Ihnen - Colorwork for Adventurous Knitters

Master the Art of Knitting Stripes, Slipstitch, Intarsia, and Stranded Colorwork through Step-by-Step Instruction and Easy Projects

Lori Ihnen

W hen you think of colorwork, do you cringe or do you get excited? Within the chapters of this book there is a wealth of information on colorwork in its simplest form to its most challenging.

Each of the sections in this book explores a different category of colorwork. Within each section you will find techniques, pattern samples, and projects. The pattern samples highlight techniques just learned; some are classic patterns and others are originals. This book is not meant as a stitch library, but the samples provided will give good practice for the techniques. The projects continue to build on newly learned skills with smaller but attractive designs.

The first sectionStripesis the most basic and from there each section gets a little bit more complicated. You can read the sections separately and out of order, but some techniques do build from what is learned in the previous sections. For example, in the stripes section jog fixes are a main focus, and these same issues can come up again with stranded knitting and patterns that are in color bands.

Its assumed that you have basic knitting skills and know how to knit, purl, increase, and decrease. Because there are many charts, here is a quick overview on how to read charts. Each square represents a color to be knit and the color changes that will occur. To read a chart for back and forth knitting, start at the bottom right corner. This is the right side of your knitting and you will read the chart from right to left. When you get to the end of this row and turn your work, you will be on the wrong side of your knitting, so you will read the chart from left to right. If you are working in the round you will always read the chart from right to left, every round.

At the end of the book there is a section called Knitting Techniques. You will find cast-ons, three-needle bind off, I-cord, twisted cord, and a few good tips, so check that out. Some patterns will reference these techniques too.

In practicing a new technique, use a high quality fiber and a larger gauge yarn. Remember to always check your gauge as you begin a new project. To get the best results, use the yarn suggested in the pattern. If you substitute yarns, choose a similar fiber and swatch, swatch, swatch. If your gauge does not match the pattern gauge, adjust your needles up or down until you have the correct stitch gauge. Remember to treat your gauge swatch as you would your garment. Block and launder to save disappointment, otherwise when you launder your garment for the first time, it could grow or shrink.

This book is about enhancing your colorwork skills, making your colorwork experience more fun and pleasurable, making you more confident, and expanding your colorwork experiences. Lets get started!

A fun, exciting, and simple way to add color to your knitting is to use stripes. Stripes can be as simple as a two color repeat or as complex as changing colors every row. Stripes can be made in stockinette stitch or in patterned stitches, the choice is up to you.

Although striping seems pretty straightforwardchanging yarn colors between rows or roundsthere are methods and tricks to perfect those color changes and to make them as inconspicuous as possible. Striping techniques for knitting back and forth on two needles are different from those used when knitting circularly. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. How you make the color changes and what you do with the yarn when its not in use make a big difference in the quality of the finished fabric.

CHANGING COLORS WHEN WORKING FLAT

When working back and forth in rows, there are a few things to master when it comes to changing colors.

Back and Forth on Two Needles

You are ready to start your new color on the right edge of your knitting. Drop your old color and start knitting with your new color. The first thing you might notice is the edge gets a bit sloppy. You can put a temporary knot on the edge with the old and new colors together, then later when sewing up your seams you can unknot and work them in or use them to sew up your side seams.

Carry Yarn

If you were to cut each time you changed colors, you would have many ends to deal with. A neater finish is to carry your yarn up the edge. When carrying up the edge, be careful not to pull up too tightly or the edge of your knitting will pucker and be shorter and less elastic. Carry yarns about three or four rows. If the stripe is wider than that, either cut the yarn or catch the carried yarn with your working yarn at the edge. This can be done by twisting the carried yarn; to do this at the edge, lift the carried yarn up and over the working yarn and knit the edge stitch. This will lock it into the edge.

Locking the edge: The brown yarn is dropped to the right and the next color in the sequence, orange, is picked up from behind. Knit across with orange. Note at the edge the twist that is formed when the colors are locked.