Hi
The novice knitter back and still novice, and still not finishing items.
Since you all say about swatches which I’m never did, I never get past the swatch, but it has defo saved on stashes of yarn I just have loads of odd balls now.
As with title I want to make an Aran weight marled Aran pattern blanket
I got the yarn idea from purl soho sunshine cotton yarn. Albeit out of my budget and it says worsted on a sz 4 mm 
I just thought it would give a bit of a twist than a self colour.
I’m thinking for e.g only say turquoise and would want another shade lighter or darker. Only an example of colour.
What weight yarn would I look for and which ? Acrylic or cotton or wool mix would want washable also
Big ask I know but thought I’d ask or is it totally the wrong thinking that it would work.
Thank you
Do you want to use two strands of yarn held together? For an aran weight you could hold two strands of DK weight yarn (knits single stranded at about 22sts/4inches).
Knit Picks yarn has a variety of reasonably priced DK yarns to choose from. There are certainly others.
Here’s a nice article on marled yarn.
There are lots of examples on the Drops site, you don’t necessarily have to buy drops yarn or use the patterns but just to see the swatches of colour effects is amazing (they also mix different weights of yarn too)
https://www.garnstudio.com/yarn-combinations.php?show=swatches&sort=date&lang=en
Each swatch can be clicked on to open the info and it will show a couple of other combinations of colours in the same yarn to give an idea of how it looks.
I find it inspiring although so far i think the only 2 strand work I’ve done is 2 strands of the same yarn. It’s also possible to work a sort of intarsia or stripes where one colour/tone/strand is continued throughout the project and the second strand is switched between 2 (or more) different colours/tones. Great effect.
It’s exciting trying these things out.
Do you have a certain project in mind?
Marling can look beautiful in a blanket, so I think you’re on the right track! I’d stick with an Aran or worsted-weight yarn and hold two complementary shades together (like a turquoise with a lighter aqua or teal). If you want something that’s easy to care for, a good-quality acrylic or an acrylic/wool blend is probably your best bet. And don’t worry we’ve all had projects that never got finished! Starting with a small swatch is still worthwhile, especially when you’re combining two colors, because it lets you see the marled effect before committing to the whole blanket.
Holding two aran weight strands at once as @hellencharless5 is suggesting would make a bulkier yarn.
Thank you all so much and certainly a lot if incentive on Drops, and it’s exactly as I was picturing, subtle there but not there.
Thank you all again I’m sure I’ll be back
ha I sound like Arnold Schwarzenegger 
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I think you would want to use the same fiber when holding two strands together. Don’t mix and acrylic with a wool yarn. If I’m wrong some one correct me please.
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I agree, definitely don’t mix wool and acrylic as Rtlady57 posted. Nonsuperwash and superwash wool are probably not good mixes either.
Thank you Salmonmac for adding not mixing non superwash and superwash.