Yarn Magic,

While designing the round knitted rugs, I discovered several ways of using yarn.
First of all, we can double or even triple the yarn. This is particularly useful when making rugs, as you want a tight strong knit that really resembles a looped rug,

When you do this, you can have two or three balls running around, but sometimes it is worth your while to gather the threads and roll them onto a new ball. It is an option. If you are working with three colors, three balls are better than nine.

Once you start using more than one thread, there is another option: You can use different shades or different colors. Combining two shades of the same color gives your knitting a rich, almost velvety, look. I have done this with greens, blue and reds with great results.

Color combinations are also interesting. You would do this to darken or lighten a color or to create a new color. If you are using red and yellow, the combination will give you an orange effect. Experiment and the results will be rewarding.

To make a color darker, add brown or black. To make a color lighter, add white. You will eliminate any danger of color clashing.

Here is a sample rug in blue and red, using this technique. The greater part of the rug will be blue in various hues; the accenting lines will be red.

As these rugs are knit in segments, I will give the technical details for one segment. Each segments is started with 60 stitches and decreased by two stitches every other row (this will be the center of the rug). Do not cast off stitches, but leave them on the needle.

You will need red, dark blue, medium blue and white. Use two strands at all times.
Knit rows one and two in red (use two strands of the same red)
Knit 18 rows in dark blue with medium blue (starting at row three)
Knit two rows in red (start at row 21)
Knit 18 rows in two strands of medium blue (Starting at row 23)
Knit two rows in red (start at row 41)
Knit 18 rows in medium blue with white (Starting at row 43, ending at row 60.
Start the next segment taking up all the stitches with red
Do the same for all other segments.

To get an idea what this will look like, draw a circle on a piece of paper. Divide the circle in half and divide each half in five segments. It’s like a large pizza. Take a red marker and mark all dividing lines in red. Now divide each segment in three parts. Draw the lines parallel with one of the sides; now here comes the surprise! You will see that they do not reach the center. Do the same for reach segment. These lines are also red. Color the spaces in three colors of blue.

That was a bit of work, but it gives you an idea of what you are going to make.

Have fun, and by all means let me know what the outcome is.