Welcome to Gorgeous Gradients!

Meet Your Instructors

Course Start Survey

Course Syllabus

Course Calendar

Before we start: What to do before class begins

Getting Help/Getting Your Questions Answered

Frequently Asked Questions

Printing Course Content

Project Overview

Choosing yarns and colors

Project Specs - At a Glance

Project Specs Calculations - For Those Who Want the Math

Project WIF files

Course Downloads

Webinars

Intro to Zoom

Webinar Livestream

Quick and Dirty Webinar Recordings

3 October 21 - How to use the Color Editor (Guest Teacher Dawn)

6 October 21 - How to use the Gradient Editor (Guest Teacher Dawn)

10 October 21 - Sunday Lecture Week #1

11 October 21 - Color Editor/Gradient Editor Help - Q&A Session with Dawn

13 October 21 - Wednesday Q&A #1

14 October 21 - Color Editor/Gradient Editor Help - Q&A Session with Dawn

17 October 21 - Sunday Lecture Week #2

20 October 21 - Wednesday Q&A #2

24 October 21 - Sunday Lecture Week #3

27 October 21 - Wednesday Q&A #3

31 October 21 - Sunday Lecture Week #4

3 November 21 - Wednesday Q&A #4

About the Color Editor

Using the Color Editor

Color Editor Manual (Downloadable/Printable PDF)

The story book opens....

Learning comes in layers

"Choose Your Own Adventure"

What's a gradient?

How do you make a gradient?

Choose your Adventure: Gradient Styles

Linear color gradients

Some ways to design with linear gradients

Creating linear gradients using the Color Editor

Exercise: Create a Linear Gradient

Exercise: Design Your Own Linear Gradients

Linear Gradients: What did you learn?

Curved color gradients

Some ways to design with curved gradients

Creating curved gradients using the Color Editor

Try It: Curved Gradient

Exercise: Design Your Own Curved Gradients

Curved Gradients: What did you learn?

Fibonacci fade

Some ways to design with Fibonacci gradients

Creating Fibonacci fade gradients using the Color Editor

Try It: Fibonacci Fade Gradient

Exercise: Design a multicolor Fibonacci fade

Exercise: Design a striped-gradient Fibonacci fade

Fibonacci fade gradients: What did you learn?

Striped gradients

Some ways to design with striped gradients

Exercise: Design Your Own Striped Gradients with Marker Threads

Exercise: Design Your Own Striped Gradients using Alternating Thread Techniques

Striped gradients: What did you learn?

The Oracle Hints: How to choose your structure

Adventure A: Plain weave

Adventure B: 3/1 Twill

Design your project!

10/2 cotton, plain weave, shaft loom

8/2 cotton, plain weave, shaft loom

3/2 cotton, plain weave, shaft loom

10/2 cotton, 3/1 twill, shaft loom

8/2 cotton, 3/1 twill, shaft loom

10/2 cotton (doubled ends), rigid heddle loom (plain weave)

8/2 cotton (doubled ends), rigid heddle loom (plain weave)

3/2 cotton, rigid heddle loom (plain weave, single ends)

Hellooooooo Adventurer!!

The Hinterlands of Design

Gradient design types: Color shifts and stripe patterning

Emphasizing color shifts: Creating smooth, subtle gradients

Emphasizing the pattern: Creating bold, dramatic gradients

Exercise: Making your gradients smooth or bold

Color mixing in weaving: The three principles

Principle 1: Optical Mixing

Principle 2: The Draft controls Color Mixing

Principle 3: The Two-Primary Rule

When the Two-Primary Rule doesn't matter

Color mixing and structure: Plain weave vs. 3/1 twill

Design Strategies for Plain Weave Adventurers

Exercise: Exploring color mixing - The Plain Weave Prairies!

Design Strategies for 3/1 Twill Adventurers

Exercise: Color mixing: The Towers of Twills!

Your secret mission revealed

It's WARPING TIME!

How much yarn do I need of each color?

Calculator: How much do I need of each color?

How to Make a Warp Color Order Chart

Warping Color Gradients on your Rigid Heddle Loom

Multiple warp chains: a quick and versatile approach to gradient warping

Winding single color multiple warp chains

Winding hybrid multiple warp chains

Warp your gradient Back to Front: Creating a Raddle Warp Chart

Warp your gradient Back to Front: Beaming and threading your warp

Warp your gradient Front to Back with multiple warp chains

An Alternative: Winding a color gradient warp thread by thread

Warping Tips and Tricks

More warping tips and tricks

A reminder: DON'T start weaving yet!

Weft gradients: the investigation begins...

Design is more than a draft

Warp gradients vs. Weft gradients

Plain Weave Adventurers: Tips for designing gradients in plain weave

3/1 Twill Adventurers: Tips for designing weft gradients in 3/1 twill

Designing for weave-ability

Showcasing a gradient warp using a finer weft

Prepare to weave, Adventurer!

Weaving instructions: Finished seam closure

Weaving instructions: Warp fringe closure

Weaving instructions: Added closures

End finishes: Combination options

Sampling for gradient designs

Getting a balanced cloth - controlling your beat

Weaving Your Cowl: Rigid Heddle Options

Weaving Your Cowl: Keeping track of Weft colors

Weft color changes: Burying the ends

Weft color changes: Splitting and overlapping plies

Weft color changes: Carrying colors up the edge

Weft color changes: Let it all hang out! (Weft fringe)

Taking your project off the loom: Securing the edges

Twist and Shout! Plying Fringe

Wet Finishing Your Cowl

...and the adventure continues...

Your opportunity for fame and inspiration!

View the gallery of student work

Week Four Introduction: A brush with disaster

Finishing your cowl: Finished seam closures

Finishing your cowl: Weft fringe finished seam closure

Finishing your cowl: Warp fringe closure

Finishing your cowl: Added closures

Making cord

Freeing the Spirit

The Tome of Gradient Mastery

Overview

Basic characteristics of a gradient

The Four Weaving Factors Affecting Gradient Cloth

Weft size and sett

Drafts: Plain weave and other blending drafts

Drafts: 3/1 twill and other separating drafts

Downloadable tip sheet: Creating smooth gradients

Downloadable tip sheet: Strategies for bright vs. muted colors

Two additional gradient types

Gradient dyed yarns

Bundled gradients

We'd love your feedback!

What's next? The Deep-Dive!

Resources for further study