If you dont, its a good bet that youll pull the non-working yarn a little too tight, causing puckering problems. yarns at a time. the other, as is the case when just carrying two yarns in one hand without the Yarn Guide. If you finish knitting something and onlythenrealize that you should have trapped the long floats dont worry! Follow the instructions in theSwatching for Circular Knittingsection of ourSwatching 101article to learn more. September 28, 2021 @ This scarf is knitted in the round, which simplifies the Fair Isle patterning (no wrong-side rows) and creates an insulating double layer of fabric. get more info on choosing a colourwork sweater size here, Check out our tutorial on swatching for colourwork here, Week of Colour: Strategies for Designing a Palette, Applying Colour to Stranded Knitting Motifs, design your own Strange Brew colourwork yokes, like these ones, The Three Needle Bind-off: A Bind-off and Seaming Method, Blocking: how to finish your hand-knit hat, First, you knit a stitch (or several) in one colour lets call it the, Then you knit a stitch (or several) in another colour lets call it the. I'd start with something where there's only a few stitches between colors so you don't have really long floats. trapping long floats while using the two-handed stranded colorwork methodfromDiannaonVimeo. layers to the fabric as there are strands of yarn. Once youve knit a project or two, youll be ready to tackle any colourful knit. Holding both strands of yarn too tightly can result in fabric that is taut and puckered. . You may only see one color in each stitch on the front of a project, but remember that there are as many Thank you so much! ), Heres the tutorial for you! This method leaves floats, which are lengths of yarn carried across the back of the work that can be easily snagged. Emily Wessel Blocking colourwork isnt really different from any other kind of blocking, but it is CRITICAL! I have some puckering snowmen on a hat right now, but Ill live with it. Thank you!! Great tutorial. If you only feel comfortable as either a picker (Continental knitter) or a thrower (English Whale woman, Lindy Van Fleet This week we take a close look at the back of our knit wear to show you how we carry our floats. I get this question a lot, and its a tricky one to answer. Foreground color nearest the fingertip, background further down. Just starting a colour work sweater. It might sound daunting, but once you get the hang of it you'll be sailing in no time. The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. The two-handed method is great because the two yarns do not get tangled. Insert your right needle into the next stitch like normal. your hands from getting twisted, the yarn balls stay tangle-free, too. Most knitters would probably leave shorter floats (with three stitches or less) alone, but floats of five or more stitches may benefit from wrapping. Ideally, as a rule of thumb, you want your floats (those unworked strands that end up behind your work) to be less than 1"/2.5 cm. 8:17 am, Ive been embarking on my first colorwork sweater and of course, accidentally chose one where a few times, there are three colors within the same row! This is a very secure way to trap the float. I found this page which shows a technique for capturing the floats & providing a nice stretch. Yarn floats, the strands of yarn you carry behind your knitting for some colorwork, are perhaps the trickiest part of knitting colorwork for beginners. These patterns are particularly well-suited for practicing stranded colorwork as they're smaller projects, worked in the round, and feature motifs that don't require working with more than two strands or colors of yarn in the same round. I have done very little colorwork but am working on a hat with some simple(ish) colorwork. Please note: Unlike other types of colorwork knitting techniques (such as striping or intarsia), stranded colorwork requires you to carry along the strand of yarn not in use across the back of the work. But I got big Vs in knitting color pattern stitches, then stockinette stitches. too loosely can make the fabric look messy. If you can pick up a regular knit stitch, then you can definitely pick up and fix a dropped stitch within a section of color work. You initially catch the floating yarn by changing its position as you knit, then you go back and make the floats ladder up themselves, in a technique that is somewhat similar in look to the ladderback jacquard technique used in commercial knitting. A long float would be considered more than 5 stitches in a row of one color before changing. Elizabeth DeHaven Abel Simply follow the colourwork chart, and the pattern appears! But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. 2010 - 2022 Tin Can Knits. Ive made it pretty clear to the knitting world that when it comes to colorwork, floats and I are incompatible. colourwork, techniques colourwork, tutorial. I recently completed a color work sweater and the yoke is snugger than the body. This creates floats, where yarns pass across the back for several stitches. Alexa Ludeman sometimes called Scandinavian knitting, is the one endorsed by Elizabeth Zimmerman in Knitting Enjoy! If you place the CC ball to the left of your body and the MC ball to the right of your body (and always keep them in those positions), they will not tangle. So, dont let the fear of making mistakes stop you from trying a new technique. Step 1. Thank you. Bring your float yarn behind your working yarn. Keep in mind that if the pattern youre working on has significantly more stitches with one color vs. Theres no wrong way to knit, and theres no wrong way to knit colourwork. 12:24 pm. Okay, excellent, so do I! Thank you for your generosity in sharing your knowledge. Because knitted fabric is elastic, the floats traveling behind worked stitches must be long enough to span the width of those stitches, both when stretched and relaxed. But if you're not working one color for a longer bit, that float can get so long that it is at risk ofsnagging on things (like fingers or earrings) or pulling and stretching your work. Sometimes the toughest bit is casting on :), askcarolynwarren How to catch floats when knitting stranded colour work by ARNE & CARLOS ARNE & CARLOS 161K subscribers Subscribe Share 161K views 4 years ago This week we take a close look at the back of our. I know: slow and steady, right? I've been knitting for 2 years and I want to tackle some colorwork to keep expanding my skill set! A float carried across five stitches in fingering weight is a much shorter float than one carried across five stitches in bulky yarn. I love your blog and all your instructions along with perfectly placed videos! knit with US 6 needles, for instance. A critical thing to keep in mind when knitting colorwork is where you're holding your main color (MC) vs. 1) Holding the yarn. needle and then also under the yarn strand on the left hand. needle and wrap the yarn from your right hand around the working needle as if to knit itbut Colorwork motifs are often presented in charts, as this is an intuitive and shorthand way of showing how the motif builds round by round. Unlike charts for lace or cabled patterns, which will require you to be familiar with a number of chart symbols, all youll need to keep in mind when following a colorwork chart are the colors of the boxes. Ive heard of some people switching to a larger needle for the color work. Ill be using myHearth Slippersto demonstrate in the photos, as this pattern involves a very long float the first time you work Chart C. Im working the Large size, and the float is carried across 21 stitches. Really enjoyed your Q & A youtube video, very useful as a newbie to stranded knitting making the most of lockdowns in UK to experiment! First of all: choose the right pattern for learning to knit with two colors at a time. One way is to go up a needle size when working colorwork (but doswatchto make sure your gauge remains accurate to the pattern youre following!) Youll want to keep this in mind when choosing the right size if youre knitting a sweater with a colourwork body (get more info on choosing a colourwork sweater size here). colorwhether on one finger, in a Yarn Guide, or in your left hand while the other strand is in your After knitting this stitch, I have 7 stitches of my 21-stitch span knit. . Thank you!! Some teachers use hard-and-fast rules, like never carry a float more than five stitches without trapping it. Some teachers tell you not to go more than, That being said, if a rule doesnt jive with your personal preferences, thats perfectly fine! September 27, 2021 @ Some simply experiment with how they hold the yarn until they get Hold your float yarn away from your working yarn as you knit yournext stitch. Read More. Your great presenation has take the fear out of at lease trying colorwork. October 5, 2021 @ Tension will be easiest to tackle if you choose a pattern that doesnt require long floats. For some knitters, the difference is glaring, while others hardly notice it at all. With this weather were all having, doesnt this scarf sound tempting? Fantastic information and lots of great resources,,,and 2 free patterns to get started! Thank you for the simple, easy to follow directions. Completethestitch withyour working yarn. September 28, 2021 @ The project that that strikes my fancy for todays post is from Vintage Modern Knits by Courtney Kelley and Kate Gagnon Osborn. Regardless of how you hold your yarns when working stranded colorwork,the float of the Dominant Color should always be stranded below the Background Color. Knit 2 or 3 stitches with MC (2 stitches shown in illustration), insert the right-hand needle tip into the next stitch on the left-hand needle, place the non-working yarn (in this case, CC) over the right-hand needle . When knitting the MC with my right hand, I throw (English style), and when knitting the CC with my left hand, I pick (Continental style). Here's a video from Tiara the Unicorn explaining three different ways to catch floats, followed by written directions below that. These cookies do not store any personal information. Ive done a couple colorwork projects and I appreciate all of this good info in one place! Heres a closer look at what that looks like from the wrong side of the fabric: You can see how the float is trapped at the sixth charcoal grey stitch. You can see how much easier it is to catch a finger (or a toe, or a hand) on the open, un-trapped float: So, if Im knitting a piece that has long floats, how often should I trap them? This past week I was thinking, Maybe if I had someone really break it down for me . Tension is the most difficult aspect to master in color work knitting. September 29, 2021 @ trapping long floats in stranded colorwork. If youmustuse a general rule, going by length in inches or cm is a better way to go (e.g. Simply follow the colourwork chart, and the pattern appears! All of them take some getting We use cookies to optimize our website and our service. Follow the instructions in the. Use this method when your WORKING yarn is in your LEFT hand and your FLOAT yarn is in your RIGHT hand. Please, for the sake of your sanity, choose a pattern thats knit in the round! Stitches & Technique If you stop here and look at your float, youll see that its caught in the space between the stitch you just knit and the previous stitch. Suck it up, buttercup those yarn tails arent gonna weave in themselves! Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Thank you for the information I feel more confident about trying colorwork . After steaming, the scarf is so cozy and warm! Excellent timing as I start a pair of colorwork advent socks. Slide your right-hand needleunderneaththe floating strand (blue), then wrap the working yarn (charcoal) around your needle to knit the stitch. 10:49 am. 9:47 am, Anna Buchholtz If you hold your yarns in each hand, check out this video for a slightly fancier way of trapping: To join a new yarn, just leave a yarn tail and then get started with the new yarn from the beginning of the next round. Most often, knitters will "lock" these floats if they become longer than 3 or 4 stitches. Unlike charts for lace or cabled patterns, which will require you to be familiar with a number of chart symbols, all youll need to keep in mind when following a colorwork chart are the colors of the boxes. 1999-2023 Crafts Americana Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Winter begins to feel interminable around this time of year. tutorials Andrea Rangel January 15, 2020 video, tutorial, . I knit continental style, with two strand on left hand. I so appreciate it and YOU! Stranded colorwork knitting is referred to as such because of thesestrands(orfloats) left on the inside of your work. Bringyour float yarn (right hand) behind and aroundthe right needle as though you are going to knit but don'tcomplete the stitch. Thank you so much! strands can be tightened, but its virtually impossible to loosen stitches that are too tight. Insertyour right needle intothe nextstitch like normal. Hi Lisa Yep, lots of folks find going up a needle size very helpful! When carrying both yarns in the left hand, you may need to use your thumb to hold the floating yarn (blue) out of the way. I hope it helps you or at least entertains you. All Rights Reserved. If the floats are too loose, they can get caught when you wear the garment or the stitches may recede in the background. Your email address will not be published. After knitting this stitch, I have 7 stitches of my 21-stitch span knit. can try both out on a colorwork swatch before you cast on to see which you prefer. The basketweave pattern is reminiscent of fishing nets, so I chose blue and natural colors to accentuate the ideas of sea and shore. Ive taught countless colourwork classes and literally NEVER had a student who couldnt learn to do colourwork using this method but they did find it difficult it at first (theres always a bit of cursing). Hats or mittens are also great choices. Go ahead and knit the next stitch normally. When you have a pattern that calls for long floats (the strand of yarn that you carry behind the color youre knitting with at any one time), its a good idea to tack them, or trap them. A colourwork chart is typically read right to left, starting from round 1 at the bottom of the chart and working your way up to the top, one round at a time. Please allow a few minutes for this process to complete. Wanting to try stranded color work or Fair Isle knitting, but feeling a little intimidated? This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Im trapping my float every 6th stitch as I work across the span of charcoal grey, but you could trap every 5th or 4th stitch as well. > >, Knitting on an Airplane and Other Travel Tips for Makers, Why You Shouldn't Buy a Knitter Yarn as a Gift, Reasons to Take Your WIP to a Sporting Event, A Free Bracelet Beading Pattern for Valentines Day. Linda Natanagara Remember, loose stitches or Colorwork Sans Floats I've made it pretty clear to the knitting world that when it comes to colorwork, floats and I are incompatible. Thank you for the idea of tying ends and letting them felt themselves over time. Then move on to the section beside it. could work with one color at a time, constantly dropping one and picking up the other and then back Regardless of how you hold your yarns when working stranded colorwork, the float of the Dominant Color should always be stranded below the Background Color. knittingissofun When flipped to be a Background Color (right), these Hammock stitches become smaller and less distinct. Why would the shape be different from the color dominance? These non-traditional colorwork charts are perfect for the creative knitter . September 26, 2021 @ This was all very helpful. Hi Elizabeth Thanks so much for your kind words! I thought you said to put the red yarn in your left hand to make it dominant, but then I thought you said to make a diamond shape stand out, you would put the yarn in your right hand. I often stick with what I know instead of trying new things. youre ready to go. How To Make Intarsia Knitting Patterns Use some graph paper for your chart. I dont enjoy trapping floats very much, as it slows down my knitting and can affect the look of my knitted fabric, and Ill avoid it if I can get away with it. The mechanics are REALLY that simple, and if you know how to follow a chart, then you can stop reading, grab one of our free colourwork patterns (like the Anthology hat and cowl or the Clayoquot toque), and start knitting right now. pattern), the first stitch is worked in C1, the next in C2, and the following two stitches are worked in C1. Privacy Policy. Copyright2023Golden Peak Media. September 24, 2021 @ Enjoy! Also note that if you This effect is referred to ascolor dominanceand is a result of how the yarns are stranded in relationship to one another on the WS of the fabric as you work. All Rights Reserved. Traditional Fair Isle (or stranded knitting) color knitting specifies no more than two colors per row and sequences of no more than six stitches of one color. click here to sign up for our newsletter & well send you a free PDF download of the Jeanette Hat & Scarf Pattern, Guide to Subbing Brown Sheep Yarns in Knit & Crochet Patterns. They are best known for their craft books and their original, colourful and visually striking designs. Enjoy! Please allow a few minutes for this process to complete. Dive into stranded colorwork with confidence with a section on reading charts, working floats, and choosing . In reality, there are a few different methods, but Ill be demonstrating what I think is the most common below. Theresa Hofstetter Go ahead and knit the next stitch normally. If you do want to trap your floats, its as simple as twisting your two yarns together. The unused yarn ends up "floating" behind the pattern. the colorwork portions of a garmentusing US 9 needles on a colorwork yoke of a sweater thats otherwise 9:28 am. It there any way to fix this problem? (Photo 1) Keep the stitches on your right needle stretched out as you bring the unused color behind them. Give it a try and see if its the solution for you. Next, start to knit from the yarn in your left hand. This is a great email, which I just found because it went to spam. Firstly:what is a float, and why would I need to trap it? Hats or even can koozies can be excellent Now Introducing: Brown Sheep Fiber Arts Schoolhouse, Choose the Perfect Yarn and Needles for Any Pattern, Contains spam, fake content or potential malware, 9+ Colorful Patterns to Brighten Winter Knitting.
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