Tension Tips in Stranded Knitting
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.ย. 2024
- This video is part of my Colorwork Series.
While tension is important in knitting, in general, it is even more so when Fair Isle / stranded knitting. This is due to the fact that you are utilizing two working yarns to create a pattern. Tension plays a strong role in the readability of the pattern. In most cases, proper and good tension come with practice and experience as it did so for me. Along the way, I tried various techniques to create good and consistent tension regardless of types of yarn, yarn weights or needle size. In this video, I demonstrate a couple of those techniques I found most helpful. These are by no means the only techniques, but they are ones that have yielded positive results in my color work. Always remember to not give up. Experiment and practice.
Thank you for watching and please provide comments and feedback.
- Clubkidknitter
I've been knitting for years, but I have always had such a heck of a time maintaining good tension while doing color work. Your tip on not letting the stitches on the right hand needle scrunch up has totally changed the game for me. The result is like night and day!! Thank you so much!
Ohhh, I'm so glad to hear this! Thank you so much for your comment and for watching! Happy knitting to you!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
I have to repeat this: your tension is so perfect, it is amazing.
Thank you so much, Sabine! I appreciate it! Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
Dude your knitting rocks!! I have been knitting for a long time (over 40 years but not consistently) and my color work doesn’t look that good. Yours looks like it was machine knit and that’s amazing. I didn’t know that was possible. Video was awesome. Thank you for posting. Happy knitting 😊
Thank you so much for the kind words. I really appreciate it. Thank you for watching and thank you for taking time to comment. Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter / Earl
Beautiful work! Your stitches look absolutely perfect.
Thank you Patricia!
Back in the day men used to have to knit in the army, they mostly made their own socks but my uncles made my sweaters.
That is awesome!
Of all the videos about floats, tension and technique, this one was the one that "clicked" for me! Love it!
That knitting you did is so pretty, I love it
Thank you so much!
i watched this months ago and just started a new stranded project. it’s night and day compared to my previous work and is on track to be my favorite knit ever. THANK YOU. you are my savior
Wonderful! I'm always glad to hear a comment like this. Thank you so much! Thanks for watching and for providing feedback. Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
Thank you so much for this video. I learned more from this 10 minute video than I did in 4 hours at my local yarn shop.
Thank you for your feedback, Whitney! I'm glad to hear you benefited from it. Happy Knitting!
- Earl/Clubkidknitter
Thank you for all the detailed tips!
You're so welcome and thank you for watching and taking the time to comment. Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
Finally I understand how to achieve proper tension for stranding. Great tutorial! Thanks so much!
Thank you so much, Susan!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl 😊
I have been knitting Christmas stockings for years and never heard of catching a float. Thank you. Love your work. I need to hang with more experienced knitters!
Thank you so much for your kind feedback! Thank you for watching and happy knitting ! 😊
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
THANK YOU! I haven't done stranded knitting in several years, so video was/is on point!
Thank you so much, Karen! Happy knitting! -Clubkidknitter/Earl
I had a desire for a fair isle cardigan for years, never found one I liked or could afford so I decided to study knitters like you and make my own. Years ago when younger my first knit was a fair isle cardigan but when my mother found it she said that it was more carpet than knit! I had almost finished half the front in a week using my own designs so I dropped it, she was right, I was so engrossed in the knit and pattern that I hadn't considered the suppleness, the feel. The yarn to needle ratio was off. Today I am older and I hope wiser and expect to do a better job. This is the FIRST tutorial on knitting in floats that I find logically explained and easy to imagine doing. Thank you. xo
Hi, Stephanie! Thank you so much for sharing your story! I think every knitter has had a "moment" when first learning to knit. I, too, "set mine down" for years and picked it up again, later in life. That's when the magic happens. I'm so glad to hear your kind feedback. I always hope that others may benefit from my videos. Thank you so much for watching and again, sharing your story.
Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
Beautiful color work. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much, Lisabeth and absolutely! Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
Your colowork tension is awesome. Your stitches are so even and beautiful. Great knitting!
Thank you so much!
Not only did this help me, it remedied my bunchy tight blocking. I also went up a size needle. Everything got easier. Again, thanks.
Absolutely! I'm so glad it helped! ☺️
Your video helped me so much! You showed me I wasn’t paying enough attention to the stitches on my right needle. This has made all the difference. Thank you!
I'm so glad it helped you! Thank you for taking the time to comment and thank you for watching! Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
Thanks! You are a very good teacher.
Thank you so much, Brad! Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
Wow your work is amazing. 😲😲😲
Thank you so much! 🙂
Thank you for these wonderful tips! Your work is beautiful and I already feel like I'm a better knitter after watching a few of your videos. You are an excellent teacher 👏
Thank you so much, Brooke for those kind words. I'm really glad you found this beneficial. Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment! Happy knitting to you!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
Love your work and the house music xx
Thank you, Lisa! :)
- Clubkidknitter / Earl
Wow, thank you for these tips esp the “stretching” tip when making a stitch
You're so welcome!
Thank you! The first one was a game changer for me. Pretty obvious but I haven’t thought of that and now my socks look much better. I still have to work on my technique but thanks to your advice I'm on the right track.
Thank you so much for your feedback! I'm glad you found this helpful. Thank you for watching and again, taking time to comment. Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
I have been knitting for over 50 years and wanted to add stranding to my skill sets. My tension has always been very good but I wasn’t sure how to manage it with stranded knitting. This really clicked for me. A game changer. Thank you so much. I am off to the races!
Thank you so much, Susan! I'm glad you found it helpful. Thanks for watching and taking time to comment. Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
Your tension is immaculate
Thank you so much, Orla! Very nice of you to say! Happy knitting and thank you again for watching!
- Clubkidknitter / Earl
Just amazing work!
Thank you so much! 😊
This was an amazingly helpful video. I tried all the tension tricks I heard... But I was still making ruts by locking my floats at the same place each round. I'm excited to jump back in. Your color work is so, so gorgeous; now I have serious color work goals. Thanks!
Thank you Erin! I'm glad it was helpful. Thank you for watching and thank you again for taking time out to comment. Stay safe and Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
Fabulous video, thanks so much! I’m in awe of your colour choices as well as your tension and smoothly, neatly carried yarn behind your work. This only happens in my work in my dreams!
I really appreciate being able to see what you are doing for the whole video and that your information is to the point and explained so simply. 👏👏👏💕⭐️
Thank you so much for your kind words and feedback, Baiba! I'm so glad you found this helpful. All it takes is practice and I haven't any doubt that you will achieve it. Thank you for watching and thank you for taking time to comment. Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
I love your knitting, tension, holding the needles, everything. Thank you very much.
Finally! I found this video last week and it's the only explanation and demonstration that made stranded knitting tension make sense to me. Finally, it clicked. Finally, I have good tension in my colorwork and I thank you for that, Clubkidknitter. Watching the knitting grow and the patterns form is so much fun, thank-you!
Lucy, thank you so much for taking the time to put into words how much this video helped you. I'm elated! Happy Knitting and thank you again!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
Thank you for the video! Just started stranded knitting and this answered so many questions and was nice to see how you hold your yarn and needles.
Thank you so much, Amanda! I really do appreciate the feedback and am glad it helped you. Happy Knitting!
-Clubkidknitter / Earl
I loved your catch every other stitch tip
Thank you, Johanna! I'm glad you found this helpful. Thank you for watching.
- Clubkidknitter / Earl
you are very talented, your knitting is beautiful and thankyou for the explanation
Thank you so much for the feedback. I'm glad you found it helpful. Thank you for watching and taking time to comment. Happy knitting!
-Clubkidknitter/Earl
Such beautiful work! Thanks so much for the tip on catching the floats on every other stitch. This may solve my puckering problem.
Oh, wonderful! Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm glad you found it helpful. Thank you for watching and taking time to comment. Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
Useful, thanks!
Thank you, and you're welcome 😊
Your fair-isle knitting is #goals!
Thank you! :)
I am so glad that I picked a low stakes item to knit in order to ease into stranded knitting. I am working on an infinity tube cowl right now, I can see consistent issues with my tension that I wasn't sure how to address until I watched your video. I think these tips may also apply because I try to do stranded knitting by throwing with both hands (I started out English style and graduated to sometimes using Continental. My tension is noticeably tighter with Continental).
Thanks so much!
I'm glad to hear your feedback and am happy to hear you found this video helpful. Thank you so much for watching and taking time to comment! Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
SO HELPFUL thank you 🥰
Thank you so much! I'm glad it helped you. Thank you for watching as well as dropping a message. Happy knitting!
-Clubkidknitter/Earl
I am so impressed with your colourwork. It looks amazing. Thank you for the great video. I will watch others from you. You explain really well.
Thank you so much for your kind feedback! It's greatly appreciated. Thank you for watching and happy knitting! 😊
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
Your stitches are perfect, I mean absolutely perfect! Thank you so much for your brilliant tips! Everything about this video is perfection!
Thank you so much, Denise! That is awfully nice of you. Thanks for watching and especially for your feedback! Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter / Earl
My gosh, your colour work is so stunning! Heart eyes for real. I’m going to need to watch the video again, I was too distracted by the patterns and colour combinations, like a bad student. But whew. So beautiful.
Thank you so much for such kind words! I greatly appreciate them! Thanks for watching and thank you for taking the time to comment. Happy Knitting!
- Clubkidknitter / Earl
Your knitting is gorgeous! I aspire to be able to tension my colorwork as well as you. Thank you for the tips.
Thank you Jaime! I really appreciate that and you are very welcome! Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
Nice. Pretty pattern. Thx
Thank you! Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
Beautiful patterns….just started to work with 2 colors…wonderful work you do👍👍👍❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thank you so much, Norman! Thanks for watching and taking time to drop a comment. Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
Great video and beautiful work. I have returned to knitting after about 12 months and am having so many tension problems... I feel like I'm learning to knit all over again.
Thank you, Jay! Give it time and your hands will re-learn, "muscle memory." I set knitting down for about 30 years before coming back to it again, 12 years ago. Anything I can do to suggest or help, let me know. Thanks again for watching and taking the time to comment. Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter / Earl
Beautiful color work. Thanks for the tips.
Thank you so much, Julia and you are welcome. Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
Really interesting....you gave me the answers that I needed, and your work looks perfect!
Thank you so much, Linda! Thank you for watching and happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
Wow! Amazing colorwork and great tips. Thank you.
Thank you, Julia and most welcome. Happy knitting to you!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
Thank you very much. This was really helpful.
Thank you Judy and you are most welcome! Thanks for watching! Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
I am new to strand work, and you have helped me so much!! Love the "every other stitch" float catch! Thank you :-)
You are most welcome! Thank you for your feedback! I'm always glad to hear that these are helpful to folks! Thank you for watching and as always: Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
Thank you for sharing, it is beautiful and I love your work.🙏
Thank you so much for the kind words, Agnes! Thank you for watching and happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
Thank you for this. Your work is beautiful and inspiring!
Thank you so much, Dr. Kuhn! 😀
Beautiful work. Enjoyed this tips video. Wish I'd listened b4 attempting my first intarsia hat. I was particularly interested in your method of catching the float when more than 5 sts worked. I was wrapping the yarn but your method was brilliant. Will definitely be following future videos on intarsia knitting. Very impressed with your colour work. Thank you for putting this online.
Thank you so much for your kind words. Great question about the 5 float or longer. What I do is make that float looser than normal. On the very next round, I insert my right needle into the stitch that sits somewhere in the middle above that long float, and then continue with the right needle going below that long float and then pull my working yarn through to complete the stitch. By doing so, you effectively trap that float (just in the round above it). It's important to make that long float much looser so that "gathering" doesn't occur. Also, if it's longer than say 10 or so stitches, simply do that twice or more above that particular float, spaced along..Hope that helps! Thank you again for watching and commenting! Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
thanks! I'm just starting to knit colorwork, I've been doing lace and stripes but stranded knitting feels so difficult! My first swatches were way too tight. I'll implement these tips for sure :)
That sounds awesome! Let me know if it helped. Thanks for watching and taking time to comment! Happy knitting! 😊
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
Absolutely beautiful work! I am going to try the every other stitch float catch method as soon as possible. Thank you!
Thank you so much and thank you for watching. I hope it works out for you. Thank you for taking the time to comment and happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter / Earl
This was so helpful! Thank you! I just started learning colorwork and I had no idea about catching the floats, and tension has been a real struggle, so this is going to be a game changer.
Thank you so much, Mara! I'm so glad you find them helpful. Thank you for taking the time to comment and thank you again for watching! Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
Thank you for these tips! Super helpful!
You're welcome and thank you for your comment and response.
Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
Thank you so much for such a helpful video. Your advice is really clearly given and is very thorough. I just finished a mitten recently and I wish I had seen this! There are so many furrows... Also your work is beautiful!
Thank you so much for watching and for your kind feedback! Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
Omg! This piece is stunning!!!! Thank you for posting. I’m a new knitter and am stuck on a baby beanie. I knitted rows and have a large hole where I changed colors. I’m trying find how to correct that and came across your video. Now I’ll go look at more!!!!
Thank you so much and thank you for watching and taking the time to comment! Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
Your stranded knitting is gorgeous! Thanks for the helpful tips!
Thank you and you're welcome.
Great video it really helped! :)
Your stitches are absolutely perfect! Wow, I'm amazed.
I'm doing my first colorwork project. A pair of mittens. I have done lace and cables, but I feel like colorwork is so much harder. :/
Thank you for this most helpful video. I’m teaching myself color strand knitting and I’m struggling with how to hold the yarns for correct tension. I knit using Continental, but using both hands looks more reasonable to me. Would you please post more instructional videos for stranded color work for beginners like me? Your videos are awesome!
Thank you so much for your kind feedback! I will definitely continue posting videos of this topic. Virtually everything I now knit is in stranded colorwork. Feel free to browse other videos in my collection and if there's something specific you'd like to see, by all means, drop me a note. I am more than happy 😊. Thank you for watching and thank you again for your comment. Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
very helpful video, thank you! my next colorwork project is going to be so much better
You're welcome! I'm glad it was helpful. Thanks for watching and also for taking time out to comment. Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
Excellent video, thank you!
Thank you so much, Sheena! You are welcome and thank you for the comment and thank you for watching! Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
This was really helpful. My tension for pillows and other flatter works is good. However with hats, even though there is no pucker, they are too tight to stretch as easily as one would like. I think spreading the stitches might really help (among the other suggestions).
Thank you for your feedback and I'm glad you found it helpful. Yes, the spreading of stitches is probably the number one go-to for loosening that float. 😉 Thank you for watching and taking time to comment! Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
I’m struggling with tension. One yarn is too tight the other is too loose. Your stitches are so perfect!
I am in the process of making a new video with more tips on tension. I'll let you know when I upload it. I think / hope it should be helpful. Thank you for watching and happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter / Earl
Thank you!
You're welcome and thank you for the comment. Thanks again for watching and happy knitting! Stay safe!
- Clubkidknitter / Earl
Thank you this was very helpful. Your work looks amazing!
Meggie Kaplan Thank you Meggie!
I'm really inspired by your work. Your colour choices and the designs you select for yourself are really cool, playful and visually dynamic, there's non of that staid, old fashioned look that colour work design can have. Is there a pattern for this piece you are working on in this video, or any designers you'd recommend I look at?
Hi Lisa! Thank you so much for taking the time to provide such feedback. I really appreciate that. With regard to this pattern, I believe I may have them as JPG files. I'll look for them and then post them in my "Community" section of my channel. Thank you again for your very nice comments and thank you for watching! Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
Hi Lisa! I just uploaded some of the charts I created for the infinity scarf in this video. I will put better copies (PDFs) on my Ravelry page. I am also looking for the remainder of the charts I created for the entire scarf, but this should get you started in the meantime. All of the details are within the post in my Community Section for my channel. Happy Knitting!
- Clubkidknitter / Earl
@@Clubkidknitter I replied in your community section but thanks so much and I can't wait to buy one of your patterns in this series on Ravelry.
@@xanthanmum Thank you Lisa! 😊
Great tutorial! Really enjoy your videos. The knitted fabric is absolutely gorgeous. You’re a Very talented young man. Have you thought about becoming a master knitter?
Thank you! That is so nice of you to say. While I have been knitting a while and know several techniques, I have yet to make a sweater / cardigan. This involves steeking (for button or zippered garments). I definitely want to tackle that, as well as mittens. I am familiar with knitting gussets as I've made a ton of socks. Once I conquer those, I may consider master knitter. Thank you again for your kind words!
- Clubkidknitter / Earl
سپاسگزارم😍😍😍
Thank you, Fatimah!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
This is very helpful thank you
You're so very welcome, Marian!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
Great
Thank you! 😊
Hi. I have been a fan of your videos for a long time. I am knitting an in the round fair isle cardigan that calls for purl stitches every now and then. Can u do a short tutorial to show how to knit this please, thank you👏
Thank you so much! With regard to the purl stitches, how are they used? Is it for trim or do they actually incorporate changing colors? Let me know or if there's a pattern or where to obtain the pattern if from a specific website. Thanks again for watching and commenting! Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
Mainly for texture
Super explanation ! Could you tell me the name of the pattern your are kitting on. Thanks + + in advance. Kia ora from NZ and ... happy knitting :)
Thank you Odile! These are a variety of patterns I created over time. They are actually available in the files section of a knitting group to which I am a member on Facebook. The name of the knitting group is, "Knitting World Wide." It's a fun and talented group. Take note of the group description and rules if you end up joining. The group administration is absolutely wonderful and ensure the very best experience! Thank you for taking the time to comment and provide feedback! Happy New Year and happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
Your color work is gorgeous!! I love these tips. I’m going to search to see if you have float trapping technique tips, especially when the background color changes.
Thank you! I am in the process of making a video on how to trap floats when doing 3 and 4 color stranded knitting.
Clubkidknitter I will look forward to it. I used your knitting with 3 colors technique today on my lopi sweater. It worked so nicely!
Oh, I'm so glad. I do an even neater technique for 4 color, which I'll also make a video. In essence, to introduce a 4th color, I slip the stitches using that color purl-wise. I then repeat that round, slipping the stitches i already knitted and knitting the ones previously slipped with the 4th color. It requires 2 passes of the same round, but is an alternative to having to hold four yarns at once. My trapping floats video I'm making will address how to trap any long floats on the next round after the "double pass" round.
Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you! 💜
You're welcome and thank you for your feedback and for watching. Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
Very helpful, thank you.
Thank you and you are welcome.
Thanks!
You're welcome and thank you for watching! 😊
Very beautiful, more like artwork. Can anyone tell me which type of yarn is this?
Thank you so much, Sadaf! The yarn used on the scarf is Caron Simply Soft 6-oz. It's very soft and comes in dozens of colorways! Thank you for watching and taking time to comment. Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
@@Clubkidknitter Thank you so much for your reply please keep posting beautiful videos like this.
This is stunning thank you. I’d like to make a scarf by stranding. Can it be done in a flat method?
Hello! Thank you! This can be done flat. I'm actually working on the Il Burato scarf. It's double-knitted flat so it's reversible. But, Fair Isle can be knitted flat. You'd have to also catch floats while purling. Thank you for watching and happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
beautiful color and pattern combinations! Is this your own design? And what kind of finished object was this a part of?
Thanks great video.
Thank you Laura! You're welcome.
Where are your other videos? I found this video very informative and was going to subscribe.
Hi Kelly! Thank you for your comment. I have a total of 45 videos on my channel pertaining to different knitting styles and how-to tips. When you click on my photo, that should take you to my channel and then in the videos section, you'll find them. Thank you again for watching and responding. Happy knitting! :)
Your colourwork is incredible. I too would like to subscribe, but when I click on your picture or the ‘subscribe’ button, it says ‘this channel doesn’t have any content’. Help!!
Could I please make a request for a video on the continental picking method?
Absolutely! In fact, I'll check because I think I demonstrate that method in another video. If I can't find it, I'll make one!
@@Clubkidknitter Fantastic! Thank you so much 😀
By catching every other float does that tend to cause the fabric to have less drape? I tend to err on the side of caution by catching my floats often and I've noticed it makes the fabric dense. Density in a yoke sweater is not something I want so I use a method of 5, 3, 5 catches and then stager on the next row by doing 2, 4, 5 or something along those lines. Thank you for making this video, can't wait for me. Happy Making!
Thank you! Usually catching every other float bulks up the knitting a little more. I've seen folks catch every other, to 3, 4 or 5. General rule of thumb for Fair Isle is no more than 5 stitches without trapping the float. Other than that, it is really the discretion of the knitter. Thank you again for your comment! Happy Knitting!
رائع شكرا
Thank you for your helpful tips! I’m having difficulty carrying floats when working smaller projects in the round on dpn’s (like mittens). Do you have any advice for carrying the floats between the needles? I can’t ever seem to get the tension right. Thanks!
Excellent question! It's easier to carry floats across the "flat portion" of dpns (like for socks). Typically, I use 4 DPNs of socks. Think of them and the work as a cardboard box. You can flatten a cardboard box on either side or adjacent side. With the work flattened, you should have two needles on top and two needles behind. Make sure your working yarn is coming from the needle that's on top and to the right. You are now ready to carry on working with the needle on the top and to your left. Take your fifth (exchange needle) and begin working. This should help with tension on the first few stitches. It's better working from this mindset than trying to work from corners. I always have this issue with magic loop (the tension on the corners where floats carry can end up wonky). Another tip that helps me a GREAT deals is to catch floats at the end of a section as well as the beginning of the next section. That is what I do on my Persian Dreams blanket (when knitting hexagons, in which I am transitioning from one of the six sides to the next. I help this all makes sense and that it helps. Thank you for your comment and happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter / Earl
Couldn't I just use 2 strands of the same color for floats longer than 5 stitches? Like break them up?
Yes, you should be able to do that, too. I have done something similar.
Thanks for the very helpful video. Does the catch every other stitch method work when fair isle knitting something that needs a lot of stretch like a sock? Are there different methods to use for fair isle sock knitting? Thanks again!
Hi there! It absolutely does work, and for the very reason you mention, regarding ease for socks. True story: the VERY first thing I knitted Fair Isle six years ago was a hat, and I used that technique. Also, you can achieve nice ease for socks by knitting them inside-out. This technique results in slightly longer floats as they occur on the outer circumference of the sock. You can apply the tips in this video to that method and have great stretch to your socks. The only downside to the every other stitch method is that every other stitch may appear slightly larger. Some of this can even out a bit through wet-blocking (for wool). I hope all of this helps. Thank you so much for watching and taking time to comment! Happy knitting! - Clubkidknitter/Earl
Your work is INCREDIBLE! I really aspire to be as talented as you are! Tension is the bane of my existence, ever since I broke my left hand and little finger I have been unable to tension the yarn as I once did. Do you have any suggestions on an easy way to tension without the use of the little finger?
Thank you Anne-Marie! I'm so sorry about your left hand. I understand your predicament. I broke my right (dominant) hand when I was at university in my teens. My hand and arm were in a cast for 6 weeks. I had to drop out for the semester because I couldn't write. I tried and tried with my left hand, but it was futile. It sounds like you are an continental knitter. Have you tried knitting both strands English? You might try wrapping them around your ring finger to achieve proper and consistent tension. I'll try some other "wrapping" techniques to see if they might work and I'll let you know.
@@Clubkidknitter Hey! I have NOT tried that but I'll be trying it tonight!!! Thank you so much for hearing me, it really sucks when you love something so much and I feel like I lost it in a way because I can't be pleased with anything I knit, it all looks sloppy! :(
Don't quit. Keep at it. You'll adapt by keeping at it. Experiment.
oh wow maybe I'll be able to do a jumper without my stitches being too tight. I do have a question, do the colorwork not stretch as much as knitting that's done in one colour?
That is a great question. Stranded knitting will tend to be less "stretchy" due to the floats. There are ways to overcome this. For example, when knitting socks, as you want them to be stretchy, knit them inside-out. This results in slightly longer floats, hence allowing for them to stretch. That is actually a great question and I'll make a video on that. Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment. Thank you for your question, too. Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl
@@Clubkidknitter Thank you for replying, that helps me a lot. I'm a tight continental knitter so when I've tried stranded knitting on small projects like a hat and a dress for a doll it hasnt looked the best, I really want top make myself a jumper with colourwork but I've been putting it off because I didn't know how much stretch it would give, now I know to plan a size up maybe for when I knit a jumper. Thanks again. I look forward to more videos.
Is it possible to do color stranded with English style only?
Yes. You can do all English, all Continental or two-handed.
I would like to know what your knitting with? 😊
If you are referring to the yarn, it is Caron Simply Soft - 6 oz. I LOVE using this yarn when working on "synthetic" projects because it's unbelievably soft and it comes in a HUGE colorway selection. It's also quite affordable. I usually knit with wool, but I have a few friends who have sensitivities to lanolin and wool - even super washed ones. I hope this answers your question. Thank you for watching! Happy Knitting!
- Clubkidknitter / Earl
I'm working on a counting sheep baby blanket (my first attempt) and sadly, it is bunched up. Is there a way that it can be smoothed out? I'm very far into the blanket and I definitely don't want to do it over. The sheep are kinda raised up. I know it's puckered too. :(
Hi Rachel! Thank you for your comment. With regard to your question, unfortunately, there's no way to release the tension in any particular round, once you notice, "bunching," especially if you notice bunching in several floats. If you notice bunching in maybe one or two floats, it may be possible to make it not as noticeable by going through the round and try distributing the tension by adjusting the float (making it longer by pulling the float to either side of it, slightly, and doing that throughout the entire round). I've done that when I noticed a stitch sort of disappearing because the float on either side of the stitch was a little too short. It can make it less noticeable. Thanks again for your comment and thank you for watching! Happy Knitting!
- Clubkidknitter / Earl
@@Clubkidknitter thank you for the response :)
Quiero aprender
Pokażesz wzory ? Proszę 🤗
Thank you! :)
is this acrylic yarn?
Yes! It's Caron Simply Soft 6-oz. I like using it sometimes because of the array of beautiful and rich colors. Also, I have clients who cannot tolerate wool due to allergies to lanolin. Happy Knitting!
- Clubkidknitter / Earl
@@Clubkidknitter sounds good. thanks...however is there any kind of acrylic that is actually warm? does acrylic need to be blocked, or is ironing enough? its gorgeous.
Good questions. Acrylic yarn is very warm. The infinity scarf in the video is quite warm. With regard to blocking: water blocking only works on natural fibers (such as wool). To block acrylic projects, use steam, like from an iron. VERY IMPORTANT: DO NOT have your iron make physical contact with your project because it will melt your beautiful work. Instead, hold the iron about an inch above and then use the steam. This is after you've pinned it to either styrofoam or a rubber matt. If you use a large styrofoam slab (found at craft stores), it is possible to push the pins all the way in. Wrap an old towel and pin it around the styrofoam. You can draw the desired shape and measurements using a ruler with a Sharpe pen. Pin your work driving the pins all the way through - I use T-pins and they come in a variety of lengths. What you can then do is cover your work with a clean towel that has been folded once. At this point, you may place the iron (on its coolest setting to produce steam) directly on top of the second towel and then press the steam trigger. Afterwards, let the piece dry for a few minutes (it may be slightly damp).
Thanks!
You're very welcome, Sharon! Happy knitting!
- Clubkidknitter/Earl