Combining yarn dye lots can lead to some unexpected color shifts in your project. It’s always best to purchase enough yarn of the same dye lot (found on the yarn’s label) so that you make sure you have plenty of yarn to finish your project. When that’s not an option, there are a few ways you can work with what you’ve got.
I got about a third of the way through a recent project before I realized that my two skeins of yarn came from different dye lots. I bought them quite some time ago and had forgotten that they were purchased at different times.
It’s a more muted difference with a variegated yarn like the one I’m using, but my eye can still see that one ball is significantly darker than the other.
Working with Motifs
Work the first few rounds of each motif in one ball and fasten off. Finish the rest of the rounds of each motif with the other ball.
Alternatively, you could simply crochet full motifs from each ball, and arrange them in a way that looks pleasing. This can be a good option if you have as much of an aversion to weaving in loose ends as I do. You may choose to place the different shades randomly with no discernable pattern, or create a subtle pattern with the placement of the motifs.
The shirt I’m working on is being worked in join-as-you-go motifs, and I’m working from the bottom up. I got three rows of motifs finished before pulling the second skein out of my stash, seeing the darker hue, and thinking, “Oops. Oh…”
Beginning on the next row, I crocheted motifs from each of the two balls, alternating from one to the other. I’ll keep alternating balls through the rest of the shirt, until I get to the sleeves where I’ll likely have run out of the first ball. I think the subtle shift will only be noticeable if you’re really studying it in the right light, but if it is visible it will sort of seem to turn lighter as it goes down. The shirt is symmetrical, so I can plan ahead and make sure that the colors are as well.
Working in rows or rounds
Switch yarn balls every 1-3 rows or rounds. Or if you have multiple dye lots, consider ranging them from light to dark as you work your rows for a subtle ombre color shift.
