If you’re at all plugged in to the fiber world, you’ve no doubt seen the explosion of the fading trend popularized by Andrea Mowry, designer of the Find Your Fade Shawl. I myself have completed both a Fade Shawl and a So Faded Sweater by Miss Mowry.

 

 

The new fading trend is wonderful in that you can use the technique in essentially any other knitting project. What I love about fading is that it allows me to use my stash of single skeins of gorgeous colorways from indie dyers in a single project. Rather than needing a sweater quantity of just one colorway, you can mix and match and enjoy a variety of colors in a larger project.

This is what I have done with my Featherweight Cardigan, a pattern by Hannah Fettig. I was able to use four different colorways: three from Yarn Cafe Creations, and one from Everyday Yarnworks, both on Etsy (affiliate links).

I did modify the pattern by adding a steek, which allowed me to knit in the round for the body, rather than knitting flat. I’m not the worlds biggest fan of purling long rows, truth be told. I also knit the body a few inches longer than is called for by the pattern, just for personal preference. As an exceedingly short person, I believe (possibly incorrectly) that longer garments elongate my petite figure.

Overall, this was a joy to knit. I find that fading multiple colorways can be very motivating. Whereas with a plain stockinette pattern in one color may become monotonous, this project was exciting. I was always eager to get to the next color and see how they played together.

I highly recommend all three patterns: the Featherweight Cardigan by Hannah Fettig, the Find Your Fade Shawl and the So Faded Sweater by Andrea Mowry.

I hope you have enjoyed this entry in the diary of HalesBee Handmade. For more details on the yarns and needles I used, see my project page on Ravelry.

Love from HalesBee