Knit a few small swatches with different needle types/materials and see if it makes a difference for you! Every knitter is different, so while some people knit tighter on wooden needles, others knit tighter on metal needles. Catching Floats in Stranded Knitting Knitting with Suzanne Bryan Knitting Stranded Colorwork or Fair Isle Colorwork Continental! 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. 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). An inelastic fabric will not stretch to allow your heel to passthrough or pull in to gently hug your leg. Personally, I dont like this approach. You can clip off a little more after you block the piece. Colorwork without stranded floats? Theres a big difference between a knitted bag youll sew a lining into and a pair of mittens or socks. It produces intricate patterns usingjust two different-colored yarns per round and astraightforward chart. Thank you! Unknown Tension will be easiest to tackle if you choose a pattern that doesnt require long floats. Really enjoyed your Q & A youtube video, very useful as a newbie to stranded knitting making the most of lockdowns in UK to experiment! . 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! Close. Some wools that areknownfor colorwork are very sticky wools, like Shetland wool or Lopi. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Contains spam, fake content or potential malware, https://www.interweave.com/store/vintage-modern-knits-ebook, How to Sew Crochet Motifs to Your Clothes, 5 Things That Made Our Yarn-y Hearts Happy at Yarn Fest Loveland 2023, Floral Beaded Jewelry Patterns for Mothers Day, Unique Ways to Have Quality Yarn-Time with Mom. Most color work patterns use a light to medium weight wool yarn our Nature Spun Fingering, Nature Spun Sport, Lanaloft Sport, and Prairie Spun DK are ideal for color work projects. Then you finish with 4 rows of garter stitch. Not following a pattern, just my rough one I made. circular needles, double pointed needles) can make a great difference in colorwork wood, metal, and plastic all have different levels of resistance, and gauge often differs between circular needles and double pointed needles (in general, knitters tend to end up with a tighter gauge on DPNs). 2. 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! There are several different ways to manage carrying multiple yarns for colorwork knitting carryingboth yarns in the left hand, carryingboth in the right hand, holdingone yarn in each hand, carryingone yarn at a time, usingastranding guide, and the list goes on! If you dont feel like measuring, you can also tryslipping on your sock at this point, taking care not to break yourknitting needles. Working continental on left hand and throwing (english) on the right hand ..your Q & A video showed a way of simply holding up the work and turning it through 360 deggiving that a go if all else fails (thankfully its not a jumper size or such like. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. If you do come to a spot where its necessary to carry your yarn across more than 5 stitches, remember to catch your floats every so often. It can elongate the stitches a little bit because youre adding bulk as youre knitting the stitch, which is especially noticeable when using larger-gauge yarns. True Fair Isle knitting is more specific originating from the island of its namesake in Shetland, northern Scotland but generally can be used interchangeably with the term colorwork. If you want to knit more than 4-5 stitches in a single color, you will have to catch floats. The charcoal grey isthe working yarnfor that length, while the light blue yarn is being carried across the back (the floating yarn). Remember that the gauge can change over the course of yourknitting. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. With this weather were all having, doesnt this scarf sound tempting? Feel free to post questions in the comments, orshare other tips or methods you know of! This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Posted by 3 years ago. Enjoy! Lopi, on the other hand, is typically woolen spun and a single ply, which means it just wont stretch as much. This action will also remove this member from your connections and send a report to the site admin. While cruising full-time on her sailboat throughout CentralAmerica and the Caribbean islands, TERRY MORRIS foundedthe Holiday Mystery Gifts Yahoo Group. 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. Stitches just knit spaced out along the right needle. Crafty Confessions: Do You Make a Gauge Swatch? Im all about creativity. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. No need to trap floats there. The project that that strikes my fancy for todays post is from Vintage Modern Knits by Courtney Kelley and Kate Gagnon Osborn. 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 swatch on top was knit onbamboo DPNs, while the swatch on the bottom was worked ontwo metal circular needles. After knitting this stitch, I have 7 stitches of my 21-stitch span knit. ),there are more yarn ends to weave in when finishing a stranded-colorsock. 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!). 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! Pull it through the two loops on your hook. I am sort of figuring it out as I go but it is a little wonky. We'll also talk about how to apply this method to all your colorwork projects. The two-handed method is great because the two yarns do not get tangled. Knitting In the Round 3 Ways: DPNs, Two Circulars, or Magic Loop? Your email address will not be published. Now my tension is perfect every time! wood, metal, plastic) andneedle type(e.g. Tension is the most difficult aspect to master in color work knitting. Try out some of these techniques in the evening with a glass of wine or whatever else relaxes you. Whether you're brand new to colorwork knitting or have years of experience under your belt, this innovative new way to knit colorwork will transform your knitting! For me, lifes too short to purl in colorwork! The color changes in Fair Isle are close together. Omit them, of course! Your email address will not be published. Let the socks dry onsock blockers to help them keep their shape (Photo 7 below). Problem is, my yarn gets tangled every time I twist my stitches to weave in the floats in the back so I don't have long lines of floating yarn for fingers to snag on. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. These cookies do not store any personal information. Cotton or acrylic blend yarns are not ideal because they are too smooth to cling together properly and dont have the memory that wool does to hold its shape. Please confirm you want to block this member. With two hands, color work is both addictive and soothing. Please confirm you want to block this member. 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. User account menu. Ive completed a few stranded colorwork projects in which I had to switch position of the yarn balls every time I trapped a float: trapping a float without taking my hands off the needles was a revelation and a relief! I share two methods: 1.) How often to catch floats when working colorwork comesdown to personal preference. "Floats" are the yarn that's carried behind the stitches across a row. For example, if there are 3 stitches in a row of one color, the other color will need to be carried behind it for 3 stitches. Carrying yarn. Copyright2023Golden Peak Media. trapping long floats in stranded colorwork. Colorwork Sans Floats I've made it pretty clear to the knitting world that when it comes to colorwork, floats and I are incompatible. Kelley Hobart from Alpaca Direct shares tips for knitting colorwork inside out to see if it improves the tension of your floats + new Free Giveaways! 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. I am doing two mittens at a time on magic loop and each of the four balls of yarn is placed in it's own ziplock bag to keep them all apart but after every line, I find myself having to untangle them, which makes for very tedious, cumbersome knitting. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Since different colors of yarn are used throughout thepatterned areas of socks (sometimes for only one round! After knitting this stitch, I have 7 stitches of my 21-stitch span knit. With practice, youllfind the right balance. We just dont get along. This tutorial will be all about the standard double knitting technique to created reversible colorwork. We use cookies to optimize our website and our service. 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. (If youre on a budget, dont forget you can alwayscheck your local library for books. If you find that your sock is still too tight, another trick isto add more stitches, especially to the leg portion. Knitting inside out. Our Jeanette Scarf is a nice choice because its knit in a small tube in the round (its also available as a free download when you sign up for our newsletter!). 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. Please feel free to share your methods below! 2. Instead of finishing the single crochet stitch as you normally would, take the color you are not working with (that is hanging from your work), put it on the hook. Copyright2023Golden Peak Media. Are there any other pages/videos showing this technique? I am starting my second color work project. But, as crafters, we have, Knitting Instructions & AbbreviationsGuide to Subbing Brown Sheep Yarns in Knit & Crochet PatternsGuide to Weaving With Brown Sheep Yarns. To use Marie's words, it is a game changer! Back-knitting is just as easy with two strands of yarn as a single strand. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Cookie Notice If you dont, its a good bet that youll pull the non-working yarn a little too tight, causing puckering problems. Lisas List: 10 Reasons Knitting Is Better Than Dating, Spurned Gifts: When Knit & Crochet Gifts Went Wrong. Colorwork can be stressful worrying about having the right tension and this new method takes all of that away! 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. Archived post. 3. Knitting on an Airplane and Other Travel Tips for Makers, Why You Shouldn't Buy a Knitter Yarn as a Gift. Many knitters like to wrap each strand around a different finger and knit all stitches English style (throwing) or Continental style (picking). 32K views 4 years ago Color Work Knitting Series This video is part of my Colorwork Series. A yarn like Quince & Co. Chickadee is smooth and springy, because its worsted spun with three plies. Whats the process for trapping non-dominant float? Some wools are grabby or sticky and some are much smoother (the method used to spin the yarn also affects this worsted spunyarns are much smoother thanwoolen spunyarns). For more information, please see our document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Fervent fiber nerd and frequent baker living in Norway. Although these tricks may sound intimidating, strandedcolorwork isreally funto knitand the results are incrediblyrewarding. Oneof the questions I get most often from students or knitters working from my patterns is how to trap floats in stranded colorwork. You cant seemuch of a difference between the gauges, but it makes a differencein the elasticity of the fabric. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. It may take some trial and error to get the hang of it, but Ive seen this method yield results for several people. making sure no floats are longer than 1 or something similar). googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('interstitial-ad');}); Save patterns, share updates, and connect with your community. A pattern like. Please, for the sake of your sanity, choose a pattern thats knit in the round! This looks like a really fun project, and the authors have included a little tutorial about how to deal with long floats, too, which is one of the challenges lots of Fair Isle knitting projects. If youmustuse a general rule, going by length in inches or cm is a better way to go (e.g. A long float would be considered more than 5 stitches in a row of one color before changing. 2.) Knittersgenerally find that their gauge is tighter, with more stitches perinch, over stranded areas than plain stockinette stitch. The reason for this is that the outer circumference of a tube is larger than the inner circumference perhaps not by much, but with the thickness of colorwork fabric, youd be surprised and turning your work inside out positions the floats on the outside of the tube (i.e. Next, measure the circumference of your knitting while stretchingit out as much as possible. Firstly:what is a float, and why would I need to trap it? Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Marie Greene is the author of Seamless Knit Sweaters in 2 Weeks, Knit Shawls & Wraps in 1 Week, and Knit a Little. Enjoy! The unused yarn ends up floating behind the pattern. Its better to stagger the tension so you dont end up with one column of stitches pulling towards the inside of the project. I have done very little colorwork but am working on a hat with some simple(ish) colorwork. Don. How to catch floats when knitting stranded colour work by ARNE & CARLOS ARNE & CARLOS 161K subscribers Subscribe 163K views 4 years ago This week we take a close look at the back of our knit wear. When you join a new ball of yarn, just weave it in for 1 1/2 to 2 inches using the tacking technique. Not following a pattern, just my rough one I made. 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. . In this example, the dominant color, carried in my left hand, is the contrasting color (blue), while the background color, carried in my right hand, is the main color (charcoal). Heres a birds eye view to help you visualize the difference between normal (right side out) circular knitting and inside out circular knitting. With two hands, color work is both addictive and soothing. *Membership cannot be purchased with Gift Cards. We'll start at the very beginning - with foundational principles of the strandless method, then take it further with intermediate and advanced techniques. This action will also remove this member from your connections and send a report to the site admin. Thanks! I really love this scarf. Floats can get in the way in the finished project because they can snag and, they can mess with the tension of the knit stitches around them. There is enough of the contrast grey []. In reality, there are a few different methods, but Ill be demonstrating what I think is the most common below. Here is a nice tutorial from Jimmy Beans Wool on how to catch floats. There are a multitude of techniques used to carry two strands of yarn across a row of knitting. This gives you a chance to check your floats are they too long? By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Knit.fm episode 1: Gauge[podcast] Knitting In the Round 3 Ways: DPNs, Two Circulars, or Magic Loop? Please allow a few minutes for this process to complete. Also, if you need to catch floats in a bunch of rows dont catch in the same place every row. We just don't get along. The standard double knitting technique with two colors also creates no floats on the backside. Cutting the corner pulls the floatshorter than the span of the stitches it should relax against on thebackside. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Any other tricks? Once you have gone over all the puckered fabric in this manner, repeat from the start - until the floats have stretched sufficiently. Colorwork and fairisle knitting offer a range of beautiful, unique patterns. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Making mistakes in any technique is inevitable, because were all human! So Im sorry Im not the most helpful person for that! This tutorial video demonstrate. 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. A new way to knit colorwork - without multiple strands! Giving the stranded section a slightly larger gauge thanthe rest of the sock can help avoid a too-tight sock. Holding both yarns Continental, and picking each colour off of my finger as I need them. If youre working on DPNs, you can do this at the end of each needle; if youre working with circs (or over a large circumference, like a sweater yoke) you may want to check it at even intervals: every 8 stitches or so (or 6 stitches, or 10 stitches; whatever works for you!). You have done it again, Marie! Archived post. It just takes about 1/2 hr to let it sink in and then TaaaDaaa!". Longer stretches with more than one float tends to make the floats tight, but it's easy enough to pull a little. The basics of colourwork knitting How to read a colourwork chart How to hold two yarns at the same time Floats and tension Joining a new colour Increases and decreases Yarn dominance Blocking Tangled yarns Weaving in ends Yarn choices in colourwork Choosing a colourwork palette The basics of colourwork knitting 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. (Wondering what the dominant yarn is? Someday I may get to this, but as of now Ive never really purled colorwork (beyond a small swatch with short floats). Go ahead and knit the next stitch normally. 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. Stranded colorwork gets its name from these strands of yarn, commonly called floats, that travel through the back of the work. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Knit.fm episode 5: Yarn[podcast] Please allow a few minutes for this process to complete. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. Simply pick up loose bars of yarn in the order they belong (according to your chart), and youll be back in business. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. UFO to WIP: Can This Crochet or Knitting Project Be Saved? ), Ondifferent yarn types: 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. Next: choose a natural, non-superwash wool yarn. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Found the internet! 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. Basically, this is multi-colored knitting thats done by carrying two colors at a time across a row. and our my first fair isle project , last project and I'm making another rainbow one with variegated ribbing. Thank you. This means you can get gauge for a pattern likeHearth Slippersbut still have trouble with the fit if your fabric is too inelastic. For more information, please see our The amount of elasticity you can achieve will also depend on how the yarn was spun and how many plies it has. 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) Discussion. The outside of the circle has a larger circumference than theinside, which forces you to make your floats a bit longer. and our Lately I've been on a colourwork-knitting kick, and thought I'd share my favorite methods for catching floats. Tryusing needles one to two sizes larger than normal to increase thegauge for the stranded areas of the sock, especially on the legportion. The pattern can have a million different colors included, but only two are used within a single row. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. I found this page which shows a technique for capturing the floats & providing a nice stretch. A float carried across five stitches in fingering weight is a much shorter float than one carried across five stitches in bulky yarn. Tryfollowing the pattern for the next size up, decreasing stitch countsfor the cuff and heel to fit. Like Alex I am interested in tidy float catching, working on a sock flat heel (stranded patterning a feature on it) ..so purling involved. UFO to WIP: Can This Crochet or Knitting Project Be Saved? not stretched out), theres no indication of whether or not your knitting will be stretchy. I loved your tutorial on catching floats! 2. Easy Trick To Catch Long Floats flynnknit 3.46K subscribers Subscribe 20K views 1 year ago This tutorial is designed to show you one easy trick for catching long floats when you're knitting. trapping long floats while using the two-handed stranded colorwork methodfromDiannaonVimeo. Please note: There are more than 2 ways to catch a float. Ive found that this method of weaving in works best with worsted-weight and smaller yarns. How to Measure Your Gauge in Knittingfrom Craftsy.com, Your email address will not be published. Now settled backin the mountains of Northern California, Terry enjoys thesocialization of knitting with friends once again. Below is a video demonstrating my method for knitting colorwork sans floats. All Rights Reserved. If you happen to know both styles of knitting (I do know both because I learned to knit English-style and then converted to Continental-style), work one strand in your right hand to throw and one strand in your left hand to pick. Intro to Stranded Colorwork // Technique Tuesday Tutorials Catching / Trapping Floats Invisibly. These are just my preferred methods. 256-266 (2012 edition) Colorwork and fairisle knitting offer a range of beautiful, unique patterns. Ive made it pretty clear to the knitting world that when it comes to colorwork, floats and I are incompatible. Cut off the excess yarn, leaving about a 1/2-inch tail. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Lisas List: 10 Reasons Knitting Is Better Than Dating, Spurned Gifts: When Knit & Crochet Gifts Went Wrong. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. The bottom swatch will definitely block out to the 8 circumference Im aiming for, but the top swatch will likely be too small. 5: My stranded knitting history Easy Trick. In this example, the dominant yarn is the floating yarn, while the background yarn is the working yarn. 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. Weve got some handy tips on making this dream a reality. Thoroughly soakyour socks in water, then roll them up in a towel to squeezeout any excess moisture. Because Im a continental knitter and I carry both yarns in my left hand, that series of photos is first, but if you scroll down youll also find a series of photos demonstrating the same technique in the two-handed method, with one yarn carried in each hand. If you finish knitting something and onlythenrealize that you should have trapped the long floats dont worry! Knitting on an Airplane and Other Travel Tips for Makers, Why You Shouldn't Buy a Knitter Yarn as a Gift. The most important thing is to consider what kind of item youre knitting, and whos going to be wearing/using it. To maintain the elasticity of the fabric, use the duplicate-stitchmethod to weave in your ends on the inside of the sock(Figure 1). I knit continental style, with two strand on left hand. The project is a scarf called the Ajiro Scarf. A baby sweater or a pair of mittens, however, will provide ample opportunity for fingers to catch on floats, so trapping those floats is a good idea. You can always try going up a needle size, as well many people need to adjust needle size between stockinette sections and colorwork sections when using the same yarn. If you are able to take a class on this technique, or self-learn the opposite knitting style from your current preference, I highly recommend giving it a try. So what do I do? Strandless colorwork eliminates so many of the headaches that some knitters experience with traditional methods. After steaming, the scarf is so cozy and warm! If youve listened toepisode one of the knit.fm podcast, you know that needle type can affect gauge. Not to mention how much faster it seems to be and no fussing about trying to hold and knit with 2 yarns at the same time. 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. Because of the physical nature of wool, wool fibers like to grab other wool fibers (this is what causes felting when wool is exposed to heat/agitation). Then work the first stitch of the new colorthis is the yarn that creates the float. CraftyGarden: N. 62 Condor's Croft and Garden 22K views 3. How to keep yarn from tangling with stranded colorwork? Privacy Policy. Youve effectively trapped the float already! Please note: Sue Blacker on Woollen vs Worsted mill spinning, how the knitter is holding/carrying the yarns, how much space the knitter leaves between stitches, whether the knitter is working on DPNs or circular needles.