Stripe design tips
Colour choice, stripe widths and a few reliable patterns make the difference between stripes that sing and stripes that shout.
Updated
Choosing colours
- Mix light, medium and dark. Stripes need value contrast to show. Take a black-and-white photo of your yarns: if two look the same grey, they'll blur together.
- Start from one colour you love and add its neighbours on the colour wheel, plus one neutral (cream, grey or oatmeal) to rest the eye.
- Use an accent sparingly. A thin stripe of a bright colour every so often lifts a calm palette.
Widths and rhythm
- Even stripes are calm and classic. Use the same number of rows for each colour.
- Graduated or Fibonacci stripes (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8 rows) feel natural and balanced.
- Random stripes hide the odd mistake and are perfect for leftovers; set a shortest and tallest stripe so it still looks planned.
- Wide bands with thin accents suit throws and scarves in two or three colours.
Working the stripes
- Even rows, fewer ends: stripes of 2, 4 or 6 rows start every colour at the same edge, so you can carry the yarn up the side instead of cutting it. Twist the strands together every couple of rows.
- Crochet colour changes: work the last stitch before the change until the final pull-through, then finish it with the new colour.
- Jogless stripes in the round (knitting): knit the first round of the new colour, then at the start of the next round lift the stitch below the first stitch onto the left needle and knit it together with the first stitch.
- Weave in as you go, or crochet over the tails, so the finishing doesn't take a week.
How much yarn per colour
Each colour takes its share of the rows: total yarn × (rows in that colour ÷ total rows). Add 10% to every colour, since each needs its own spare. The stripe generator does this for you.
Common questions
How many colours should I use for stripes?
Three to five colours are easiest to balance. With two, stripes look bold and graphic; with six or more, stick to one family (all blues and greens, say) or use a neutral between brights so it doesn’t get busy.
How wide should stripes be?
On a blanket, stripes between 1 and 4 in (2.5–10 cm) read well from across a room. Thin 1–2 row stripes look almost like a texture up close. Mixing widths, as in Fibonacci stripes, keeps the eye moving.
How do I stop stripes looking wavy?
Keep an even tension when you change colour, don’t pull carried strands tight up the side, and block the finished piece flat. In crochet, change colour on the last stitch of the row before, so the turning chain is already in the new colour.