Dye Methods
I use a number of different methods for dyeing yarn. I list the method in the yarn facts section of each colorway, and you can also search by dye method. Here's what those methods are:
- Semi-Solid Colorways - I dyed these using a single color, but there's usually some variation in the depth of shade. In other words, some parts are a little lighter and some are a little darker. Some of these colorways also have speckles. If so, I mention that in the description.
- Tonal Colorways - Tonal colorways are similar to semi-solid colorways, but they contain different shades of the same color. For example, a tonal colorway that is blue will have multiple shades of blue.
- Splashed & Speckled Colorways - These colorways have multiple colors that are placed "randomly" over the skein in small segments that are usually no more than an inch or two at a time. They often have speckles as well, which are small dots of dye. Because of the random placement of the dye, this type of colorway is not likely to pool. Also, each skein is more unique than other dye types.
- Block Variegated Colorways - Block variegated colorways are dyed in distinct sections of one color followed by another color. They typically have somewhere between 2 and 8 colors. These can pool. If you find that they are pooling and you don't like the effect, consider adjusting the number of stitches just a little bit or using a different stitch for the yarn.
- Planned Pooling Colorways - Planned pooling colorways are a type of block variegated colorway with between 2 and 5 colors that can be used for planned pooling projects like those Mary Bird offers for crochet in her book, Yarn Pooling Made Easy, and Laura Bryant offers for knitting in her book, Artful Color, Mindful Knits. These create really cool effects, but they take some patience and experimenting.
- Assigned Pooling Colorways - These colorways have about 75% of the skein dyed in one color or color combination (called the background color) and the other 25% dyed in something that is distinctly different (called the assigned color). You knit or crochet along until you get to the assigned color, and then you do something different. Look for knitting patterns like those by Dawn Barker of Barker Wool that are made for assigned pooling colorways. I have some of my own as well. You'll find lots in the knitting world, but assigned pooling patterns are just starting to be a thing in the crochet world. You can find a few on Ravelry though.
