Handspun – trickier than it seems

I am trying to knit with my handspun more. It helps me learn what I like (so I can spin more of it) and how much I need (so I can acquire fiber in appropriate amounts). I’m terrible at both of those things right now, but I have to trust that I’ll improve with practice. (Are you sensing a theme here? I’m trying to spend more time practicing the things I want to get better at!)

Last October during Spinzilla, I spun this fiber into this yarn:

At some point, I ran across this shawl in Ravelry (click through), which I thought made excellent use of a gradient yarn with long changes. I decided to jump right in and make it. The pattern is Cladonia and calls for two colors of yarn, but I just ignore all that. I also think I’ll ignore the loopy edging.

The first part of the shawl is just a stockinette crescent. Pretty easy. I swatched a little, decided on a US 7 needle, and cast on.

But look… I guess I don’t have a true gradient yarn. There is a rather abrupt change between the pink and the teal that gives this a “fruit slice” look: Today I realized that I really want the gradient look, so I’m going to rip back. I think if I start the shawl with the teal part, it will fit my vision much better. Look at the cake (this is just the first yarn cake… I haven’t wound the second one yet). Do you agree?