The hat used almost one full skein of the main colour yarn. Let's talk about STRANDED COLORWORK | Knitting Q&A | PAPER TIGER Magic Loop Colorwork Knitting Help - Carrying Fair Isle Floats Skeindeer Knits Ep. making sure no floats are longer than 1 or something similar). Wanting to try stranded color work or Fair Isle knitting, but feeling a little intimidated? This will ensure that the unused yarn strandwill later relax against the back of the work. Please allow a few minutes for this process to complete. Its better to stagger the tension so you dont end up with one column of stitches pulling towards the inside of the project. Are there any other pages/videos showing this technique? The background color/main color is also my working yarn here, while the dominant/contrasting color is being carried across the wrong side of the work. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. You can clip off a little more after you block the piece. There is enough of the contrast grey []. Now settled backin the mountains of Northern California, Terry enjoys thesocialization of knitting with friends once again. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Marie has taught knitting courses at festivals, shops, and events around the world; her mix of best practices and renegade hacks, along with her charming personality, make her a highly sought-after instructor. Stranded colorwork without floats in 3 minutes - YouTube I get this question a lot, and its a tricky one to answer. Many folks swear by the two-handed method while others prefer to carry both yarns in one hand (with or without a stranding guide). Wool will naturally relax into a smooth, even surface after blocking to improve any tight or loose spots in your knitting. The two-handed method is great because the two yarns do not get tangled. I LOVE stranded colorwork, but sometimes it can be PAINFUL with all the pinching and pulling strands across the back! A float should look like a flattened U rather than an arrow-straightline (Photo 2 below). Thank you! Strandless Colorwork I have always loved the look of all those traditional colorwork sweaters but they can take so much time and worried that in the end all that effort would be wasted because of my tension. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Tension is the most difficult aspect to master in color work knitting. Locking the unused (floating) yarn in stranded knitting every other stitch creates a gorgeous back that almost appears woven. This is due to the strands being carried across the back of the work (the floats) unlike knit stitches, these strands dont really stretch that much, so the stretch of the overall fabric youre creating is much less. stranded knitting without floats? : r/knitting - Reddit A Free Bracelet Beading Pattern for Valentines Day. Have you knit with Nature Spun before? Archived post. Thanks! CraftGossipAbout CraftGossipContact Us | Privacy and affiliate policy, Grab a Deal on Knitting Designs through 11/29, This Colorwork Cowl is a Great Way to Play with Color, Make Your Own Knit Cardigan, Block by Block, Book Review Cozy White Cottage: 100 Ways to Love the Feeling of Being Home, Teacher Appreciation Themes for Your School, Big Book of Scarves: Corner to Corner Crochet Patterns. In order to keep the tension of your sock from getting too tight, you may want to consider letting your floats go a little longer without catching them than you normally would; catching floats too frequently can make the fabric less flexible. The relevant part starts at 23:15 so you can skip to that to see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Sex1qLRd_I&t=7s, [] started knitting the colourwork chart using the dark orange and the black. Conversely, depending on the knitter, a very smooth yarncan also cause less elastic knitting because it will be easy to pull your stitches tight without meaning to as the smooth yarn fibers slide right past each other. Enjoy! Make sure that youre not pullingtoo tightly, which would cut off the corner where the twoneedles meet. 2. Focus on one section of the fabric at a time and knead it. Heres an extra special tip for you: I use the tacking technique to weave in ends as I knit all kinds of projects, color knitting or solid knitting! 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 thanthreestitches. How to catch floats when knitting stranded colour work by - YouTube You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('interstitial-ad');}); Save patterns, share updates, and connect with your community. 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. 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! Stranded colorwork gets its name from these strands of yarn, commonly called floats, that travel through the back of the work. Colourwork Knitting: An Introduction - tin can knits 9 Tips for Knitting Stranded Colorwork Socks | Interweave Catching Floats As You Go - YouTube Please allow a few minutes for this process to complete. This distinguishes it from other colorwork methods like mosaic knitting or intarsia. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. With practice, youllfind the right balance. Remember that the gauge can change over the course of yourknitting. (Don't know what the proper terminology is). When you join a new ball of yarn, just weave it in for 1 1/2 to 2 inches using the tacking technique. In reality, there are a few different methods, but Ill be demonstrating what I think is the most common below. Im all about creativity. Tryusing needles one to two sizes larger than normal to increase thegauge for the stranded areas of the sock, especially on the legportion. If you struggle with gauge, keeping your floats consistent, or find it frustrating trying to keep multiple strands from getting tangled - you will LOVE this innovative new approach that will transform your knitting. This is also part of why steeking is so common in these places - sticky wools are unlikely to unravel when the stitches are cut. Knit.fm episode 6: More Yarn[podcast] The duplicate-stitch weaving closely mimics the pathof the yarn and will stretch almost the same amount as the originalstitches. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Copyright2023Golden Peak Media. not stretched out), theres no indication of whether or not your knitting will be stretchy. After knitting this stitch, I have 7 stitches of my 21-stitch span knit. Feel free to post questions in the comments, orshare other tips or methods you know of! One of the most common problems knitters encounter when starting to knit in stranded colorwork is tight knitting. Three ways to hold yarn for stranded colourwork - Ysolda Ltd Easy Trick To Catch Long Floats - YouTube A new way to knit colorwork - without multiple strands! Pull it through the two loops on your hook. trapping long floats carrying both yarns in your left hand, trapping long floats while using the two-handed stranded colorwork method, DIY: Knit Laurus Hat and Free Pattern by Dianna Walla - Kiku Corner, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Sex1qLRd_I&t=7s, Something spooky this way comes Halloween inspired knitwear | Wolfish Written, On Dasher, on Dancer the Fallow Jumper | Wolfish Written. I have done very little colorwork but am working on a hat with some simple(ish) colorwork. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Im all about creativity. Remember that there are no rules here and experimentation is key trying a new method often feels awkward at first, and your gauge may shift as you settle into it, but until youve given it a shot, how can you say it wont work? But even knitters whohave successfully used this technique for othergarments may find that their finished colorwork socks simplydont stretch enough to fit over their heels. Tutorial: How to Catch Colourwork Floats - YouTube Wrap a tapemeasure around your heel (or your intended recipients heel) andup and over your instep, which is the widest point of your foot,where the sock will need to stretch the most. Theres a big difference between a knitted bag youll sew a lining into and a pair of mittens or socks. Colorwork Without Interlocking Floats - Technique Tuesday How can one get a copy of the pattern? To demonstrate the difference that needle type can make, I have two swatches that I knit: both are unblocked, but both were knit with the exact same yarn on the exact same needle sizes: While the difference isnt huge at first glance, and these measurements are pretty quick-and-dirty rather than precise, the swatch on top is noticeably narrower than the swatch on the bottom when both are measured flat. Someday I may get to this, but as of now Ive never really purled colorwork (beyond a small swatch with short floats). Some motifs, however, involve longer floats and long floats are exceptionally good at catching on fingers, jewelry, or other things that can work their way between the knitted fabric and the float. So what do I do? It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Improve Your Stranded Knitting | Interweave The project that that strikes my fancy for todays post is from Vintage Modern Knits by Courtney Kelley and Kate Gagnon Osborn. 2. This was only in two colours, and I caught the floats every other stitch because I like having a neat back to my work and less things to catch on when [], Your email address will not be published. Knitting on an Airplane and Other Travel Tips for Makers, Why You Shouldn't Buy a Knitter Yarn as a Gift. Cut off the excess yarn, leaving about a 1/2-inch tail. If you want to explore this issue in further depth, I recommend checking out some of the following links to blog posts, videos, and books. User account menu. It is an in-depth tutorial perfect for anyone who has no experience knitting colorwork and would like to learn how. *Membership cannot be purchased with Gift Cards. The Knitters Book of YarnandThe Knitters Book of Woolby Clara Parkes Catching Floats in Stranded Knitting - YouTube Managing long floats in Fair Isle knitting | Interweave Please confirm you want to block this member. Locking Floats - YouTube It is fun to knit and easy once you get the hang of it. Strandless colorwork eliminates so many of the headaches that some knitters experience with traditional methods. The swatch on top was knit onbamboo DPNs, while the swatch on the bottom was worked ontwo metal circular needles. wood, metal, plastic) andneedle type(e.g. How to keep yarn from tangling with stranded colorwork? Please allow a few minutes for this process to complete. Privacy Policy. This distinguishes it from other colorwork methods like mosaic knitting or intarsia. Weve got some handy tips on making this dream a reality. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. It can be tricky tovisualize, but with the work turned inside out, youre working on the far side of the tube, rather than the near side. A pattern like. Although these tricks may sound intimidating, strandedcolorwork isreally funto knitand the results are incrediblyrewarding. Decreasethese four stitches at the ankle before working the heel. 4. This helps increase the elasticity. But knitting colorwork can be a challenge. Required fields are marked *. 1. moon sprites & icelandic wool month at tolt, Float is a common term for the strand of yarn that runs across the back of colorwork fabric the strand that makes colorwork, So, if Im knitting a piece that has long floats, how often should I trap them? We just dont get along. 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. 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 last step is towet-blockyour socks. Knitting Colorwork Inside Out | Technique Tuesday - YouTube How to Crochet with Two (or More) Colors - Jo to the World Creations You dont want to snarl your toes in floats when youput on your socks. This article was originally published inSockupiedSpring 2014 andhas been updated. Like Alex I am interested in tidy float catching, working on a sock flat heel (stranded patterning a feature on it) ..so purling involved. 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. I hope it helps you or at least entertains you. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Heres a trick I use for every round of stranded colorworkthat I knit on my socks: I flip the sock inside out, thenknit these rounds. I get this question a lot, and its a tricky one to answer. I watched the video but would like more information & can't seem to find it. Colorwork can be stressful worrying about having the right tension and this new method takes all of that away! WHAT I'M KNITTING:Sunset Highway Pullover by Caitlin Hunterhttps://www.ravelry.com/patterns/librWHAT YARN AM I USING?Asylum Fiber - \"House Coat\" (mauve)Woolen Boon - \"Truffle Shuffle\" (white)Machete Shoppe - \"Aqua Aura\" (teal) Any other tricks? Fair Isle knitting, also known as stranded colorwork knitting, is a technique for working two (or more) colors of yarn in the same row. I've tried twisting the yarn less often too. Discussion. Tryfollowing the pattern for the next size up, decreasing stitch countsfor the cuff and heel to fit. Get your copy of Vintage Modern Knits today and queue up your version of the Ajiro scarfor one of the other 25 designs in this fab booktoday! The Knitting Man's Tiny Shorts, How to knit stranded colorwork NO FLOATS METHOD - in just 3 minutes - colourwork fairisle techniques tutorial Teaching and g. This always affects the knitted fabric youre creating, but it affects colorwork even more. 3. Colorwork and fairisle knitting offer a range of beautiful, unique patterns. Colorwork Sans Floats I've made it pretty clear to the knitting world that when it comes to colorwork, floats and I are incompatible. The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. Whats the process for trapping non-dominant float? This tutorial video demonstrate. Tension will be easiest to tackle if you choose a pattern that doesnt require long floats. We use cookies to optimize our website and our service. There are other ways to trap floats, but in my experience, this is the most common (and its a pretty simple way to trap floats as youre working, so theres less finishing after the fact). Marie Greene is the author of Seamless Knit Sweaters in 2 Weeks, Knit Shawls & Wraps in 1 Week, and Knit a Little. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Then work the first stitch of the new colorthis is the yarn that creates the float. Whether youre working on double-pointed needles or usingthe magic-loop method, you also need to be careful when workingthe first stitch on a new needle. The good news is that picking up dropped stitches in color work is actually not hard! Please note: There are more than 2 ways to catch a float. Although you also dont want loose, wobblystitches, remember that even if some stitches look large when youfirst try it, youll be able to wear the socks. Thegreatest benefit of working this way is you cant inadvertently cutthe corner between needles. I am sort of figuring it out as I go but it is a little wonky. Don. "Float" is a common term for the strand of yarn that runs across the back of colorwork fabric - the strand that makes colorwork stranded. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. This tutorial shows you how to knit colorwork. I havent written it up in a blog post, but I covered trapping the non-dominant float in my video on Youtube about stranded colorwork. Let the socks dry onsock blockers to help them keep their shape (Photo 7 below). The long float pictured at the top of the swatch is trapped twice so that the blue float never carries across more than fourstitches (it looks like three shorter floats instead). We use cookies to optimize our website and our service. Please, for the sake of your sanity, choose a pattern thats knit in the round! Now I'm making adult totoro mittens with a more complicated pattern. Many knitters like to wrap each strand around a different finger and knit all stitches English style (throwing) or Continental style (picking). You want there to be just as much space between stitches of twodifferentcolors as there is between stitches of thesamecolor. Im going to queue it up today and start looking through my stash for appropriate yarn (or I may just have to spring for the luscious Fibre Company Road to China Light thats used in the book!). Make a swatch topractice spacing your stitches on the needle until youve had somesuccess and know how much space is too much. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. 2. This is more likely to keep them long, and it also keeps them visible, so you can constantly check your tension as youre working. And keep in mind thatmistakes are an important part of the process:we can learn from them. Compare the two measurements tomake sure your sockis able tostretch to match or exceed your footmeasurement. How to knit colorwork - YouTube Catching Floats - For Fair Isle or Stranded Knitting - YouTube A Free Bracelet Beading Pattern for Valentines Day. 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. How often to catch floats when working colorwork comesdown to personal preference. To help shorten the floats while maintaining good tension, tack these long floats to the wrong side of the work. Try out some of these techniques in the evening with a glass of wine or whatever else relaxes you. This is also part of why steeking is so common in these places sticky wools are unlikely to unravel when the stitches are cut. Now that weve covered when its a good idea to trap floats how do we actually do it? Please note: (Side note: its always better to have floats that are a little long than a little short you can always draw in the slack when youre weaving in ends, but you cant make a short float longer.).