Stranded Colorwork: Trapping Floats by Twisting or Weaving // Technique Tuesday

[@stock_orchid]

Your instructions for catching floats is the best I've seen on KZbin. So many options! TY

[@kimorourke9988]

Excellent tutorial, very easy for a beginner knitter to understand

[@eleanorhobbs8948]

You are my resource when I take a break from catching floats. Your tutorial is excellent!

[@helenaelizondo]

I just watched your three videos on stranded colorwork and I've never watched better explained knitting videos on yt! Thank you so much, I'll keep coming to them:)

[@nanettedunham2021]

I love the way you teach. I Appreciate it.

[@janetgerson6826]

Thanks for the clarity and complete explanations

[@ChristinaLjungsvik]

Wow! Crystal clear, thanks ❤

[@RosieKuhnPhD]

Thank you! You explain this process so well. Thank you!

[@umpteenthify]

I’m happy to find this video. I started stranded work recently and am finding it easy and fast, but nobody else on KZbin did it my way. Your way is my way!

[@KellyVaughnDocumentGeek]

I found the weaving technique in the Mary Thomas book and just couldn’t wrap my head around it. Your video is so helpful! Thank you!

[@pkalbaugh]

Thank you for making this video! It has really helped me understand and figure out which method to use in my projects.

[@anastasiah2398]

I am loving this series! ❤ I've always thought Stranded Colorwork and Fair Isle look a bit intimidating, but these tutorials make it really easy to understand the concept and practice. I especially enjoy the part where you show how each method impacts the outcome of both the front and back of the piece.

[@lesleyleake7391]

I have just started colourwork and this video is so helpful,thank you.

[@eleanorhobbs8948]

thank you!

[@McGillLib]

This is super helpful! We will refer people here for reference and learning on choosing how to carry floats at our event tomorrow. We created a colourwork pattern based on some items in our library collections - botanical specimen books this time. This reference is really great!

[@RoxanneRichardson]

I'm so glad my video will be of some help for attendees of the event!

[@svenjawegge9303]

I'm about to start my first colourwork sweater and I thought that the pattern I picked was a liiittle to ambitious. BUT your series of tutorials has taken any doubt away. Thank you so much and keep up the incredible work! :)

[@nataliestratton2374]

Im doing the same thing! First attempt at colorwork and I've been knitting for 14 years.

[@YarnSub]

Always learn loads from watching your videos! Thank you :)

[@Carmen-ne7iw]

You are a great teacher!

[@sabrinas.4671]

Thanks a lot for your demonstration of different methods. I bought several books but I did not find such detailed instructions. Love your tutorials.

[@Kreageek]

Thanks for a good thorough review of the different techniques. Could you also show them for the purl side?

[@knittinninja]

Wow, this is so informative and detailed! I first came across your previous stranded knitting videos last year when attempting stranded knitting for the first time in a decade. I'm now returning as I've decided to take on a fair isle hat I designed, with some long floats involved. I want to come out of this quarintine with the most beautifully even stranded knitting, and your videos give me the confidence to set that goal for myself! Edit: Note to self, weaving long floats in parallel, yarn held in left hand at 7:40

[@iamsueb7788]

Thank you for thoroughly explaining the different methods. I look forward to viewing more videos and learning from you ❤❤

[@maryalgar8779]

That stranded colour work is so pretty. You explain things so well Roxanne. Thank you.

[@carollangford8619]

Thank you. Thank you. This series contains so much essential information. Never again will I stack trapped floats!

[@angelagoodwin8313]

Love your channel, watch you and Fruity Knitting whenever I can.

[@lisaa.1126]

I'm so glade I came across your page .....this is helpful and much better then the mess that I made...I really forgot to hide my floats....much better knitting for me in the future always...

[@pamkrantz6977]

Have fun, Rox! And thanks so much for your great, informative videos!

[@skyricharde6629]

Fantastic! I sent you a "coffee" on Ko-Fi, and now I'm stoked to use that platform as well. Incredibly frustration-limiting information, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.

[@debbielockwoods]

Wow! Where have you been all my life this is 😎 awesome. You are so knowledgeable in the area that I want to master.

[@YuLimYu]

Thanks for the introduction to twisting! My favourite method is ladderback jacquard.

love your tutorials!

[@pennyclark9079]

Thanks brilliant instruction

[@RoxanneRichardson]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@jdknits6796]

great video. thank you. Certainly helped with my confidence

[@nmscmt22]

Thanks!

[@RoxanneRichardson]

Welcome!

[@georgewang2947]

It looks like there are two possible directions for twisting yarn, either trapping the pink strand pointing down (by passing the working yarn under it then over it), or pointing up (by passing the working yarn over, then under). The method shown for twisting with both yarns in the right hand results in one direction, and the method shown for twisting with both yarns in the left hand produces a twist in the other direction.

[@RoxanneRichardson]

You can twist in either direction with either hand.

[@asafirth4987]

This series is so good. Thank you. I recently attempted my first stranded colour work, and since the floats were quite long, I trapped them by twisting as you demonstrate here (with both yarns in my left hand), but the dominant colour didn’t *pop* like it should, and I’m wondering if the twisting action somehow messed up the position of the two strands? I did keep pulling the dominant colour to the correct position (closest to me/my heart). I wonder if you have any comments or suggestions? Many thanks in advance.

[@RoxanneRichardson]

Twisting the yarns eliminates dominance.

[@junewebb4985]

Very practical content. Thank you. Can you advise where to locate a tutorial explaining the weaving in ends process? The upper back left row transitions of my colorwork yokes are not great, especially when there are more than 2 colors used. So many tails... 😐

[@donnabeaton4707]

Roxanne, I have been investigating swing knitting which is a really old technique but cannot find much information on it. Maybe a video on this technique.

[@theastewart6721]

Thanks for another great technique video Roxanne! Have a wonderful vacation!

[@meralondrader2452]

Hi there, I love your way of explaining and demonstrating your skills! I have a question about knitting the lice pattern you showed in your video. If you are knitting a main colour row and you need to carry the second colour up to the next and all subsequent rows, how do you do it with having it show on the right side? Tia

[@pennydonato8072]

This is very useful and well explained as usual. I have a question tho. I'm working with red yarn over a white background and I'm bothered by the peek through of the red yarn. Is there anything we can do to avoid it? My trapped floats are not stacked and I dont' think I have tension issues. Maybe my red floats are too loose?

[@michelleforbes7520]

If I am working Lice stitch in the round, where every fourth round is knit 1 white, knit 5 grey(the 3 preceding rows are worked in grey) how do I manage my floats between the beginning and end of the rounds so as not to get holes, and also how do I carry the yarn up the 3 grey rows when it is not being used? Should I breaking the yarn at the end of eacg 4 round esquence and rejoining it. Finding it really difficult . If you can't hell could yuo at least suggest a resource. Many Thank Michelle UK

[@slodderv3230]

is there a way of trapping yarns in reverse stockinette? For a design where I want to change colours next to a cable. What I do now is twist the yarns directly next to the cables, such that the floats can be nice and loose, but if you have a smart way to also trap them in between, that would be great!

[@RoxanneRichardson]

The way you've figured out is probably the best solution.

[@donnabeaton4707]

Thanks for the info on stranded color work. Any chance you can do a video on thrums?

[@RoxanneRichardson]

That's a great suggestion. Thanks!

[@richardteale3217]

Hi and thanks for this explanation. What puzzles me is that you didn’t mention how to work the wrong side ie usually the pearl side ……..or is this video just for working in the round .

[@RoxanneRichardson]

Stranded colorwork can be worked flat, but the most common method of working it is in the round. Even items that have vertical openings (like armholes, and the front opening of a sweater) can be knit fully in the round. The location of the openings are worked with a bridge of sts (usually 5-9). Each edge of the bridge is secured (there are at least four different approaches for that), and then the fabric is cut to create the opening. These openings are called steeks. The cut edges are then covered with a facing.

[@richardteale3217]

@@RoxanneRichardson many thanks Roxanne . Like many things in life which are now taken for granted, knitting is a very diverse and interesting subject . My involvement is firstly to make something useful but all kinds of traditional crafts are of interest to me.

[@tubabelle]

I really appreciate this! But I'm still a bit confused.. when you show the twisting method with both yarns in left hand (which is how I want to do it) I only see an example of trapping the lower yarn. What about if I'm knitting with the lower yarn and trapping the upper yarn? I'm assuming the wrapping will be done differently?

[@RoxanneRichardson]

If you're twisting the yarns then you're rotating their positions. What is the lower yarn currently, will be the upper yarn the next time you switch. You will have to untwist the yarns periodically. I recommend trying it out with the yarn and needles in your hands. It'll be more obvious then.

[@tubabelle]

thank you so much for this additional explanation! I will give it a try. I'm working on my first colorwork sweater so I'm trying things to tweak my technique. I really appreciate the help!

[@jesnatic1296]

How do you keep the yarn from the 2 skeins you are knitting, from getting all tangled up?

[@renatethomas]

At 3:14, when you twist the colors, doesn't that change the dominance? I am working in 3 colors, and I would love to change the dominance of the top two. I think this would work.

[@RoxanneRichardson]

If you are twisting to trap the yarns, and not in order to change the colors, you aren't changing the dominance. If you use twisting in order to change colors (i.e. using rotating floats), then you don't have yarn dominance at all. I have a video in the colorwork playlist that explains the difference between parallel floats and rotating floats.

[@jwadman5083]

Hi, I love your videos; so informative and very helpful. I appreciate the time and effort put into making these tutorials. Question - Is it possible to catch floats on the ws of garter stitches (worked flat)? Thanks for any help/advice.

[@RoxanneRichardson]

Colorwork isn't typically worked in garter stitch. Just working in stripes requires some effort not to get blips of color to appear on the RS of the work when changing from one color to another. Is there a particular pattern you are thinking of, where this is an issue?

[@AmberSoleil1]

I ruined my first stranded colorwork project by stacking my float catches! Knit and learn I suppose haha

[@user-vn6uk4gi3o]

Hi Amber, Please explain your point to me here becuase I suspect this is the problem I'm facing right now with my colourwork project. Perhaps link me to an article or video that speaks about that?

[@AmberSoleil1]

By that I mean, I caught my floats at the same place in each row so that each catch was directly above the last one. It ended up making a very visible line in my work :( @@user-vn6uk4gi3o

[@maggiepatterson7949]

my head is spinning! help! should i just pick the way i normally knit (one color in each hand) and sort through this video to see how yo do this for the

[@maggiepatterson7949]

ugh, hit the wrong key! ok so sift through this video and find all the places you trap using the way i knit? so many different ways i got confused! don’t know how you can keep them all straight. maybe i need to make a chart or something. then mix in dominant color, weaving vs ??? and parallel vs ??? yikes. could you suggest for me where to start? thank you! you are unbelievably knowledgeable!

[@angelagoodwin8313]

I wonder what you think of this method for knitting the Baable hat by Donna Smith. Andrea talks about using this method and how it made all the difference in getting her hooked on stranded colourwork in Fruity Knitting on her KZbin channel kzbin.info/www/bejne/jZ3FaoyPl6yDobs I'm not a big fan of magic loop, I knit this hat on a 16 inch circular. I actually made 3 of them and now I'm knitting Kate Davies' Cockatoo Brae. I'm an English flicker btw