I love stranded colorwork knitting. There’s something about making pictures appear that is so addictive and I enjoy the challenge of transforming a limited number of squares into something recognizable and beautiful.
But stranded colorwork knitting can be intimidating. There are multiple techniques, but colorwork doesnโt always mean juggling 10 skeins of yarn while you follow a pattern that makes your head spin.
What exactly is stranded colorwork knitting? Basically, this is multi-colored knitting thatโs done by carrying two colors at a time across a row. The pattern can have a million different colors included, but only two are used within a single row.
I’ll be sharing some of my tips for success with stranded colorwork knitting. This isn’t a be-all, end-all guide, but it should help get you started on or improving your knitting skills.
1. Try multiple techniques
Mosaic, sometimes called slip stitch colorwork, is incredibly easy to knit, that use a simple slip-stitch technique.
You can try intarsia if you want to knit a little picture onto your knitting, like a heart or a flower.
Fair Isle knitting and Jacquard knitting often involves working with many different yarn colors at once.
Experiment a little with each technique to see which one you like best.
2. Pick a palette
For a colorwork pattern to “pop” you need it to be high contrast.
If youโre not sure where to start, you can even use a color wheel to help you choose colors that go well together.
Part of the problem of looking at the yarn in the skein is that you’re looking at a whole lot of it at once, whereas in colorwork, you’re looking at a few stripes or stitches at a time. Pulling out just a few strands and laying them next to each other gives you a more realistic view of the quantity of each color.
3. Swatch it!
For the most accurate color test, a swatch is the only way to go, particularly for 3+ color designs.
Donโt jump right into a project without first practicing the colorwork. When you start your actual project, youโll be less likely to make mistakes.
4. Control those floats
Yarn floats, the strands of yarn you carry behind your knitting for some colorwork, are perhaps the trickiest part of knitting colorwork for beginners.
Tension is the most difficult aspect to master in colorwork knitting. Tension will be easiest to tackle if you choose a pattern that doesnโt require long floats.
If you do come to a spot where itโs necessary to carry your yarn across more than 5 stitches, remember to โcatch your floatsโ every so often. 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 doesnโt pull too tight or loosen up.
5. Managing ends
If you’ve only got two colors and they’ve used consistently throughout the project, ends shouldn’t be a huge deal and you can weave them in as you normally would. But if you’re doing something with a lot of color changes, you’re going to have a lot of ends!
With a copious amount of ends, it’s easier and secure to simply braid them. This braiding technique is exactly the same as Dutch/Reverse/Inside Out French Braid if you need further help.
Ready to tackle something colorful?