Whether new knitter or veteran knitter, adding color to your project has been a difficult concept to master. Working in one color all the time is OK, but adding that just right splash or two of color can make your knitting come alive! There are many places to find a color wheel to help choose color if you don't have that built in sense that many people have.
Image courtesy of blog.timesunion.com
There are so many ways to add color to whatever you are knitting...Stripes, Color Blocking or Intarsia, Slip Stitch, Fair Isle, and even variegated yarns add pizazz. When I began knitting many knitting books and magazines introduced color by duplicate stitch. That was OK, but if you are like me, when the knitting is done, it is done. I really wasn't interested in going back to duplicate stitch a design in that could have been knit in.
So, do that. Take the design and put it on a chart or graph paper and knit it in. Anyone who has knit a few projects has a stash. You don't even have to buy a full skein or ball of yarn for the colors because you probably have something left over from another project.
Stripes are easy too. It is a matter of planned or random. Have you seen the socks that are purposely mismatched? This is a perfect example. If you are a sock knitter, you need to look no farther than the closet, under the bed, or wherever you keep your stash.
Slip Stitch is also easy. Barbara G. Walker's Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns has chapters devoted to color knitting patterns that use only one color at a time. Easy, easy, easy. It is the method of slipping stitches that makes the color work so simple. You will be able to find her books in the Library if you want to investigate this technique further.
Color Blocking, or Intarsia is where you work with multiple colors at a time. Using a yard or two of each color and tie them butterfly fashion or use yarn bobbins, they will hang off the back side of your work ready to be picked up and then exchanged for the next color. The important thing to remember with this technique, moving from one color to the next, you will have to twist the two colors together to eliminate the holes. Not difficult, just fiddly.
Finally, is Fair Isle. Very intimidating for many knitters. There may be anywhere from 2 to 20 colors in your project, but remember, you are only using two at a time. There is a method to stranding your knitting, or carrying your yarns. Decide which color will be oriented on top and the other on the bottom. These strands lie parallel to each other. They may be carried together in right or left hand depending on your personal knitting style, or one color in each hand. It is your choice. Trying the different methods on a swatch size piece will give you an idea which is easier. Remember, it is your comfort zone. You will want to practice this technique to learn the correct tension for the "carries" or strands. Too tight with pucker your knitting and too loose and the strands will hang on the back side making it easy to snag while putting on and taking off.
Fair isle is always worked more easily in the round with "steeks". A steek is a minimum of 5 to 10 stitches. Don't cringe, or cry here, when your sweater is complete, it will be cut open with scissors. Steeks can be used in the center front to create a cardigan as well is the armhole. This will create a drop shoulder sweater as there is no shaping to deal with.
Since we are getting on to Fall and Holiday Season, sort through your stash. Small bits of yarn work great for mittens and hats with larger balls of color for sweaters and vests. Start planning and remember the more stash you use, it is the perfect way to justify another yarn purchase!
Have a great weekend, and Happy Knitting!
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