The way they do at the hospital right after the baby is born by letting them stay naked for a while before wrapping them up whit a blanket and parents apparently do for the next few months by not over-wrapping them (not overheating them, but specifically to acclamate them)?
There is another way multicolored yarn is producedSometimes roving is dyed before it is spun and then the colors are spun togetherNoro uses this methodAlso, Rowan's Colourscape Chunky is made this way.
Coasters, dishcloths and hot pads/trivets are great projects for beginners, and there are lots of free patterns onlineBecause they are so small and generally a simple shape, the variegated yarn will usually take on somewhat of a repeating pattern.
There are two common methodsThe first is simply run the yarn onto a wheel with hills and valleys and dip the points into different dyes as it rolls alongThe other method dies it after it is wound onto a spool and then painted in vertical stripesIf you time the dipping and painting correctly the yarn will soak up exactly the right amount so that the different colors exactly meetIf you look closely, you will see the slight overlap in colorsAgain, the timing is critical so the yarn wicks up the right amount of dyeA long time ago, when I was a child in Illinois, we had a neighbor who made her own wool yarnShe used the paint the stripe methodShe wound the yarn onto a square shaped form in a single spaced layer and then painted on dye to each side, letting each dry completely before doing the next colorThe natural wicking action in the yarn would virtually stop where the yarn folded over the edges of the square shaped formWick action relies on loose fibersWhen you compress the fibers together, the liquid virtually stops at the compression pointCapillary action only works where is room between the fibersSo, that is what I know about things.
I never thought about it as acclimating the baby to the room temperatureBabies lose a lot of body heat through their heads, and some have more trouble than others getting their body temperature self regulated; that is one reason why hospitals keep newborns swaddled with a cap onAt the hospital they are watching to be sure the baby is able to regulate his or her body temperature, and if the baby's body temperature is erratic they will use a heat lamp until the baby is better at itAt home, I kind of naturally did the same thing, just keeping aware of whether his hands and feet were getting too cold or warm and adjusting clothing and blankets and caps accordinglyIt is also important to give babies some time each day so they can move their arms and legs freely instead of keeping them swaddled all the time.
