Hi all – I’d love some feedback on the following issue…

We are getting ready to have a new second floor addition painted. It is sided with red cedar shingles. I’d really like to use a semi-transparent stain for a wash of color, but still let the grain and some of the cedar color to read through (maybe a sage green, kind of like the Gamble House by Greene & Greene in Pasadena). The trouble is, the Cabot’s semi-transp stains that I’ve been experimenting with are way too opaque. Is there a legitimate way to “thin” stain? Are there other brands anyone could recommend? Or, am I making a mistake in trying for a look that most manufacturers would consider to be a failure of their products’ ability to cover ?

Thanks in advance for your help!