Tips for tensioning your colorwork

In this quick little video I discuss my go to tip for keep my floats evenly tensioned throughout a project!
ETA: At the end of the video when I discuss color dominance - I show my MC (main color/dark blue) and say "on top", the color in my left hand is the CC (contrast color, light blueish green) and have it on bottom for the contrast color. In other words - contrast color is held on bottom, and main color is held on top. Sorry for any confusion!

[@lisasweet2536]

You are a life saver! This is both simple, and effective. Blessings on your needles!

[@lasmanosdealea9843]

Hi Andrea! This is a great tip, I always recommend it to my knitting students, and helps them a lot. Also, if you knit with the WS out, you can see better and control more the length of the strands, besides you leave a little more length on the outside circumference of the work than you do on the inside.

[@terriekerth3907]

This is the best tip! I've always had trouble with the float being to tight! Thanks so much!!!

[@barbaraandedwardmcguirk1996]

Thanks so much for the stranded color work tip and the info about body measurements. I find them soooo useful. I am going to try to use this technique using two hands. Your new sweater pattern is great.

[@roseofthesierras9802]

Great tip! About to plunge into colorwork for the first time:) feeling more confident now, thank you.

[@tracy7331]

Thank you for this! Would love to see how you catch floats while knitting this way in a future video.

[@brandigrosjean7722]

And if you do a video on catching floats, I'd love to know your method for catching floats in reverse stockinette.

[@Fruitbat745]

I agree with all the comments below about the dominant colour being below. Also, the dominant colour is the contrast colour as far as I know ( the colour you want to “pop” more. Please do correct me if I’m wrong but everything I’ve read so far about colourwork says so.

[@penelopewitthauer136]

I have been wanting to try continental forever and this is the perfect opportunity. I’m a little late getting started on my hat due to illness, but I am so excited,

[@alejandramoriczdetecso4051]

Hi Drea! I'm knitting your lovely Heartstrings and I'm having quite a hard time purling colorwork on WS while knitting on the flat. I'm a continental knitter and do my p the norwegian style. I'd appreciate any further tips since my floats are definitely different than on the round holding both strands on my left hand. Thank you so much!

[@lydiaabel3622]

Loved the video- I learnt to do one thread in each hand but I gather the floats with my right hand as I go and then at the end of each row I give it all a tug.It seems to work well.

[@manicspinner1959]

Thanks for the video. What is it that makes a color "dominant"? And what is it about holding the "dominant" in the left hand that makes a difference?

[@cyndikesler3354]

The color you want dominant should be carried on the bottom. Here is a good explanation. www.google.com/amp/s/paper-tiger.net/2013/11/09/stranded-knitting-the-importance-of-color-dominance/amp/

[@barbarapregger8526]

I will try the method using both hands next. Thanks Andrea for the tutorial.

[@TRaceTK]

Andrea you said the contrast colour (dominant) should be on top......I thought it was on the bottom??

[@katibere1966]

Thanks Andrea...I’m learning to knit and this is a great tip!!

[@zoeleask6426]

im loving these tip videos u r doing thank uuuu

[@stephaniethornton1313]

Thank you so much for these tips! P.S. I love your yarn color choices here! You do mind sharing the yarn information?

[@gingergonzo5039]

This was helpful! Thank you!!!!

[@dreareneeknits]

You're so welcome!

[@penelopewitthauer136]

Knitting with both hands looks fantastic, but I've never knitted continental before. Would you suggest that I watch a video on knitting continental first and practice.a few rows?

[@DiscClub6]

Definitely practice continental first. Maybe make a hat

[@veronicajimenez5135]

When doing color work how many stitches can you float before next color? Would 6 stitches be too much?

[@FlimFlam53]

Thank you. Very helpful.

[@Knithappenswithpam]

Great tips!

[@AftonGroveKnitter]

Have you ever used the jacquard ladder back knitting?

[@dreareneeknits]

I have not!

[@CassieDA17]

I just knit my first two colorwork yoke sweaters and o was worried about having tight floats because I’m a tight knitter so I purposely knit looser and also spread the stitches on my right needle. Both yokes came out very big and especially in the vertical dimensions on, I’m wondering if I overcompensated? How do you know if you’re knitting too loose for color work?

[@dreareneeknits]

I would recommend either checking your gauge as you go (you can even do a steam block on the yoke to get a more accurate gauge reading), or swatching your colorwork in the round before beginning your pattern. With practice, carrying the floats will be come easier!

[@kittygirl1997]

Thank you!

[@orlab9231]

I'll try out the two handed colourwork, cuz it looks super handy 😁

[@anitajohannadrost]

Thank you.👍😁👋🇳🇱

[@claramassara9325]

Great tip but it left me a bit confused about the dominant and contrast colour?

[@cyndikesler3354]

The color you want dominant should be carried on the bottom. Here is a good explanation. www.google.com/amp/s/paper-tiger.net/2013/11/09/stranded-knitting-the-importance-of-color-dominance/amp/

[@TRaceTK]

@@cyndikesler3354 Andrea said it wrong in the video I believe, I have mentioned it in a comment.

[@myshirley7]

thank you. So helpful.