Yarn Requirements - Suggestions for Gradients

Fiber Optic Yarns offers gradient colorways in two skein lengths: short (255 yards) and long (470 yards).  In addition, there are matching terminal semi-solid colors for both ends of each gradient.  Each of these components work together to easily customize a majority of designs.  The followings are our suggestions, but if you need additional help for specific projects, please call us (we love to talk!) at the studio phone number:  513-248-0752.

     SHAWLS:     Between 255 and 470 yards - one small length (255 yards) gradient plus one skein of a terminal semi solid. Note several shawl patterns are designed to be made any size and may be continued until all of the gradient colorway is used.  In this case, a single large length gradient skein may be used.

                        Between 470 yards and 890 yards - One long length (470 yards) gradient plus one skein of a terminal semi-solid.  If the size of the shawl design is easily expandable, two skeins of the long length gradient may be used, alternating skeins every 2 rows and carrying the unused yarn up the edge.

                        Between 890 and 940 yards -  Either One long length (470 yards) plus 2 skeins of a terminal semi-solid (most of a full skein of the terminal color will be left over) or 2 skeins of the long length gradient, making sure to alternate skeins every 2 rows and carrying the unused yarn up the edge.

                         Over 940 yards -  Two skeins of a Long length (470 yards) gradient, alternating every 2 rows and carrying the unused yarn up the edge.  These gradient skeins will use 940 yards of the yardage required in the shawl design.  For each additional 420 yards over 940 yards, one skein the terminal semi-solid color will be needed. 

                                       Example 1:  Shawl pattern calls for 1260 yards.  We recommend 2 skeins of the long length gradient which will provide 940 yards (alternating every 2 rows and carrying up the edge). The pattern requires an additional 1260 - 940 = 320 yards.  One skein of the terminal semi-solid will be needed.

                                        Example 2: Shawl pattern calls for 1950 yards (i.e., circular shawl).  Two skeins of the long length gradient contributes 940 yards with 1100 yards remaining.  Therefore, 3 skeins of the terminal will be needed.  Alternatively, 3 long-length gradient skeins could be used, alternating each row and carrying up the edge for 1410 yards.  Then the additional 540 yards could be obtained with 2 skeins of the terminal color.

SWEATERS:      The gradients work for either top-down or bottom-up sweater construction.  We recommend knitting the body of the sweater with 2 long length gradients, alternating rounds.  If additional yardage is needed, the terminal color may be used for knitting the remaining body once the gradients are used up.  The yardage of the short length gradients was selected so that if the body were knitted from 2 long length skeins of a gradient colorway and each sleeve were knit from 1 short length skein of the same gradient colorway,  the gradient color progression for the sleeves would match the body!  Additional yardage, if any, required to complete the sleeves would come from the terminal colorway.