How to control the tension when you knit stranded colorwork in the Norwegian (Continental) way.

[@LindaHartley]

This is just how I learned colour work as a child in Scotland. I only heard of the idea of dominance recently. My Nana said just what you do, if one of your colour stitches is bigger your tension is wrong.

[@erikalind972]

The colour dominance does not come from a difference in tension. It is because one yarn is on top of the other. In the norwegian style as shown here the yarns are being crossed over so that the one they are knitting from is always on top. But if you knit two handed stranded where you never let go of the yarn, the one in the continental hand would be on top and the right hand colour would be slightly buried and that is where the colour dominance actually comes from.

[@AlexandrashirleyH]

No, I'm sorry. This dominat way is something you amaricans have invented. We have never ever done that in Scandinavian. Many have adopted it, yes, but the way that done here is much more simpel, it's also easy to get the tension right and no matter where the yearn goes on the back, its getting beutyful in the front. You have invented at deep plate all over again - for no use.

[@LeslieChis]

I LOVE you guys! This is so freeing and SO enjoyable to knit this way and not worry about which hand is holding which yarn!! I have knit for years and have tried this dominance knitting and have stopped knitting the colorwork I love because it Is too stressful. Thank you thank you thank you for posting this. Again I LOVE you guys. I am free! 😬❤️

[@ARNECARLOS]

Thank you for watching Leslie!

[@sossasaeed5920]

@@ARNECARLOS حححگج#

[@berglettemom6045]

Very interesting to hear you say that in Norwegian knitting, there is no dominant color. I've always tried to tell my friends that, but since they knit Fair Isle "style," they insist I am wrong about this. You have proven me right - at least about Norwegian knitting! Beste hilsen, venner!

[@miniaturehome]

Any two color knitting will have a dominant color. It has nothing to do with fair isle vs Norwegian. It's easier to see on the back. The float color that lies on top in the back will be the NON-dominant color in the front. The color that is less visible on the back will be slightly raised in the front.

[@pamyclark1263]

Thank you for showing your Norwegian knitting with two colors with FAT YARN! Now I get it! Hope you are both well!

[@hisalone7166]

I can't thank you enough for sharing all of your knitting knowledge with us! It makes all the difference. Beverly

[@tinadecanter4395]

Thank you so much for this and all of your videos! I love color knitting but have been nervous to attempt fully stranding anything larger than a hat or bag. It makes perfect sense that if there is a dominant color, there is a problem with tension, and all of your tutorials have shown that color knitting and achieving good tension doesn't have to be complicated. Your straight-forward approach has helped me feel so much more relaxed and confident that I have finally committed to starting a fully stranded kofte with steeks! I, too, would also appreciate a tutorial on how you handle floats when changing across DPNs. I know that will come upon the sleeves and I'm sure you have a no-nonsense away to handle that. Special thanks to Carlos for his reminders that "this is not a knitting competition." That has become my new knitting mantra! All the best to you both! Tina

[@LucindaL413]

Thanks for this tutorial! I'm knitting the hat that you did a video tutorial on "How to Knit a Hat." Love it! Gift for my husband.

[@ARNECARLOS]

We hope you are enjoying your knitting!

[@LucindaL413]

@@ARNECARLOS I'll be posting on my Instagram shortly!

[@elizabethparish7797]

Arne is the best Continental knitter…😀😀😀

[@is9239]

Thank you so much for making this video. I just learned stranded/fair isle this past weekend at my local knitting shop. I was coming along well, but your technique is so much more efficient and simple. THANK YOU!!

[@lindagrutzmacher7118]

Oh my goodness! I knew my floats were ok. My tension is terrible. Thank you so much for the answer! Now to practice.

[@ARNECARLOS]

Good luck!

[@TrickyNight24]

The “Norwegian” way of holding yarn on the finger next to needle was a giant help for me! That actually sped up and smoothed out my stitches! 💕

[@jacqueline6378]

You two are so awesome! Thank you so much for sharing your talent and skills with us. Extremely appreciative

[@patriciaroth4659]

What a packed and diverse episode, wow! First, I loved Arne’s mum’s needle holder. Functional treasure. But I knew I was going to comment today at my thrill of hearing you will be diving into more quilting. My ears perked up with Carlos describing fabrics and how they are made. This is a big 👍from me. I am often hand quilting when watching your episodes. But, this KAL is very enticing too🤩

[@caleydipello8076]

Awesome tutorial! It gave me the extra detail I had missed trying to figure color work tension on my own.

[@debrinadianesanchez9317]

Best background music....love old book knowledge!

[@BaileyPlus]

Excellent video-helped me tremendously. You both show and explain things in way that is easy to follow. Thank you for this video.

[@ARNECARLOS]

You are welcome!

[@magi7977]

Thank you very much for this new tutorial. I understand better how to work with colors. It looks perfect. I'm mesmerized by your incredible norwegian knitting book.

[@peggybo5128]

Tusen takk! You changed my knitting life! I love Sweater with Colourwork, but I hate to knit it. I did it with two strands of yarn on my left finger, but I did'nt get the right tension. Now I tried your way, I knitted a Colourwork hat in one evening and it was fun! Now I am ready to start a Colourwork Sweater! Thank you!

[@ARNECARLOS]

Happy knitting!

[@marielouisecelestin6407]

Thank you for your nice way of showing these tutorials. When i knit with two colours i always keep one colour in the left hand en the other colour in the right hand. That knits very relaxed and the tension is in control. Greetings Marie-Louise

[@margaretmojica8190]

I love the trailing vine pattern on the top of the page in the book on the table. I spent a lot of time copying it and will knit it into the cap I will make myself with the ball of yarn my son gave me for Christmas. I also use something that is called (in the U.S.) a "Norwegian thimble", which is a wire ring for the left index finger that will hold two yarns at one.

[@michellebabin7582]

Thank you for this explanation.

[@ARNECARLOS]

You are welcome!

[@jamtea388]

You folks are great!

[@marciacharles-mo2396]

Just started watching your channel. Very helpful. Love the Norwegian knitting.

[@ARNECARLOS]

Welcome to our channel Marcia!

[@pyrme12]

Very helpful - clear demonstration. Will refer back to this one. ❤️❤️

[@ARNECARLOS]

❤️

[@GezButterworth]

I can't wait to give this a try. Thanking you both so much.

[@Lennongrils]

I am going to try this! The way you demonstrate the continental knitting with the yarn on the finger makes it look so much easier. I have always knit in English style, but this looks so efficient.

[@ARNECARLOS]

Good luck and we hope you like it!

[@judithtaylor6916]

Love it. Thank you so much. Im hooked. So much easier than English knitting. 😄

[@andrealeck1655]

This is so helpful! I am halfway through my first Reine Hat, and I am so excited to finish with this new knowledge. Love y'all!!

[@ARNECARLOS]

You are welcome!

[@Memillerwright]

Nice. The floats or carrying the yarn. I would love to see it up close. Thank you for showing this today. I just started on a hat with two colors. How cool you have a book of older patterns to get inspiration from.

[@keilexandra]

This video totally blew my mind. I'm an American knitter who learned to knit continental style (I'm a crocheter first and foremost so tensioning with my left hand felt natural), and I thought that I was a "bad" colorwork knitter because I have to take my right hand off the needle and wrap the yarn just like you, in order to match my naturally loose Continental tension on the left hand. Everyone else seems to be able to knit two-handed... but I never realized that matching the tension would be difficult for everyone in that case (leading to yarn dominance), not just for me! Apparently I re-invented the Norwegian stranding method on my own, which is unexpected validation that it can also be a "correct" way to knit colorwork.

[@miniaturehome]

The yarn dominance will always be the left hand hand yarn. Look at the front and back of your knitting. The color from your left hand will be under the color from your right hand on the back, and will be slightly raised on the front. This happens even with perfect tension.

[@evamariamartinez2612]

Beautiful! I learnt to knit thanks to your videos on Norwegian knitting (and I might be the only person in Spain that knits Norwegian, lol). I was struggling with tension in colorwork because English knitting is quite uncomfortable for me and messes up my tension, but now I need to try your technique of changing colors to the same finger. It will be for sure a game changer for me! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!

[@ARNECARLOS]

You are very welcome Eva, we are glad to hear that you are knitting!

[@wnygrl585]

I love miniature things. ( but fussy they have to have good detail, as if it was shrunk to size) Never had a doll house though. Thanks for the Belly laughs as always ❤

[@anboeks1548]

It's a lovely book. I have it in my collection.

[@TheaMidnight]

Tusen takk!

[@joanmachado9063]

Great video thank you

[@GrandmaMarlayne]

Excellent demonstration! All I need is the courage to practice it.

[@박선미-z9v]

Thank you~~~so easy teach *^^*

[@uminchugrammy]

I have a question.When I knit stranded colorwork on a circular needle I don't have trouble carrying the floats, but when I'm making the Christmas Balls I have trouble with the floats in the corner when I go from one needle to the next? Maybe you could do a tutorial? You have me addicted to learning colorwork. Thanks so much for taking the time to do these tutorials.

[@sandrabryant4325]

🥰 thank you

[@ARNECARLOS]

You are welcome!

[@lindamcneely]

I knit continental and hold both colors over my left fingers and simply grab the color I needl it is so much faster.

[@candicevee1]

It would save you much switching of yarns if you put both of them on your left hand. The bottom color goes over, under, over the fingers of the left hand. The back color goes over, over, under the fingers. A bit of practice gives good tension and there is no dominant color. I agree with you when you say that dominant stitches is just faulty tension. I also keep my left index finger close to the needle tip to reduce the motion needed to form a stitch. When I need to float or trap the front color, it helps to have the left index finger a little further from the needle

[@ARNECARLOS]

💖

[@loving110995]

Apparently I'm a loose knitter. I went from 1x1 brim using 2.25mm needle to a stockinette colorwork pattern on 3.0mm needles. My hat turned out too big for my head. But fits my fiance great. Now I get to start over. Either change the pattern after the brim, which fits me fine, and either decrease some stitches , or downsize needles.. maybe both.. I knit continental. Both yarns in left hand. Occasionally I may throw with right hand if it's just a single stitch.. but so many of my hats turn out too lose because the more the color work continues without a single row without it tens to get too much slack and too lose.. the bottom half of the hat colorwork was fine. Maybe a little tight even. But then the end of the hat was too loose

[@kathrynbunton4429]

Thanks for giving me the link to this tutorial . Do you have any videos of doing the purl side in stranded knitting please. I can knit in the round but never done purled stranded knitting.

[@bolshoi1959]

I've just started my first attempt. Decided to knit a swatch. I'm throwing colour A and Norwegian knitting colour B. All good on the knit rows. Problem is that the colour B purl bumps are showing on the right side of the work. All other projects knitted Norwegian style are fine. Any ideas?

[@Cuisinenomade1]

I am having trouble keeping equal tension when doing color work :( and takes sooo long. Although i like much better the feeling and position on this method of knitting. I guess it's just practice. Thanks!

[@rosita3671]

I wanted to hear all you both were talking about before, but had a difficult time, as for me, the great music was too loud. Thank you for turning the music off when showing the tutorial. You make knitting seem so easy…I might just start doing so, once again.🎉

[@ARNECARLOS]

We hope you do!

[@kimolson2392]

You are so young! 2001! I think you are having us knit Christmas Ghosts!

[@carolynhbell]

I love you both 💘👬

[@thomashubbell8612]

This is my biggest issue when knitting. I have tried to knit with one yarn in each hand, one yarn in each hand but switching depending on the color needed most, and both yarns in my left hand. Just need to practice more I guess.

[@kml223]

Thanks for a great tutorial. Can you put both colors in your left hand, one on the index finger and one on the middle or will the tension be messed up?

[@KotoriOnWheels]

Yes, use a knitting thimble for this.

[@Bobbieliz]

What do you think of the knitting thimble? Is that easier IF you know how to do it?

[@deejcarter2003]

I’m new to color knitting and was wondering if the strands get tangled when you knit this way?

[@iwenchen6401]

I find the Norwegian way is still slightly different from the Continental way, especially when purling. and After learning both Norwegian way knitting and purling, I would say Norwegian way works perfect for me, I can totally solve the speed/tension problem when trying to combine both knit/purl stitches together. I don't have to do the "yarn in the front" motion when purling Norwegian style, great for lazy people like me!

[@KimWF570]

Do you ever hold both yarns in the left hand?

[@omaam1005]

Hi guys! See. You are speaking of Tension. That is definitely an issue here in US whether knitting /crocheting. When I say an issue I mean it is definitely paid attention to here. But that Is not dominant color here in US, that's just Tension. You demonstrated stranded knitting and you talked about not pulling yarn too tight and making sure strands are laying nicely to back of work also how to hold or place yarn in hands or away from hands when knitting, that is the same thing that is paid attention to in knitting in US especially when using more than one color in a peice. But all of that is about tension. So dominant color means something different here in the US as I mentioned in comments on another video of yours about dominant color. It is simply that the meaning is different. That's all. None the less, we can all learn new ideas and ways from each other. Thank you guys and have a good one.

[@annekevangorkum]

Arne, we cannot have the two strands, both at the same time on the leftfinger? Is that not possible? Thank you. Bye, Anneke

[@ARNECARLOS]

That is not the way we do it.

[@vincensiudenis4658]

Hi Arne & Carlos, I normally make beanie hat in magic loop method. When I try to knit in stranded colourwork, after the beanie finished and I wear them, the second colour tend to dissapear when I stretch the work( all the sitches moves backwards). If I leave the tension a bit loose, then the stitch of one colour will appear bigger than the other (dominant colour). What's the solution for this problem?

[@DessyGeorg]

Hi, is there a video about Norwegian purling in color knitting?

[@ARNECARLOS]

Hi, if you watch our newest videos on qurantine knitting we have several demonstration there.

[@winnieholtermann-jensen58]

Is the tention easier in one kind off knitting than the other ???

[@NukeNukedEarth]

Int it annoying to constantly have to pick up the yarn? I'm knitting latvian mittens and often ill work 2 in mc and 1 in cc and 2 in mc etc... and i feel like it would be an hassle to drop the cc constantly. I usually keep 2 colors on my left index and if i need more i let them loose until needed (while catching flotas of course

[@ARNECARLOS]

It depends on what you prefer, do what you are most comfortable with💗

[@Plantsandmusicandyarn]

How do you do colorwork on the wrong side? I love the Norwegian purl but it puts the floats on the wrong side. 😩

[@ARNECARLOS]

This is for working the yarn in the round, so there is no purling.

[@Plantsandmusicandyarn]

I know. I was looking for a video about wrong side colorwork but only found this.

[@maryzuffi1599]

I just don’t know what I’m doing wrong - I was knitting with wood needles and I tent to poke my fingers to soreness maybe a tension problem - so I purchased woodcutters finger guards and they seem to help greatly no more sore fingers - just a helpful note to someone who had the same problem as me

[@maggletooth]

i now carry both strands on the tip of my left finger and knit as you teach but was told that “dominant colour” feeds or is scooped from the bottom. So yes, absolutely, the tension on my recent sweater is awful. I am hoping it will block out. Do you carry each colour over the top all the time?

[@miniaturehome]

No, he is switching hands. The left will always be the dominant color.

[@charlottemandell8817]

How liberating

[@yaseminalver6320]

Süper

[@karinberryman7970]

Some one was getting a bit of back massage as you finished up!

[@lorettaburt908]

Can't buy your yarn in Canada ... When??

[@ARNECARLOS]

Hi Loretta, on our website arnecarlos.com you will find links to several suppliers of our yarn.

[@lorettaburt908]

@@ARNECARLOS I. W t to yourwebsite but it states that can t order . No wool of yours I. Canada but all other countries. Can buy. I live In Canada and like to ordor in Canada as other countries To expensive from other countries. For postage shipping ..

[@lorettaburt908]

@@ARNECARLOS not in Canada!!

[@benmorris7276]

Jeg har et spørsmål. Jeg er stikker en genser med tre garnstreger. Hovrdan ville jeg spenner tre garnstregene mine ordentlig

[@ARNECARLOS]

Hi, we have made several tutorials on this kzbin.info/www/bejne/rKG1fouam8h7hrc and this kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWiwYpiur9SMi5I

[@Woeschhuesli]

Whoa... haven't you just complained in your newest dominance video (a year later) about using two hands for colourwork, claiming it's terrible to do so?! This is what I do, one yarn "normal" (continental, Swiss) and the second colour thrown with the right hand in the English style when I need it. Now I'm confused about what you really think?!

[@ARNECARLOS]

No the problem is when you use 2 hands to hold the yarns, and hold one yarn in each hand a and pick from both the right and left index fingers. Because both fingers are up in the air and the respective yarns are wrapped around those fingers, that will always give uneven tension and one of the stitches will be bigger than the other causing one of the colours to dominate. The way you describe it and the way we show here, is the way we do it and for us, personally, this is the best way to achieve a more even tension on both colours, which is the way Norwegian knitters prefer to knit.

[@Woeschhuesli]

Ahaa, ok, thanks for that clarification! I can see that there would be little control in the way you describe.

[@miniaturehome]

I knit exactly the way Arne and Carlos show in this video, and the left hand color is always dominant. It has to do do with the way the floats lie. The color that lies on top in the back is the one that's less dominant in the front. It has nothing to do with tension.

[@jeanetteferguson7079]

When I knitt my tension is not good.

[@ARNECARLOS]

You should just continue knitting and it will get better with time.

[@carolharper268]

You must adopt me now then I can teach you how to throw with your right hand. 😂 Still love your videos xx