Are you still wondering if variegated yarn is better than self striping? We have the answers for you! In this blog post, we will be comparing and contrasting these two types of yarn. First, let’s discuss what each type means.
Variegated and self stripping yarns are two common varieties of yarns. Variegated yarn falls into the category of gradient or ombre dyed while self-striping is a single color that changes gradually as it moves around on the skein.
Furthermore, we’ll be going over how to knit with them as well as general benefits of each one. Let’s get started!
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Variegated Yarn – The Pros and Cons
Variegated yarn is a common material used for knitting and crocheting sweaters, blankets, scarves, and baby dresses. It is dyed in sections to make it a multi-colored knitting material. The color patterns can be in a fixed pattern or in random order.
It is a good material for beginner crafters as they can have the beauty of many colors without having to work with different strands of the yarn. Variegated yarn can be found in many color combinations. Even different shades of the same color can be found. In fact, there can be hundreds of colors and shades in each color category.
You can knit or crochet a whole piece or use them partly for accent such as in trim. Borders made with variegated yarn can look particularly more attractive. These advantages make it one of the most favorite yarns for both beginner and skilled needlecrafters. Clothes made with these yarns reflect the beauty of color variations of the yarn.
Advantages of Variegated Yarn
- Variegated yarns are available in a vast array of colors. Most crafters and designers recognize the benefits of having many colors in the same ball.
- It helps them create colored patterns without any extra effort. Moreover, for certain kinds of knitting, variegated yarns are more suitable such as mitered square, modular knits, and-10 stitch designs.
- It has long color spans that make it a perfect material for creating long rows in a shawl or blanket.
Disadvantages of Variegated Yarn
- Some people think the self-striping yarn is a better choice for projects with little shapes. However, if the row count changes frequently, the stripes’ depths also change. For instance, we can easily see that sleeves have fewer stitches compared to the front or back part of the knitted dress.
- A major drawback of change in stitch count is color pooling. In this case, you have blotches of colors at certain places that take away the whole attractiveness of the dress.
Self Striping Yarn – Pros and Cons
This type of yarn creates strip patterns when you crochet. However, the type of yarn and the crochet pattern decides how well the pattern comes about. The strips may not be exact but overall they will have a similar effect. On a closer look, you may find a streak of another color but overall they will give the effect of strips. It’s the ease with which this effect is achieved that makes self stripping yarn special.
The yarn has many colors and as you crochet, different colors come as per their turn. You have different colors of the same yarn coming during the crocheting. The change in color could be subtle as well as bold depending on what you have bought. If the ball of self-striping yarn has 3 colors, they will come in succession and repeat it in reverse order.
Advantages of Self Striping Yarn
- One of the main reasons why people like to use self-striping yarn is the way it results in strips on crocheting. It is a simple way to create eye-catching patterns with different colors without taking the pain to change the colors of the yarn.
- It is good for beginners who may not feel comfortable using different colors of yarns. For skilled craftspersons, it is the ease of working with the same yarn for a colorful dress or project that makes them use it.
- The colors in a self stripping yarn skein have a good combination. The manufacturers work arduously on these issues to make their products successful in the market. So, self stripping yarns save you from doing the color-matching. The colors present in a skein are already in a harmony with each other.
Disadvantages of Self Striping Yarn
- There is little control over when and where the change in color happens. It can change in the middle of a pattern or at an undesirable spot. This feature sometimes makes the strips neat, at others lousy and sloppy.
If you want to create neat and even strips in your project with greater control on where color change falls, self stripping yarn may not be the first choice for you.
So which type of yarn is better? That’s a personal preference! If you are looking for something with lots of color and character, then variegated yarn may be the one. On the other hand, if you want to learn how to knit without doing any research at all or simply like self-striping colors that will match whatever project you have in mind, then go with self-striping yarn.
