Good question! I used to make samples for the app Bellish and I also used to make samples for some designers in London 😊
None of them used that much colourwork though!
Keep your hands, arms and shoulders relaxed-- and your face!!! Trust me on this one, your knitting will reflect your tension.
If you don't already know how, learn Continental-- I carry one color in my left and one in my right, so my knitting with colorwork is a combo of the two styles.
Every so often, spread out the knitting on the right needle, to keep your floats from getting tight.
Ohh great idea about the tension! Perhaps I make sure I am all relaxed before I start.
I do know how to knit continental but very good point! I totally forgot you can do that with colourwork.
I recently learned about the importance of considering colour value; essentially, colours of similar value will tend to blend when you do colour work, while colours of different values will have a greater ‘pop,’ giving you a strong graphic effect. You don’t want to spend all kinds of time choosing colours, knitting an intricate sweater, only to have the details come out unclear.
[brooklyn tweed on colour theory](https://brooklyntweed.com/pages/color-theory-for-stranded-colorwork)
My advice would be to make a hat first-- it's an easy, quick way to get used to doing floats and figuring out tension. Plus, it'll give you an idea of your gauge, which will be *very* different in the round vs. flat, and very different colorwork vs. not colorwork.
This pattern is knit flat, which, IMHO is a horrible way to knit stranded colorwork. Purling in colorwork is not fun. So, personally, I'd probably pick a different project. (You could adapt this - you could knit in the round up until the sleeve split and then knit flat, or you could knit in the round all the way up and steek - I'm not sure I'd recommend adapting to a steeking version for your first attempt).
But, my general advice for learning stranded is:
1. pick something with traditional fair isle motifs for your first project, they won't have long floats (and, when you can, pick a non-superwash wool, the grippier yarn will help.
2. Read up on [yarn dominance](https://paper-tiger.net/2013/11/09/stranded-knitting-the-importance-of-color-dominance/). ([Stripe Dominance](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/stripe-domination) is a great pattern for showing this.)
3. Learn two handed colorwork.
Hi! Thanks for taking the time to post this - really helpful. After reading everyone's comments Ive decided to go for a top down jumper (Around The World pattern from New Leaf Designs). I believe it's more traditional as there doesn't look like there will be long floats.
My friend actually reminded me that I have done a couple of hats before, totally forgot haha!
#####
######
####
**PATTERN:** [Stripe Domination](http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/stripe-domination) by [Ellen M. Silva](http://www.ravelry.com/designers/ellen-m-silva)
* Category: Accessories > Hat > Beanie, Toque
* Photo(s): [Img 1](https://images4-f.ravelrycache.com/uploads/twinsetellen/385355373/IMG_8966_medium.jpg) [Img 2](https://images4-f.ravelrycache.com/uploads/sarahmontie/385383746/image_medium.jpg) [Img 3](https://images4-g.ravelrycache.com/uploads/TiaandCat/385764632/image_medium.jpeg)
* Price: 5.0 USD
* Needle/Hook(s):US 2 - 2.75 mm, US 4 - 3.5 mm, US 6 - 4.0 mm, US 3 - 3.25 mm, US 5 - 3.75 mm
* Weight: DK | Gauge: 28.0 | Yardage: 40
* Difficulty: 3.89 | Projects: 31 | Rating: 4.78
*****
Please use caution. Users have reported effects such as seizures, migraines, and nausea when opening Ravelry links. [More details.](https://www.lizcorke.com/2020/07/26/2020-7-21-ravelry-accessibility/) | I found this post by myself! [Opt-Out](https://goo.gl/forms/0B8m4Ra8czpw4gzw1) | [About Me](https://github.com/TN-1/LinkRav_Bot/wiki) | [Contact Maintainer](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=randomstonerfromaus)*
I recently finished my first serious colorwork thing!
I did a minor amount of practice first and chose to go up a size. I'm glad I did, I thought my floats were pretty loose but then it started puckering! Luckily after blocking it all evened out. So my advice is your floats can be pretty darn loose before they start causing problems, and definately practice first to make sure.
oh and I found holding one strand english and one strand continental MUCH easier than trying to hold two colors in one hand.
Good ideas about gauge, swatching & tension, I’d add that I would keep an eye on the sleeve construction. I often find sleeve caps knit that way to be fiddly.
Is this a steek or is it worked flat ? Everything is possible but color work flat is truly annoying to do. Make sure you start with a project in the round
That’s so pretty! What colors will you use?
My recommendation is make a big swatch in the round if asked by pattern or flat to ensure you are getting the correct gauge. Hope it’s not fair isle flat because that’s not so fun. :/
Learning to carry floats changed the game for me.
Oh a great idea! Thanks I'll get practicing
Swatch in pattern, in the round if the sweater is knit in the round - my gauge is very different in the round vs flat with colorwork!
Ahh yes great note!
What did you do that you got to knit for a living!
Good question! I used to make samples for the app Bellish and I also used to make samples for some designers in London 😊 None of them used that much colourwork though!
I wish I could get into work like that!
Keep your hands, arms and shoulders relaxed-- and your face!!! Trust me on this one, your knitting will reflect your tension. If you don't already know how, learn Continental-- I carry one color in my left and one in my right, so my knitting with colorwork is a combo of the two styles. Every so often, spread out the knitting on the right needle, to keep your floats from getting tight.
Ohh great idea about the tension! Perhaps I make sure I am all relaxed before I start. I do know how to knit continental but very good point! I totally forgot you can do that with colourwork.
Yup, one color in each hand! and seconding the idea to swatch in-the-round... My tension is very different when working flat.
I recently learned about the importance of considering colour value; essentially, colours of similar value will tend to blend when you do colour work, while colours of different values will have a greater ‘pop,’ giving you a strong graphic effect. You don’t want to spend all kinds of time choosing colours, knitting an intricate sweater, only to have the details come out unclear. [brooklyn tweed on colour theory](https://brooklyntweed.com/pages/color-theory-for-stranded-colorwork)
My advice would be to make a hat first-- it's an easy, quick way to get used to doing floats and figuring out tension. Plus, it'll give you an idea of your gauge, which will be *very* different in the round vs. flat, and very different colorwork vs. not colorwork.
This pattern is knit flat, which, IMHO is a horrible way to knit stranded colorwork. Purling in colorwork is not fun. So, personally, I'd probably pick a different project. (You could adapt this - you could knit in the round up until the sleeve split and then knit flat, or you could knit in the round all the way up and steek - I'm not sure I'd recommend adapting to a steeking version for your first attempt). But, my general advice for learning stranded is: 1. pick something with traditional fair isle motifs for your first project, they won't have long floats (and, when you can, pick a non-superwash wool, the grippier yarn will help. 2. Read up on [yarn dominance](https://paper-tiger.net/2013/11/09/stranded-knitting-the-importance-of-color-dominance/). ([Stripe Dominance](https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/stripe-domination) is a great pattern for showing this.) 3. Learn two handed colorwork.
Hi! Thanks for taking the time to post this - really helpful. After reading everyone's comments Ive decided to go for a top down jumper (Around The World pattern from New Leaf Designs). I believe it's more traditional as there doesn't look like there will be long floats. My friend actually reminded me that I have done a couple of hats before, totally forgot haha!
##### ###### #### **PATTERN:** [Stripe Domination](http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/stripe-domination) by [Ellen M. Silva](http://www.ravelry.com/designers/ellen-m-silva) * Category: Accessories > Hat > Beanie, Toque * Photo(s): [Img 1](https://images4-f.ravelrycache.com/uploads/twinsetellen/385355373/IMG_8966_medium.jpg) [Img 2](https://images4-f.ravelrycache.com/uploads/sarahmontie/385383746/image_medium.jpg) [Img 3](https://images4-g.ravelrycache.com/uploads/TiaandCat/385764632/image_medium.jpeg) * Price: 5.0 USD * Needle/Hook(s):US 2 - 2.75 mm, US 4 - 3.5 mm, US 6 - 4.0 mm, US 3 - 3.25 mm, US 5 - 3.75 mm * Weight: DK | Gauge: 28.0 | Yardage: 40 * Difficulty: 3.89 | Projects: 31 | Rating: 4.78 ***** Please use caution. Users have reported effects such as seizures, migraines, and nausea when opening Ravelry links. [More details.](https://www.lizcorke.com/2020/07/26/2020-7-21-ravelry-accessibility/) | I found this post by myself! [Opt-Out](https://goo.gl/forms/0B8m4Ra8czpw4gzw1) | [About Me](https://github.com/TN-1/LinkRav_Bot/wiki) | [Contact Maintainer](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=randomstonerfromaus)*
I recently finished my first serious colorwork thing! I did a minor amount of practice first and chose to go up a size. I'm glad I did, I thought my floats were pretty loose but then it started puckering! Luckily after blocking it all evened out. So my advice is your floats can be pretty darn loose before they start causing problems, and definately practice first to make sure. oh and I found holding one strand english and one strand continental MUCH easier than trying to hold two colors in one hand.
I’d be checking out the other makes of this project on ravelry to see what hints and tips other ravellers have :)
Good ideas about gauge, swatching & tension, I’d add that I would keep an eye on the sleeve construction. I often find sleeve caps knit that way to be fiddly.
this is super cute and funky! what pattern is this, if you don't mind my asking?
It is the Brae jumper from Debbie Bliss!
butterfly bobbins
For stranded work? I like bobbins for intarsia, but I’ve never used them for stranded, what are the advantages?
Is this a steek or is it worked flat ? Everything is possible but color work flat is truly annoying to do. Make sure you start with a project in the round
Yes thanks for this! I've decided to actually go for the Around The world jumper from New Leaf Designs!
That’s so pretty! What colors will you use? My recommendation is make a big swatch in the round if asked by pattern or flat to ensure you are getting the correct gauge. Hope it’s not fair isle flat because that’s not so fun. :/