[morlando27]

Is there any way to make longies using variegated yarn and maintain the same color repeat pattern throughout? I've seen pictures where the body has a different color repeat pattern than the legs and some where the body and one leg were the same, but the other leg was different. I'm too anal for that. I need more uniformity.

I crocheted a pair with yarn I dyed myself and was happy with the results, but the sections of each color were much longer on the yarn I dyed than the variegated yarn I bought. Can I make it work when each color segment is only about 4 inches long?

 

[Lilangels]

If you have the body and one leg the same you need to pay attention to what color you started the first leg with and start the 2nd with the same. I am typing while nursing, not being short lol.

 

[JennInSeattle]

In my oppinion you need to dye the body and legs seperately. Divide your yarn in half if it's 8 ounces. So dye the body (the first half) and be careful knowing how long you paint each section. Then dye the second half making the sections you dye exactly half the length as the body. So if you paint 8 inches of red in the body paint 4 inches of red in the legs. This will give you the same pattern as the body in the legs. Then be careful where you join the legs and you should be good to go.

 

[morlando27]

Thanks for your replies. I purchased this yarn already dyed and I haven't gotten to the legs yet, so I don't know how it's going to turn out. I don't want to put a lot of time and effort into them and not be happy, so I'm trying to decide whether to continue or use the yarn for something else.

 

[Jennifer Z]

Another technique that I have seen in response to this question is something called "steeping" (I have no idea how to spell that, and the name might be a little off). How you do it: instead of changing to the legs, just keep going down making, essentially, a long skirt. Then sew the legs and cut them apart.

I have never done this, only read about it. Somebody else might be more informative. The idea of cutting the yarn sort of freaks me out.

 

[twouglyducks]

If you dye with pretty short repeats, then it ends up fairly uniform. Don't think you can do much with already dyed yarn... other than hope.

 

[Throkmorton]

Steeking and sewing up the centre seam is really the only way to match the patterning exactly.

I just accept the randomness. More fun that way.