Week 3: Mixing Colour and Texture

Kristen’s scrappy Cruiser Cardigan in progress, with colourful garter stitch stripes and fluffy texture

Scraptober at Skein · Week 3

A little colour. A little texture.

This week, we’re looking beyond the shade to explore what speckles, changing colours and different textures can bring to a scrappy project.

Try something new, or simply notice a detail you’re already loving. These ideas are here whenever you fancy exploring them.

01 · Learn

Mixing colour and texture

There’s more to choosing the next yarn than its colour. A quiet semisolid, a scattering of speckles or a little fluffy texture can each bring something different to the fabric.

Our new Journal guide explores these possibilities through my scrappy Cruiser Cardigan, with ideas for knitting and crochet and a handy cheat sheet to keep nearby.

Read the colour & texture guide
Colour and texture detail in Kristen’s scrappy Cruiser Cardigan
A little fluffy texture alongside the more defined garter stitch in my Cruiser.

02 · Try

Explore one little combination

Choose just one idea that catches your curiosity. A small knitted swatch or crochet sample is enough to see what happens.

Change what sits beside it

  • Try a speckled or variegated scrap beside a quieter semisolid.
  • Compare a smooth yarn with a little fluffy texture.
  • Hold two strands together to explore a new colour blend.

Notice what you enjoy about the combination. Does it soften a transition, add contrast or bring an unexpected colour into the mix?

Take a closer look

Turn your work over and look at both sides. You might discover a colour transition or texture you’d love to show.

For garments, check the pattern’s construction before changing which side faces out. When combining yarns, swatch and wash to check the fabric, gauge and care.

Happy with your project as it is? Keep going! You don’t need to change anything to join in.

03 · Share

This week’s photo prompt

Show us a little detail you love.

A colour pairing, a fluffy stripe, a crochet texture or an unexpected surprise—take a close-up of something you’re enjoying in your scrappy making.

A little sample counts too. There’s no need for a finished project or a perfectly styled photograph.

On Instagram, tag @skeinyarn and use #SkeinScraptober so we can find your post.

Prefer email? Reply to one of our newsletters or send a photo to hello@skeinyarn.com. Tell us a little about the detail and how you’d like to be credited.

We’d love to feature community photos with permission. Let us know whether you’re happy for yours to appear on our website, in our newsletter or on Instagram. We’ll only share in the places you agree to, with credit to you.

04 · See

A detail I’m loving

In my scrappy Cruiser Cardigan, I’m mixing semisolids, speckled and variegated yarns with some fluffy texture, choosing the next colour as I go.

One of my favourite discoveries has been the little colour blips where the yarn changes on the reverse of garter stitch. I love them so much that I’m making that side my right side!

I’m enjoying those small surprises in my Scrappy Log Cabin Blanket too. It’s lovely seeing what happens when colours I might never have planned end up beside each other.

Garter stitch colour-change detail in Kristen’s scrappy knitting
The little colour blips are part of what I love—so I’m letting them show.

We’ll add community details here as they’re shared with us, with permission and credit to each maker.

Join whenever you like

All scrappy knitting and crochet projects are welcome. There’s no registration, no need to catch up and no deadline to finish.

Explore Week 1: Gather your scraps or Week 2: A project to suit your scrap basket whenever you need a little inspiration.

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