I just wanted to add an update on my tension. I changed one thing and what a difference! The thing I was doing wrong was to stretch my stitches before the colour change. So thank you Jessica, this little change has made a massive improvement ☺️
Hello Jessica, I've been knitting for several years but this is really the first time I've discovered such a good and effective way of explaining Jaquard with superwash and not super wash wools. I watched your video yesterday and I'm already talking about it to everyone I come across and to whom I teach knitting. thank you so much, my next project in Jaquard is Ruska (in my knitcompanion 'just wow' ) I'm sure I'll be using your technique. thanks again and I look forward to sharing some time with you in you next podcast
Thank you so much Jessica, I love your teaching videos and find them incredibly helpful. I am changing my knitting practice as a result of them and learning so much. Thank you again.
Thank you. This is helpful. I just frogged a colourwork yoke after working on it for 3 weeks. I felt so discouraged and swore is never try it again. I realize now that I wasn't pulling my stitches far enough apart. Iwas using hillesvag, so should have been ok. I'm going to try your winter snow flake sweater
Love your video. So far you are the only one who has explain about stretching the stitches after knitting first stitch with new color. My tension has improved so much after watching your video. Thanks so much!
Thanks Jessica! I really appreciate your videos and patterns! I am learning colorwork and each project gets a little easier and more satisfying. I stopped catching floats this year and it has helped simplify the process. Thank you immensely! Beth from Idaho Falls
Thank you for your video. I'll make better choices next time. For now, I'm dealing with superwash fingering. I was ready to scrap it, and return unwound skeins. I will continue and consider it a learning experience. I bought one of your patterns and will make a better yarn choice. Thank you so much and I will share your video. I've been knitting 20 years but very little stranded items. I immediately stopped catching floats.
For my RH, I use my middle finger the way you use your pointer. That way I can wrap the stitch without having to let go of the needle with my RH. I use my pointer finger to wrap the yarn while the remaining fingers hold the needles…if that makes sense Thank you for the tips on stretching the stitches on the RH needle. I feel that is the one thing that will greatly improve my colorwork!
What a great video! This was sooooo helpful. I don’t enjoy colorwork because i didńt like catching the floats and I wasn’t spreading out my stitches. Thank you for a very helpful video. ❤ 🤗
Well that explains my color work tension problems! I’m so glad someone said I don’t have to catch the floats. I hate doing that. What about color dominance? Years ago now, Arne and Carlos say that they hadn’t ever used that in all the stranded work from Scandinavia. I personally have only made small color work projects, except for mosaic, which I love. For those there is no need to even think about dominance.
Long story short on color dominance - hold the contrast color in your left hand and the main color in your right hand. For the long story, see this blogpost: www.jessicamcdonalddesigns.com/blog/color-dominance-in-colorwork-knitting
Thank you very much for sharing this information. I love how colorwork projects look, I only recently started knitting using the technique, and they were two of your designs.
Continuation of previous comment the first colorwork was in sw and it turned out ok but the tension was off and it didn't lay nice the sad part was it was a teaching class. But now I feel more comfortable in trying the hat again but with didn't yarn. The yarn does make a big difference between making or breaking a project.
Nope. You only have to stretch the stitches when you have the floats running along the back. Regular knitting with just one strand does not require this
The only reason I can think of is the sunlight can fade the colors of the yarn. I put my sweaters in the sun sometimes. I’ll even put them in the sun on my deck in the summertime. The only thing I’ve found is that they dry faster.
This is the best colorwork tension tutorial I've found! Thank you!
I just wanted to add an update on my tension. I changed one thing and what a difference! The thing I was doing wrong was to stretch my stitches before the colour change. So thank you Jessica, this little change has made a massive improvement ☺️
same!
Hello Jessica, I've been knitting for several years but this is really the first time I've discovered such a good and effective way of explaining Jaquard with superwash and not super wash wools. I watched your video yesterday and I'm already talking about it to everyone I come across and to whom I teach knitting.
thank you so much, my next project in Jaquard is Ruska (in my knitcompanion 'just wow' ) I'm sure I'll be using your technique.
thanks again and I look forward to sharing some time with you in you next podcast
Thank you so much Jessica, I love your teaching videos and find them incredibly helpful. I am changing my knitting practice as a result of them and learning so much. Thank you again.
Thank you. This is helpful. I just frogged a colourwork yoke after working on it for 3 weeks. I felt so discouraged and swore is never try it again. I realize now that I wasn't pulling my stitches far enough apart. Iwas using hillesvag, so should have been ok. I'm going to try your winter snow flake sweater
Love your video. So far you are the only one who has explain about stretching the stitches after knitting first stitch with new color. My tension has improved so much after watching your video. Thanks so much!
Thanks Jessica! I really appreciate your videos and patterns! I am learning colorwork and each project gets a little easier and more satisfying. I stopped catching floats this year and it has helped simplify the process. Thank you immensely! Beth from Idaho Falls
Thank you for your video. I'll make better choices next time. For now, I'm dealing with superwash fingering. I was ready to scrap it, and return unwound skeins. I will continue and consider it a learning experience. I bought one of your patterns and will make a better yarn choice. Thank you so much and I will share your video. I've been knitting 20 years but very little stranded items. I immediately stopped catching floats.
Thank you so much for a very thorough explanation of colorwork
Thank you for this tutorial! I’ve been using slippery superwash.
Bravo. While I’ve been a knitting color-work for years, I’ve never quite mastered tensioning the floats. You’ve provided a solution. A big thank you.
For my RH, I use my middle finger the way you use your pointer. That way I can wrap the stitch without having to let go of the needle with my RH. I use my pointer finger to wrap the yarn while the remaining fingers hold the needles…if that makes sense
Thank you for the tips on stretching the stitches on the RH needle. I feel that is the one thing that will greatly improve my colorwork!
This video was so perfectly timed for me. I am preparing to begin a stranded colorwork sweater and these tips and tricks are so appreciated!
What a great video! This was sooooo helpful. I don’t enjoy colorwork because i didńt like catching the floats and I wasn’t spreading out my stitches. Thank you for a very helpful video. ❤ 🤗
Thanks for this information. Very helpful. I am swatching for autumn snowfall. This will be my first colorwork project that is not a hat.
This is very helpful information. On the subject of yarn choices..I find my needle choice also has an impact on tensioning
Thank you so much 😊 it was very educational I have not knit
Time to do another sweater with this new information! Thank you Jessica!
Well that explains my color work tension problems! I’m so glad someone said I don’t have to catch the floats. I hate doing that.
What about color dominance? Years ago now, Arne and Carlos say that they hadn’t ever used that in all the stranded work from Scandinavia. I personally have only made small color work projects, except for mosaic, which I love. For those there is no need to even think about dominance.
Long story short on color dominance - hold the contrast color in your left hand and the main color in your right hand.
For the long story, see this blogpost: www.jessicamcdonalddesigns.com/blog/color-dominance-in-colorwork-knitting
Thank you very much for sharing this information. I love how colorwork projects look, I only recently started knitting using the technique, and they were two of your designs.
This was very helpful, especially for a newbie like me. Thank you.
Great video! Thank you
Thank you so much, for shared this master classs!!!
Loved the video. So much help for me
Continuation of previous comment the first colorwork was in sw and it turned out ok but the tension was off and it didn't lay nice the sad part was it was a teaching class. But now I feel more comfortable in trying the hat again but with didn't yarn. The yarn does make a big difference between making or breaking a project.
This was very helpful. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing 😊
Thank you. This is helpful!
Great information thank you!
Thanks Great Video!!
Yikes! No float catching! I will consider this and probably try it on my next color work project. But I will feel some trepidation!
On really long floats, I have gone back and taken scrap yarn and just done a weave/tack. I
Wish I had this a few days ago before I ordered yarn😥
Hi
When we were just plain knitting, is it important to also to keep stitches spread out on needle? Thx !!
Nope. You only have to stretch the stitches when you have the floats running along the back. Regular knitting with just one strand does not require this
I was told when you block something not tonleave it in direct sunlight. Why?
The only reason I can think of is the sunlight can fade the colors of the yarn. I put my sweaters in the sun sometimes. I’ll even put them in the sun on my deck in the summertime. The only thing I’ve found is that they dry faster.