CraftyGarden: N. 62 Condor's Croft and Garden 22K views 3. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. Some knitters will have an easier time with smooth wools while others will have an easier time with sticky ones. 1. (If youre on a budget, dont forget you can alwayscheck your local library for books. 3. The color that isn't being worked is carried at the back, making a float, before being worked again. (Don't know what the proper terminology is). Your email address will not be published. Gently stretch out the stitches on your right needle as youstrand the unused yarn across the back of these stitches(Photo 1 below). Cutting the corner pulls the floatshorter than the span of the stitches it should relax against on thebackside. 2.) Its a lot to read through, but I hope you find it helpful and please let me know if you still have questions about this topic by the end. Fair Isle knitting, also known as stranded colorwork knitting, is a technique for working two (or more) colors of yarn in the same row. Someday I may get to this, but as of now Ive never really purled colorwork (beyond a small swatch with short floats). Im all about creativity. We just don't get along. These cookies do not store any personal information. Sue Blacker on Woollen vs Worsted mill spinningon wovember.com Youve effectively trapped the float already! I thought it would be a good idea to finally address this issue! All Rights Reserved. For more information, please see our AboutPressCopyrightContact. 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. A yarn like Quince & Co. Chickadee is smooth and springy, because its worsted spun with three plies. Tryfollowing the pattern for the next size up, decreasing stitch countsfor the cuff and heel to fit. While cruising full-time on her sailboat throughout CentralAmerica and the Caribbean islands, TERRY MORRIS foundedthe Holiday Mystery Gifts Yahoo Group. I found this page which shows a technique for capturing the floats & providing a nice stretch. 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. Here is a nice tutorial from Jimmy Beans Wool on how to catch floats. combatting tight colorwork - Paper Tiger You can see in the photo abovethat Ive worked the first 5 stitches of my 21-stitch span. and our I don't want to have long strands of floats inside the hat, nor do I want it to be too tight. Please, for the sake of your sanity, choose a pattern thats knit in the round! Colorwork without stranded floats? I am sort of figuring it out as I go but it is a little wonky. Go ahead and knit the next stitch normally. I tried holding one color on each hand, but my tension is awful that way. Please note: This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. "Floats" are the yarn that's carried behind the stitches across a row. Learn to keep perfect colorwork tension - every time, Learn how to adapt any pattern to use the strandless method, Learn how to read charts with strandless knitting in mind, Start with the basics and practice as you learn, Take your skills to the next level with progressive lessons that make it easy to apply what you learn, Practice right along with me as we knit a strandless project together - step by step, Learn from the comfort of home - on your favorite device, Your lessons never expire - you'll have ongoing access to the workshop if you need a refresher. 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. If youve tried working colorwork on DPNs and found it to be too tight, try knitting a swatch on circular needles (eithertwo circsor with themagic loopmethod) to see if that changes your gauge or elasticity. Privacy Policy. You won't have to struggle with dominant colors, floats, multiple strands or wonky tension - watch your knitting transform almost immediately! We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 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. My first project was baby mittens with totoro on them. Archived post. The project is a scarf called the Ajiro Scarf. 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. I watched the video but would like more information & can't seem to find it. Many folks swear by the two-handed method while others prefer to carry both yarns in one hand (with or without a stranding guide). This action will also remove this member from your connections and send a report to the site admin. not stretched out), theres no indication of whether or not your knitting will be stretchy. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. 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. Im off to knit all the yoked colorwork sweaters now! Remember that the gauge can change over the course of yourknitting. 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. 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. ), Ondifferent yarn types: Making mistakes in any technique is inevitable, because were all human! So what do I do? Most socks are knitted a tad smaller in circumferencethan the actual measurements of your calf and foot; theelasticity of the knitted fabric generally allows them to stretch. Some wools that areknownfor colorwork are very sticky wools, like Shetland wool or Lopi. A float carried across five stitches in fingering weight is a much shorter float than one carried across five stitches in bulky yarn. Next: choose a natural, non-superwash wool yarn. 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. There is enough of the contrast grey []. 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). Colorwork can be stressful worrying about having the right tension and this new method takes all of that away! Let the socks dry onsock blockers to help them keep their shape (Photo 7 below). Thank you!! User account menu. free download when you sign up for our newsletter! This is more likely to keep them long, and it also keeps them visible, so you can constantly check your tension as youre working. Now settled backin the mountains of Northern California, Terry enjoys thesocialization of knitting with friends once again. If youve tried this out and you still think your colorwork is coming out too tight, roll up your sleeves and get ready to try a few different methods, keeping in mind that some things may work for you and some may not; theres a lot of trial and error in knitting! 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 tutorial shows you how to knit colorwork. Close. Have you knit with Nature Spun before? 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! Enjoy! 2. Then work the first stitch of the new colorthis is the yarn that creates the float. Make sure that youre not pullingtoo tightly, which would cut off the corner where the twoneedles meet. The standard double knitting technique with two colors also creates no floats on the backside. There are a few reasons for this, but the big one is thatcolorwork fabric by its very nature is less elastic than normal stockinette. Three ways to hold yarn for stranded colourwork - Ysolda Ltd Improve Your Stranded Knitting | Interweave If you have any other tips foreasing up tight colorwork, Id love to hear themin the comments! Contains spam, fake content or potential malware, just two different-colored yarns per round, trouble maintaining it in colorwork areas, 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. 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. If the pattern repeat for your sock issmallfor example, a four-stitch repeatyou can simply increasefour stitches after the cuff and work an additional repeat. Any other tricks? Instead of carrying the yarn used for the colorwork all the way around, when you get to the point where you switch back to the main color, just let it hang until you need to start using it again, the pull it loosely back to the beginning of the colorwork section. Then you finish with 4 rows of garter stitch. This distinguishes it from other colorwork methods like mosaic knitting or intarsia. To create a float that is the right length, spread out the stitches on your right needle just before you change colors. Colorwork Sans Floats I've made it pretty clear to the knitting world that when it comes to colorwork, floats and I are incompatible. After knitting this stitch, I have 7 stitches of my 21-stitch span knit. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. In order tokeep the tensionof your sock from getting too tight, you may want to considerletting your floats go a little longer without catching them thanyou normally would; catching floats too frequently can make thefabric less flexible. You want there to be just as much space between stitches of twodifferentcolors as there is between stitches of thesamecolor. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. stranded knitting without floats? : r/knitting - Reddit My UPS gal surprised me again the other day with several new Interweave books full of wonderful, inventive projects. Float is a common term for the strand of yarn that runs across the back of colorwork fabric the strand that makes colorworkstranded. Read morehere. Slide your right-hand needleunderneaththe floating strand (blue), then wrap the working yarn (charcoal) around your needle to knit the stitch. How often to catch floats when working colorwork comes down to personal preference. This means you have to anchor the unused yarn by trapping it in between the needle and the working yarn on the backside so you don't end up with super long loops on the backside that my mess up your knitting. 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. Over the manyyears of operation, the group produced hundreds of knit andcrochet patterns for the 3,000+ members. 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. 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. If you finish knitting something and onlythenrealize that you should have trapped the long floats dont worry! Because strandedcolorwork does not have the same stretch capacity as plain stockinetteknitting, you have a real problem. Enjoy! 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. 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 Japanese word ajiro describes a herringbone pattern in basketry, which seems fitting for a country known for its long fishing traditions and bold graphic representations of natural elements. Like Alex I am interested in tidy float catching, working on a sock flat heel (stranded patterning a feature on it) ..so purling involved. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 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. But because sticky wools are more likely to stay in place and the yarn is less likely to slide smoothly past other strands, the finished fabric is generally less elastic than it would be with smooth wools (and it can be tricky for colorwork beginners to achieve smooth results without puckering). Ive found that this method of weaving in works best with worsted-weight and smaller yarns. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Floats are the yarn thats carried behind the stitches across a row. And remember to alternate where you catchyour floatscatching them in the same place every round willmake a noticeable blip of color going up your sock (Photos 5 and 6 above). 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. Stranded colorwork without floats in 3 minutes - YouTube trapping long floats in stranded colorwork. With two hands, color work is both addictive and soothing. Also, if you need to catch floats in a bunch of rows dont catch in the same place every row. 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. Here are some things to consider: Smoother yarns are closer to the top of the list, while stickier wools are towards the bottom. ), Heres the tutorial for you! I work the cuff, heel, and toe ofmy socks at a smaller gauge, using a smaller needle, then changeto a larger needle to work the stranded portions. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. If youre having trouble with tight colorwork you may want to try working with a different type of yarn or wool than youve used before to see if that makes a difference. What exactly is color work? Crafty Confessions: Do You Make a Gauge Swatch? But knitting colorwork can be a challenge. Happy Monday, everyone! It may sound crazy, but many folks solve the tight colorwork issue by working their colorwork tubes inside out! For more information, please see our Origins & Inspiration for Strandless Knitting, Part 1: Knit with Me - Step by Step Using the Strandless Method, Part 2: Knit with Me - Step by Step Using the Strandless Method, Part 3: Knit with Me - Step by Step Using the Strandless Method. Personally, I dont like this approach. ),there are more yarn ends to weave in when finishing a stranded-colorsock. wood, metal, plastic) andneedle type(e.g. Stranded colorwork gets its name from these strands of yarn, commonly called floats, that travel through the back of the work. Although these tricks may sound intimidating, strandedcolorwork isreally funto knitand the results are incrediblyrewarding. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. If you dont, its a good bet that youll pull the non-working yarn a little too tight, causing puckering problems. 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? Let the unused yarn relax on the back side and be carefulnot to tug on it when making the first stitch of the newcolor. This means you can get gauge for a pattern likeHearth Slippersbut still have trouble with the fit if your fabric is too inelastic. 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. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. So, dont let the fear of making mistakes stop you from trying a new technique. . This was so helpful! Lisas List: 10 Reasons Knitting Is Better Than Dating, Spurned Gifts: When Knit & Crochet Gifts Went Wrong. Decreasethese four stitches at the ankle before working the heel. the larger circumference). 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! Catching Floats in Stranded Knitting - YouTube Make a swatch topractice spacing your stitches on the needle until youve had somesuccess and know how much space is too much. Privacy Policy. We'll start at the very beginning - with foundational principles of the strandless method, then take it further with intermediate and advanced techniques. The most important thing is to consider what kind of item youre knitting, and whos going to be wearing/using it. We'll also talk about how to apply this method to all your colorwork projects. A Free Bracelet Beading Pattern for Valentines Day. 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. 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. Strandless Colorwork A pattern like. 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. This allows you to carry the yarn you aren't knitting with across the back of the work as you go. So what do I do? 32K views 4 years ago Color Work Knitting Series This video is part of my Colorwork Series. We use cookies to optimize our website and our service. Overly loose stranding and a bigger gauge are preferableto short floats and tight knitting. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. 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. Knit.fm episode 6: More Yarn[podcast] I loved your tutorial on catching floats! 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. 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. Tension is the most difficult aspect to master in color work knitting. You can seein the photo abovethat Ive worked the first 5 stitches of my 21-stitch span. It is fun to knit and easy once you get the hang of it. 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 That said, it is important to remember to catch those floats overlong stretches of more than six stitches where a color isnt used(Photo 4 above). The charcoal grey isthe working yarnfor that length, while the light blue yarn is being carried across the back (the floating yarn). Omit them, of course! 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. Color Knitting: How to Lock Your Floats | Interweave By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. If you havent tried more than one method, you may not have found your perfect match yet! This post took a little bit longer to put together than I wanted, but its finally ready to go! Now my tension is perfect every time! I have done very little colorwork but am working on a hat with some simple(ish) colorwork. 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. Holding both yarns Continental, and picking each colour off of my finger as I need them. 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. If youve listened toepisode one of the knit.fm podcast, you know that needle type can affect gauge. Whats the process for trapping non-dominant float? 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. Required fields are marked *. 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. But knitting colorwork can be a challenge. A Free Bracelet Beading Pattern for Valentines Day. Now that weve covered when its a good idea to trap floats how do we actually do it? I've tried twisting the yarn less often too. Once you have gone over all the puckered fabric in this manner, repeat from the start - until the floats have stretched sufficiently. A new way to knit colorwork - without multiple strands! Since different colors of yarn are used throughout thepatterned areas of socks (sometimes for only one round! Locking the unused (floating) yarn in stranded knitting every other stitch creates a gorgeous back that almost appears woven. The long float pictured at the bottom of the swatch isnt trapped at all, so its floating across all twelve stitches. Three-Color Stranded Knitting - YouTube 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. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. This action will also remove this member from your connections and send a report to the site admin. Tutorial: How to Catch Colourwork Floats - YouTube 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). 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. Pull it through the two loops on your hook. 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. CARRYING YARNS WITH THE TWO-HANDED METHOD. Go ahead and knit the next stitch normally. The hat used almost one full skein of the main colour yarn. 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. First of all: choose the right pattern for learning to knit with two colors at a time. 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. The pattern can have a million different colors included, but only two are used within a single row. Basically, this is multi-colored knitting thats done by carrying two colors at a time across a row.