Here is an afghan I made for my dear sister-in-law a couple of years ago. It was quick to knit with double strands of yarn on 9.0mm (U.S. size 13) needles. The 2 strands were from different shades of yellow. The graduated shading comes from changing just one of the two strands at a time every few inches. I did some yo/k2tog rows to add the lacy effect and did a garter stitch border at top and bottom. First stitch of every row was slipped for a chain edge.
Here is a closer view:
Before trying this graduated color change on a blanket, I did it in a design I call my Aglow Scarf because I used fire colors:
You could try this technique any time you want color changes that look blended rather than abrupt. Try it in shades of pink or blue for a baby blanket or use black as a base color and rotate the second strand through an entire rainbow of remnants. Have fun, and post your projects to Steemit so we can all enjoy!