In this article we’re going to touch on all the super snazzy benefits of self-striping yarns and why more and more crafters are choosing this yarn over traditional yarns.

Let’s start with the basics. Self-Striping yarn is a particularly multi-colored yarn, and as the name suggests, the yarn automatically creates strips for you without needing to change colors or skeins. You don’t need to do anything at all, you can knit or crochet in any stitch, work on any project, and the yarn will naturally give you the stripes that you desire. As a time saver, especially for beginners, it is truly magical.

As with anything pre-set, there may be a bit of variation in how well the striped appearance is achieved. For example, depending on your pattern, needle size, etc. the striped rows may not be exact. You may end up with a purple row that actually starts with a bit of gray yarn, but the overall appearance should be one of stripes, and the idea isn’t to achieve perfection, but rather for the project to work up with ease. Below is an example of how a self-striping skein may work up.

Self striping yarn must have at least two colors in the skein, but it typically has several color changes, some being very suble, and others very bold, the color combination is simply based on the yarn colorway you choose! Uneek Sock Kits are a great visual example of self-striping yarn working up nicely in a variety of color combinations.

Pros of Self-Striping Yarns

There are many advantages of self-striping yarns (many listed above), but it really comes down to simplicity and the joy of watching colors patterns form in front of your eyes without all the additional effort that traditional color changing entails. But in case you need more reasons why people choose self-striping yarns over traditional yarns here a few:

• The simplest way to make color changes. Most knitters and crocheters are at heart, artists. And to many, art is creating bold, loud pieces that are eye-catching with a twist of simplicity. With Self-striping yarn there’s no need to change colors over and over, and you don’t need to weave in ends, leaving you more time to focus on creating your end piece, and not the setup. There’s also less waste when using self striping yarn. Instead of purchasing 8 different skeins for an 8 colored project, you can purchase your single self-striping skein.
• An obvious reason for using self striping yarn is because many beginners are not comfortable of confident enough to keep changing colors, yet they want the multi-colored, striped effect. This is the simplest way to accomplish that with the least practice.
• Lets talk aesthetics. Just like some people have an eye for style and design, some people have an eye for color combinations and some, well….don’t. When you use self-striping yarn, you can be confident that the colors within the skein naturally go well together, creating a harmonious color combination that you can be confident showing off. This can potentially save tonnnns of time, as any experienced crafter can regale tails of timely color picking online, only to have the colors from the computer screen not blend well in real life.

How to use Self-Striping Yarn in your Knitting / Crochet Project

If you’re new to self-striping yarns, or the craft in general, here are a few quick tips:

• If you want self-striping yarn, look for specifically labeled self-striping yarn. There are quite a few types of multi-colored yarns and they don’t all self-stripe, so look for your yarn to specifically be labeled as self-striping. Uneek Yarn is a great example of Self Striping yarns that have beautiful color combinations and are really top in their class as far as quality.
• Okay you have your yarn, now what? Choose patterns or kits that are designed specifically for self-striping yarns.  Patterns and kits that are intended to be used with self-striping yarn will allow you to maximize the benefits of these beautiful yarns and ultimately leave you happier with the results.