` Varigated thread ????? mirjam

Self patterning yarn is usually for socks or mittens. It is usually of two types - self striping or a random fair isle effect (or a combination). See link for example, NAYY. Normal varigated yarn won't give the same effect. for self striping yarn, you get the effect of stripes without having to change yarn. For the fair isle effect, most of the color lengths are only one knitting stitch long. My question was more about the fair isle type --- since even a single crochet stitch uses much more yarn than a single knit or purl stitch, I was curious about the effect.

Self patterning/striping yarn is dyed in certain lengths of color by computer control. The striping/patterning effect is controlled by the gauge used while executing the garment. If you measure the lengths of each color in Noro yarns, you will find that the length of each color is roughly the same throughout the skein. If there are 3 colors green, blue and purple each 15 inches long, then at 5 sts to the inch you will have 3 inches of each color when knit. Each color will repeat every 3 inches in pattern as long as you are using that skein of yarn. When designing a garment it is possible to approximate where and how these blocks of color will be placed as determined by stitch and row gauge.

DA

Here is an example of self patterning yarn.

I think I need to reword this. Have any of you tried making an afghan or throw with this yarn? Or even granny squares? Shana

I have done granny squares, and they are OK.

Higs, Katherine

X-No-archive:yes

I've done lots of 'ripple' afghans with variegated yarn - what would this 'self patterning yarn' do with a ripple afghan?? Hugs Joan

No idea, but it would be interesting to try. I don't know if the colours would be separated enough to have the same effect or not.

Higs, Katherine

There is a cute free pattern for a baby sweater using it on Knit Picks website -

M> Can somebody please tell me in waht way this threads differ M> from any `normal` Varigated thread ?????

It's a special kind of variegated yarn -- the lengths of the bits of color are chosen carefully to make a particular kind of stripe pattern. Right now I'm using a self-patterning yarn to make a pair of socks -- I get stripes of green, yellow, and blue, alternating with stripes of grey and white checks.

Some variegated yarns are just designed with a few colors that go well together, without any particular pattern as a goal. Those can produce beautiful results as well, but it's not the same sort of beautiful results.

Charlton

Thank you DA , but any varigated wool has the same thing , Lenghts of colors are the same and their appearance in the knitting is a result of the number and size of the stiches you knit /crochet .. Every time i knit with any varigated wool i can easily tell you how many stiches will be in which color after i swatch for gauguing . I used this to determine how big to knit the squares of my intrelac sweater , so that each squre will have the same striping order . There is alos a difference in how you knit either to and bback or in the round Thus i still don`t see why one is called varigated and one is called self striping , maybe it was just a Selling name ... mirjam

Cahrlton Any varigate wool can be manipulated to make any ppattern you want , but Alas i usually just like the surprise that happens on it`s own ,,, mirjam

MBC> Thus i still don`t see why one is called varigated and MBC> one is called self striping , maybe it was just a Selling MBC> name ...

Because the self-striping yarn is designed to produce a particular pattern when you knit socks with it. Variegated yarn is not necessarily designed with striped socks in mind.

"Variegated" means that the yarn has at least two different colors in it. "Self-striping" means that the yarn is variegated *and* that the lengths of the colors are calculated to produce a particular pattern in the socks you knit with it.

It's not just a selling name; there's a difference that's important, at least to those of us who knit socks.

Charlton

It seems strange as if insttead of making your own pattern you knit By order as if painting bu numbers ????? mirjam

Yes, but they are VERY popular right now! My MIL has knit a lot for every family member, and we all wear them. BTW, MIL is 94 years and still knits socks every day on 2.5 mm needles! Amazing.

Roger.