In 2017, Andrea Mowry came out with her So Faded sweater and the Free Your Fade shawl, and the entire yarn community started talking about gradient fades. I saw so many gorgeous yarn kits and colour choices, and it’s a bit of a miracle that I managed to stay firm and not impulse buy everything. Now, three years later, I’m finally trying my own fade, albeit on a much smaller scale.

• 1 Spring Sampler Mini Kit of Hypothesis Yarns Smooth Sock – a fingering (1) weight yarn (colours: Thaw, Old Growth, Bayou, Princess Parsnip, Hanami, Equinox, Pine Marten, Lilium)
• The appropriate gauge needles (either DPN or circular)

YouTube tutorial by Hilke at Haalu

There are a lot of variations floating around out there about the pattern for alternating rows, and there isn’t one “right” way to fade. I think it depends largely on the yarn you’re using, and how it all fits together. I’ve been a little obsessed with the colours in this mini skein sampler for a while now, and I think I finally have the perfect project to fade them together for.

There is quite a bit of variation in colour between skeins in this set, so I think the “fades” are more noticeable than they would have been if I was choosing an ombré gradient. Still, I love the way all the colours coordinate and complement each other, so I think that I will still use this fade, even if it’s not as seamless as some of the ones I’ve seen on the Internet. Even with more contrasting colours, “fading” removes the hard line in stripes. Of course, there’s a time and place for each, so I’m just enjoying trying something new.

Until next time, happy crafting!