Party of Five mini-skein sets and gradient sock blanks delight us with their vibrant colours, but once you have one in your hands, the hard part is deciding what to do with it! If you’ve ever struggled to think of creative ways to use Party of Fives or sock blanks, here are some patterns and strategies to inspire you.
Ways to Use Party of Fives
Gradients
Gradient Party of Five sets are perfect for adding a sense of gently transitioning colour to your projects! To instantly jazz up a pattern designed for solid yarn, try popping in a gradient Party of Five instead—even if it’s just on the hem of a sweater or the edge of a shawl. Some SweetGeorgia patterns that would look stunning with a gradient accent include:
- Ammonite by Cheryl Toy (imagine those lacy scallops worked in a gradient!)
- Tullameen by Tabetha Hedrick (try substituting a gradient Party of Five for one of the three skeins of sock yarn)
Of course, when in doubt, you can’t go wrong with one of SweetGeorgia’s patterns designed specifically for gradient Party of Fives:
- Sunset Lines by Meg Roke
- Baileya by Sandi Rosner
Non-Gradient
Non-gradient Party of Five sets can be a little trickier to choose patterns for, but still just as fun! Try patterns with simple stitches where the colours can take centre stage. Or for a challenge, look for patterns with distinct sections, or areas where you can drop in a small amount of an accent colour. These SweetGeorgia patterns would be a great showcase for non-gradient Party of Fives:
- First Blooms by Tabetha Hedrick (try this with one party of five and one skein of sock yarn)
- Lana by Charlotte Lee (see the lace sections?)
- Memii by Charlotte Lee (perfect for a DK Party of Five)
Or look for a pattern that can be expanded to include five colours, as I’ve done with this sample of the Thula Mitts by Erica Heusser (Ravelry link). I broke up the Tofino Roadtrip Party of Five to use as my main and accent colours for these intricate colorwork mitts, and I love how they came out!
Ways to Use Sock Blanks
Many of the patterns I’ve listed above for Party of Fives can also work well for sock blanks! Just remember when choosing a pattern that the appeal of a gradient sock blank is the smooth, gradual transition of colour, so look for patterns that will let the colours flow sequentially. For example:
- Soft Drift by Emily Wood (substituting a sock blank for the Party of Five would give a very different, but equally beautiful effect—be aware yardage may be tight)
- Seaside by Christine Marie Chen (the rectangular shape and lace sections are a great canvas for a sock blank + a solid skein, or even two different sock blanks)
- Blue Sunset by Tabetha Hedrick (using sock blanks for the “wings” of a shawl shape like this would achieve the gradient effect with fewer ends to weave in)
- Good Cheer by Charlotte Lee (try a couple of sock blanks end to end + a solid skein)
Sock blanks are a great no-fuss substitute for gradient mini-skein sets, as I’ve done in this sample I’m working on of All Is Bright, my crochet design for SweetGeorgia’s 2022 Advent kit. Instead of the 15 mini-skein colours, I’m alternating between the Andromeda sock blank and a skein of Cashluxe Spark for each day’s clue.
Go Forth and Play with Colour!
I hope these pattern suggestions have got your creative juices flowing! Whether with colorwork, lace, texture, or techniques that wouldn’t fit in this article (looking at you, marling…) the sky’s the limit on what you can create using these curated collections of colour. Have fun and be sure to share your colourful creations with us on social media! We want to see what you come up with…
