knitting colorwork without floats knitting colorwork without floats

a fabric they like. 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. Their work is highly influenced by their Scandinavian background and their everyday life in rural Norway. September 27, 2021 @ To accomplish this, you need to invisibly tack down or "catch" the float on the wrong side of your work as you knit with the working yarn. Omit them, of course! September 27, 2021 @ In the swatch pictured above, there are two long floats where the blue yarn is stranding across twelve stitches on the wrong side of the fabric. Knitosophy Designs uses cookies on our site to improve your experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. In other words, when you alternate between colors of yarn, the previously unused strand travels behind the stitches just worked until it is ready to be used again, resulting in a horizontal strand on the wrong side (WS). September 29, 2021 @ Whale woman, Lindy Van Fleet Also, if you need to catch floats in a bunch of rows dont catch in the same place every row. If you dont, its a good bet that youll pull the non-working yarn a little too tight, causing puckering problems. 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. 8:59 pm. The only Marie Wallin garment Ive knit, I adapted to be knit in the round and I steeked the armholes and front neck. Floats are the yarn thats carried behind the stitches across a row. 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. September 27, 2021 @ What is the best method for making sure your floats are loose enough when knitting. Your videos have inspired and taught me so much. 6:19 am. It might sound daunting, but once you get the hang of it you'll be sailing in no time. How to catch floats in stranded colorwork knitting on purl and knit rows, including videos of how I knit colourwork with two hands. free download when you sign up for our newsletter! If the floats are too loose, they can get caught when you wear the garment or the stitches may recede in the background. Enjoy! would you do one on catching floats in purl side?Im knitting a Marie Wallin pattern in pieces and Im trying to find the best way to trap the floats in purl. I am sort of figuring it out as I go but it is a little wonky. Here's a video from Tiara the Unicorn explaining three different ways to catch floats, followed by written directions below that. The unused yarn ends up floating behind the pattern. I have some puckering snowmen on a hat right now, but Ill live with it. CraftGossipAbout CraftGossipContact Us | Privacy and affiliate policy, This Colorwork Cowl is a Great Way to Play with Color, Grab a Deal on Knitting Designs through 11/29, How to use a reusable adhesive to make reverse stamps, Spring Minis and What to Do with Mini Cross Stitch Patterns, Fun Games for St. Patricks Day Class Parties, Free Knitting Pattern Twisted Stitch Blanket, 20+ Airplane Themed Quilt And Block Patterns. other. Please, for the sake of your sanity, choose a pattern thats knit in the round! 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. long for their taste. Bringyour working yarn betweenthe needles as though you are going to knit but don't complete the stitch. To accompany the colorwork charts in our patterns, we provide a key showing which colors should be held as the Dominant Color and the Background Color. Otherwise, the fabric will be tight and compressed horizontally, which is NOT fun as you knit it and it doesnt look good when its done, either. Youll definitely want to block your colourwork piece after you complete it, and regular wet blocking works just fine. Alexa Ludeman Some knitters like to wrap floats frequently and regularly, while others do so when the floats feel too The unused yarn ends up "floating" behind the pattern. For YEARS, well into her career as a pattern designer, Emily knit colourwork this way: Knit with the MC colour and then drop that strand. Making mistakes in any technique is inevitable, because were all human! I hope it helps you or at least entertains you. Who are we: Scandinavians Arne Nerjordet and Carlos Zachrison are highly regarded designers, textile artists and authors. Whats the process for trapping non-dominant float? 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. you get. So, dont let the fear of making mistakes stop you from trying a new technique. Check out our posts about: You sure you really wanna open that can of worms? 5:56 am. Weve got a long list of posts that are all about picking palettes and combining colours. stitches on either side of every wrapped stitch or the weaving effect wont work. Simply follow the colourwork chart, and the pattern appears! You can seein the photo abovethat Ive worked the first 5 stitches of my 21-stitch span. I There are a number of ways to manage the tension of your floats. 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. Tension is my struggle-any tips or videos on how to tension properly to avoid floats? My blue floating yarn is trapped on either side of the 6th stitch. September 26, 2021 @ 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. 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 floats across the back of the work need to be flexible enough to allow the front of the work to lie flat. It maysoundprecise at first, but when you think about it, gauge makes this an incredibly imprecise way to go about it. 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. And vice versa hold the Background Color in your right hand and strand it above the Dominant Color on the WS of the fabric. No matter what you decide, the dominant color should always be held to the left of the non-dominant With colorwork, the float (or non-working yarn) is traveling in a straight line between stitches (black, in the example above), so it doesn't have the same slack to stretch with. swatch) the one you prefer. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Learn how stranded colorwork can be used in design with five accompanying projects including mitts, cowls, and sweaters. If the floats are too tight, they will draw your fabric in, causing puckering which will change the look and fit of your finished item. Eva It is also helpful to spread out the stitches just worked on the right needle each time you switch yarns or colors, so that when you draw the next working yarn (C1) behind the stitches just worked in the previous (C2), you can be sure that its float can span the full width of the stitches just worked. When you go from knitting one stitch in the MC to one in the CC, they dont sit as perfectly as they might if they were done in the same colour. 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. Equipped with the basics of stranded colorwork knitting, you can now proceed with confidence! But since youre here and maybe youre in the mood lets talk about some of those details. That being said, if a rule doesnt jive with your personal preferences, thats perfectly fine! Most knitters would probably leave shorter floats (with three stitches or less) alone, but floats of five or more stitches may benefit from wrapping. Holding both strands of yarn too tightly can result in fabric that is taut and puckered. With this weather were all having, doesnt this scarf sound tempting? 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. knitting your multi-color project. To help shorten the floats while maintaining good tension, tack these long floats to the wrong side of the work. 2010 - 2022 Tin Can Knits. Cookie Notice Guides, Stitches & Technique This was all very helpful. Thank you so much! When working stranded fabric with two or more colors, one color (the Dominant Color) will always be more prominent on the right side (RS) while the other (the Background Color) recedes to the background. Follow the instructions in the. Oneof the questions I get most often from students or knitters working from my patterns is how to trap floats in stranded colorwork. Moveyour float yarn out of the way ofyour working yarn to the right of the right needle, keeping it behind the left needle and in front of the right needle. October 5, 2021 @ Great tutorial. Then you finish with 4 rows of garter stitch. Start small! Hold your float yarn away from your working yarn as you knit yournext stitch. In this video I demonstrate a couple of ways to carry floats in fair isle knitting. How to Make Stranded Colorwork Knitting Go Smoothly The biggest problem most people new to stranded knitting have is pulling the yarns too tightly when changing between yarns. Itll make the finished knit look a lot better because it will even out the stitches and help the yarn bloom. Here they are in order of relative usefulness (just my opinion! needle. Thank you so much! Stretch Gently stretch out the stitches on your right needle as you strand the unused yarn across the back of these stitches (Photo 1 below). Its important to draw this yarn LOOSELY across the back of the work. Colorwork motifs are often presented in charts, as this is an intuitive and shorthand way of showing how the motif builds round by round. This will work for any way you knit colorwork (one-handed or two, English or Continental). Tension will be easiest to tackle if you choose a pattern that doesnt require long floats. 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. Some simply experiment with how they hold the yarn until they get No need to trap floats there. Theres a big difference between a knitted bag youll sew a lining into and a pair of mittens or socks. Ive found that this method of weaving in works best with worsted-weight and smaller yarns. Below is a video demonstrating my method for knitting colorwork sans floats. Fantastic information and lots of great resources,,,and 2 free patterns to get started! I have a question on color dominance. Sometimes the toughest bit is casting on :), askcarolynwarren This week we take a close look at the back of our knit wear to show you how we carry our floats. The basics of colourwork knitting First, you knit a stitch (or several) in one colour - let's call it the main colour (MC). September 24, 2021 @ This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Read More. October 28, 2021 @ By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. This looks tricky to the uninitiated; however, the pattern is formed using only knit stitches, so its not nearly as complicated as it looks! It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. What a great tutorial! This creates floats, where yarns pass across the back for several stitches. 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. and our Insert your right needle into the next stitch like normal. Tension will be easiest to tackle if you choose a pattern that doesn't require long floats. If a pattern row has you knit two white stitches, then two black stitches and repeat that to the end of the row, you could literally knit the two white stitches, drop the yarn, pick up the black yarn and knit two stitches, drop it, etc. 8:53 am, This is fantastic! These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Thank you!! By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. dominant color in a pattern is not necessarily the same as your MCin fact, it usually should be Twist your float yarn around your working yarn. Nothing wrong with that, but it would slow you down a bit. The guidance suggested catching the floats (the stitches youre carrying of one colour behind the colour youre working with) every [], [] After that I got to start on the yoke and the colourwork. become indispensable in working with color patterns. Tension is the most difficult aspect to master in color work knitting. needle and wrap the yarn from your right hand around the working needle as if to knit itbut knitter), then you may want to hold both strands of yarn in the same hand. (We found that for this reason, colorwork charts are quite helpful forlearning how to read knitting charts.). . I don't want to have long strands of floats inside the hat, nor do I want it to be too tight. Follow the instructions in theSwatching for Circular Knittingsection of ourSwatching 101article to learn more. Yarn floats, the strands of yarn you carry behind your knitting for some colorwork, are perhaps the trickiest part of knitting colorwork for beginners. So Im sorry Im not the most helpful person for that! You can work any increase or decrease stitch in the colour shown. This scarf will keep you warm even on the coldest windswept shore.. You may only see one color in each stitch on the front of a project, but remember that there are as many Basically, this is multi-colored knitting thats done by carrying two colors at a time across a row. 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. One of the challenging things about colorwork is working with two (or more!) document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Fervent fiber nerd and frequent baker living in Norway. And you can see these steps in action here: trapping long floats carrying both yarns in your left handfromDiannaonVimeo. December 2, 2021 @ Okay, excellent, so do I! Elizabeth DeHaven Abel 10:49 am. 1:35 pm. Colorwork Sans Floats I've made it pretty clear to the knitting world that when it comes to colorwork, floats and I are incompatible. often, it is not uncommon for knitters to knit stranded colorwork with a tighter than usual tension, due to the mechanics of alternating between multiple working yarns. (Photo 1) Keep the stitches on your right needle stretched out as you bring the unused color behind them. 11:25 pm. The basketweave pattern is reminiscent of fishing nets, so I chose blue and natural colors to accentuate the ideas of sea and shore. Hi Julie The key to tension in colourwork is keeping those floats nice and loose. September 28, 2021 @ What are your thoughts on this? Going up a needles size can help compensate for this tighter tension. Regardless of how you hold your yarns when working stranded colorwork, To swatch for a stranded colorwork motif, we recommend the Speed Swatching method for circular knitting; because most stranded colorwork patterns are worked in the round, it is best to swatch in the round as well. September 26, 2021 @ September 24, 2021 @ Thank you again for all your beautiful patterns and knitting lessons. You can read aboutcolor dominance here.). Enjoy! and sheep. This is convenient because youre always looking at the knit side of the work and thus can ensure that the pattern is forming correctly. Keep in mind that if the pattern youre working on has significantly more stitches with one color vs. Thank you so much! Keeping your Dominant Color and Background Color consistent will ensure that your colorwork motifs pop rather than recede into the background. In reality, there are a few different methods, but Ill be demonstrating what I think is the most common below. Or, you can be a lazy ass like me I just tie them to the next colour, trim them fairly short, and then hope that, with plenty of time and wear, theyll eventually felt themselves together into a nice, solid, woolly mess. Contains spam, fake content or potential malware, https://www.interweave.com/store/vintage-modern-knits-ebook, Free Resin Jewelry Video: Yupo Paper, Alcohol Inks, and Resin, Knitting-Themed Artists We Love: Inspiration from Fiber & Needles, Celebrating Beadwork Artists on International Womens Day. Focus on one section of the fabric at a time and knead it. When knittingstranded colorwork, the unworked yarn color "floats" behind the worked stitches in the back of the work. October 4, 2021 @ Most knitters would probably leave shorter For me, lifes too short to purl in colorwork! floats, by wrapping the two yarns while youre knitting. Weve got an opinion (or three) on this topic! I can see improvement. The rest is just details! Thank you for your generosity in sharing your knowledge. 6:17 pm. What exactly is color work? Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. What's a Knitter To Do? 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. Simply open the latch, lay each strand in its own channel in the Yarn Guide, snap the top shut, and KnitChats - Tip to Keep Loose Floats in Stranded Knitting KnitChats 473 subscribers Subscribe 54 Share 5.6K views 3 years ago Here's a demonstration of one way to keep your "floats" loose when. There is enough of the contrast grey []. Ive heard of some people switching to a larger needle for the color work. Laura Trickel Of course, which color you want to be the dominant one is entirely up to youand since its If youd like to stick to carrying the yarn with only one hand but youre having trouble keeping the yarn Most often, knitters will "lock" these floats if they become longer than 3 or 4 stitches. 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? Thank you! Someday I may get to this, but as of now Ive never really purled colorwork (beyond a small swatch with short floats). Colorwork garments are extremely warm because of For more information, please see our You want to have the right side facing you at all times rather than messing with purling on the wrong side. This means picking up the float in the back of a stitch to hold it in place and keep some tension in the floating yarn so it doesnt pull too tight or loosen up. Hold your float yarn away from your working yarn as you knit your next stitch. With two hands, color work is both addictive and soothing. Ive done a couple colorwork projects and I appreciate all of this good info in one place! Below is a video demonstrating my method for knitting colorwork sans floats. 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. tutorials Andrea Rangel January 15, 2020 video, tutorial, . Alexa Ludeman 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. can make the fabric look strange. strands in Some knitters find that it is easier for them to achieve an even tension when they hold the different yarns in either hand (C1 on the right and C2 on the left, for example), while some find it easier when they hold both yarns in the same hand. Go ahead and knit the next stitch normally. Your explanations and videos are so helpful (as always). Your email address will not be published. Hi Elizabeth Thanks so much for your kind words! In other words, when you alternate between colors of yarn, the previously unused strand travels behind the stitches just worked until it is ready to be used again, resulting in a horizontal strand on the wrong side (WS). When knitting colourwork patterns, you use two colours (sometimes more) in a single row or round. One of the many reasons we love this technique is that it creates a visually intricate fabric, but is deceivingly simple to work. Bringyour float yarn (right hand) behind and aroundthe right needle as though you are going to knit but don'tcomplete the stitch. Pick up the other strand and knit with itand so forth. trapping long floats in stranded colorwork. to you and that allows you to get the most even tension in your knitting. tutorials Andrea Rangel July 26, . Wrapping floats can help, but even if youre wrapping stitches frequently, you still want to be your hands from getting twisted, the yarn balls stay tangle-free, too. You can find more information about Knitter's Pride needles from these retailers: Bryson Distributing Accessories Unlimited Knitter's Pride Shop finder September 27, 2021 @ September 28, 2021 @ A long float would be considered more than 5 stitches in a row of one color before changing. Feel free to post questions in the comments, orshare other tips or methods you know of! Theres no wrong way to knit, and theres no wrong way to knit colourwork. Katherine Hill In reality, there are a few different methods, but Ill be demonstrating what I think is the most common below. The long float pictured at the bottom of the swatch isnt trapped at all, so its floating across all twelve stitches. Stitches & Technique One thing that is important to keep in mind in stranded colorwork knitting ismaintaining even float tension. A critical thing to keep in mind when knitting colorwork is where you're holding your main color (MC) vs. So what do I do? You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. This is my biggest hurdle in colourwork-the float tension. 9:28 am. That will trap the float. Ive knit for over 50 years and have just stuck my toe into colorwork. You cant avoid them, but they need to be loose so they arent causing your fabric to pinch in. My first stranded colorwork project was the Herringbone Hat by Anne Mizoguchi, who has several other similar free colorwork . This is a great email, which I just found because it went to spam. Like Alex I am interested in tidy float catching, working on a sock flat heel (stranded patterning a feature on it) ..so purling involved. Its better to stagger the tension so you dont end up with one column of stitches pulling towards the inside of the project. strands can be tightened, but its virtually impossible to loosen stitches that are too tight. Stranded colorwork knitting is referred to as such because of thesestrands(orfloats) left on the inside of your work. Youll weave in the ends later. arlene j shipper I found this page which shows a technique for capturing the floats & providing a nice stretch. Theresa Hofstetter The most important thing is to consider what kind of item youre knitting, and whos going to be wearing/using it. :). September 24, 2021 @ These non-traditional colorwork charts are perfect for the creative knitter . Before you pull the left-hand yarn through, push the right-hand yarn strand back off the working