I didn’t do a swatch to see how the “retro rainbow” red heart bitty stripes yarn would fall on a shells pattern. Apparently retro rainbow is mostly orange and green. I didn’t swatch because I assumed it would even itself out and I couldn’t be bothered. It did not even out and I SHOULD have been bothered. And now my lesson as been learned on a gradient yarn like that. I hate it but at least I’ll be warm this winter.