Stranded Knitting: Post 3 - Gauge/Tension

Gauge…or Tension

Wildflower swatch

The strands…or floats…across the back of the work also help to even out the overall dimensions of the individual stitch…changing the stitch silhouette from rectangular to more square in shape. In other words, your stitch gauge and your row gauge will be almost, if not exactly, equal. Putting it yet another way, there is no need for knitter’s graph paper when charting out a stranded pattern. Regular square graph paper will do.

You may have noticed a difference in your gauge/tension when working on different types of needles. This is also true with stranded knitting. We’ll talk more about needles later.

Something else to watch for is the difference in gauge/tension between plain knitting and stranded knitting. This is especially important when working on project which includes plain stockinette combined with stranded work…like a stranded yoke sweater. For this reason, it might be necessary to change needles sizes between the plain stockinette and the stranded work. Most knitters, who have a difference, are tighter with the stranded work…so the plain knitting is worked on a smaller needle than the stranded knitting. But check your own gauge and see if your knitting falls into this category.

Also, a tighter gauge is generally preferred in stranded patterning. This practice helps to prevent the stranded floats across the back from peeking through to the patterning on the front….and makes a warmer fabric.

Ok, here’s my cautionary tale about gauge:

After my first introduction to stranded knitting, I was so blown away with the technique that I brought every Alice Starmore book I could put my hands on. When The Celtic Collection came out, I could not get wait to get started. Obvious to Shetland yarn…fingering weight or otherwise…or that silly little thing called gauge, I decided to tackle Erin.

At that time, there was a Yarns Brunswick mill/outlet an hour or so from where I lived which had a huge selection of the various lines of yarn spun on site. Soon I was wandering around selecting yarn…by color only, not by weight or fiber content. Thankfully, the aisle with the best color selection contained sport weight yarn which was reasonably close to the fingering weight the pattern called for. Even so, I could not find all of the colors in wool…so I substituted a silkened cotton yarn for two of the colors. Yeah, I know.

Choosing the 38”-40” size (there are only two choses), I cast on…so excited.

The pattern has 3 panels of these fabulous Celtic dogs marching around broken up with 3 gorgeously shaded Celtic knot panels…placing the knot panels at the shoulder. Part way through the third dog panel, my sweater was 23” long…the length called for in the pattern. But I hadn’t finished the third dog panel and was nowhere near the third knot panel for the shoulder. Not wanting a tunic, I stopped…cutting the poor third dog off at the knees!

Erin front. Note the dog legs at shoulder. Can you pick out the cotton yarn?

Erin shoulder seam. Note morphed dog legs.

Somehow I finished the thing.

The sweater I was aiming for: 3 dog panels, 3 knot panels, 40” circumference, 18.5” sleeves,
Gauge: 16 sts and 19 rnds in 2 inches.

The sweater I ended up with: 2.75 dog panels, 2 knot panels, 48.5” circumference, 19” sleeves. Gauge: 13.5 sts and 14 rnds in 2 inches.

It was the ‘80’s when big sweaters ruled…but that was a bit ridiculous.

Bottom line: check your gauge!

Gauge or Tension Swatches

To avoid this same or similar misadventure, a gauge swatch will have to be worked to determine the number of stitches and rounds per inch. Although this is sometimes referred to as the “dreaded gauge swatch”, finding out what your gauge/tension is BEFORE you work an entire garment will save a lot of heartache...and hugely malformed outcomes. You all know this. I will spare you the lecture.

As I’m sure you are also aware…gauge swatches need to be a good size. Large enough to get about 4 in. (10 cm) square without including the inconsistency of the edges…..and need to be made with the same yarn and needles you will be using for your project.

In addition, specifically pertaining to stranded work, these swatches need to be worked in the round as gauge/tension can be different from knitting flat to knitting in the round. It has to do with getting a different gauge when knitting than when purling.

In an attempt to ease any “dreaded” aspects, think of the swatch as a way to test out any color changes from the designer’s choices…or to just see how the design looks in person before you work an entire garment.

Keeping all of this in mind, there are a few ways to finding tension for stranded work.

The first is a “swatch hat or cap”, a two-for-one solution made popular by Elizabeth Zimmerman and Meg Swansen.

With the yarn and needles you plan to use for your project, cast on a number of stitches equal to a multiple of the total stitch repeat of the largest motif used in your garment…and enough stitches for a hat.

So for example, if your largest motif has a 16 st repeat and the required gauge is 32 sts = 4 in. (10 cm) ...or 8 sts = 1 in. (2.54 cm)…and you want a hat that is approx. 21 in. (54.34 cm) in circumference, then you would cast on either 160 sts [20 in. (50.8 cm) and 10 repeats of the motif] or 176 sts [22 in. (55.88 cm) and 11 repeats of the motif].

The idea is to create something useful while also making something large enough to get a gauge/tension measurement.

The second gauge/tension measurement option is a flat swatch which is worked to simulate knitting in the round. Like the swatch hat, you cast on a multiple of the stitch repeat of the largest motif, except you do not need as many repeats. You will still need 4 in. (10 cm) not including the edges. This swatch is best worked on a circular needle.

Eastlake flat swatch with early color trials...and not really large enough. :)

If you use the numbers above, 4 in. (10 cm) at 8 sts per 1 in. (2.54 cm) gives you 32 sts….which is exactly 2 repeats of the motif. Since you want to have 4 in. (10 cm) away from the edges, you’ll need to cast on 48 sts (16 sts x 3 repeats).

When you get to the end of the row, break yarn(s) and move the knitting to the other end of the needle…so the first stitch is once again on the left needle and the right side is facing. Continue in this manner until you have completed about 5 inches. Steam or wet block the piece and trim the yarns ends to 1 or 2 inches.

FYI, this is the swatch I use most of the time. As a designer, it gives me a record of what I have been working on…especially if I need to send the sample garment off to a yarn company or magazine.

You may have noticed, though, that both of these methods require purchasing extra yarn to have enough for both the hat or swatch AND the garment you are planning to make.

An alternative is the speed swatch which is produced almost exactly the same way as the flat swatch, except instead of breaking the yarn at the end of the row, the yarns are pulled back around in a giant loop to the first stitch. Make sure the pulled yarns are loose enough so the swatch will lay flat for measuring.

Melimoyu - speed swatch 

This type of swatch is perfect for those times when you are not sure you have enough yarn for a project. Since you never break the yarn, you can pull out the swatch and start your garment. My recommendation, though is to take a quick picture for future reference before you pull it out.

I use this method if I am working on a project where a limited amount of yarn has been sent to me to work on. I have been known to work up a sample swatch for a client, take a picture, and pull it out. Working this way, I can send a choice of two or three designs…before I start on a garment.

Ok, so now you have your gauge/tension measurements. What happens if what you measured does not match the gauge/tension in your pattern?

Adjusting for gauge is a fairly personal exercise because everyone knits a bit differently….meaning the stitch that is created is slightly different with every knitter. Some stitches are taller, some shorter…some fatter, some thinner.

There are a couple of possible solutions you can try, though. The first of which is to change needle size, but you probably have already tried this.

You may not have tried is to change to wooden needles. The wooden surfaces can provide a bit more friction than metal needles. More friction, more grab, changed stitch…and hopefully changed gauge.

Also, make sure you are moving your stitches from the tips of the needles. I am sure you all know this, but the tips of the needles have a smaller circumference than the main part of the needle. You want to give all of your stitches to opportunity to grow up to their fullest capacity…so push them on over to the main part of the needle as soon as they are “born”.

Another possible solution…and one I suggest in my patterns, is to work toward row gauge. Stitch gauge can be manipulated in blocking if you are not too far off.

You can also work to stitch gauge…then adjust the length as necessary. 

So that's it for this post. If you have any questions or gentle comments, please add them below.

Next week: Needles Used and Casting On.

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Stranded Knitting: Post 2 - Yarns Used and Fabric Created

Yarns Used…and Fabric Created

Criosanna swatch - front

Criosanna swatch - back

No matter what yarns are used, the fabric created by stranded knitting was, historically…and is at present…created as much for warmth, as it is for colorful patterning. This warmth can be attributed to the non-working yarn stranding across the back of the knitting, trapping air between the plies.

It follows, then, that the fabric created will be doubled in thickness…and that the thickness of the fabric is dependent on the thickness or weight of the yarn used. Additionally, as we think about the way it is created…with one strand looped into knitted stitches and another strand carried across the back…that the resulting fabric does not have as much “give” as fabric which is created with only loops made of a single yarn. Put another way…the result is slightly less stretchy. Which means, when choosing a size, there will be less negative ease to figure in.

But this style of knitting is primarily about color and color patterning. These patterns can be striking with the simplicity of two or three colors per garment.

Granted, the examples below are my designs, I use them because I do not have to worry about copyright, but you get the idea...

West at Heart Hat

Knights Banner Cowl

The patterns created with two colors per round can be equally beautiful with gradual changes in color resulting in what has been called a more “painterly” style.

Sandbar swatch

Blue Flame Cowl

Ninian swatch

The weight of yarns used can vary from the single ply, lightly processed, bulky weight Lopi yarns…to “sticky” fingering weight Shetland wool…to the silk yarn used in the oldest example of Fair Isle knitting in the Shetland Museum. Your gauge will obviously be different with different yarns…as will the thickness of the fabric created as mentioned earlier.

Due to the warmth created by a double thick fabric, most stranded work is created using fingering or DK weight yarn. However, as mentioned above, there are some exceptions. Some of these exception-ed and exceptional garments are created from intentional, knowledge-enhanced design decisions. The gorgeous worsted weight Scandinavian sweaters come to mind or the stunning Icelandic yoked patterns.

Some exceptions are blundered into with all of the knowledge (or lack thereof) of a newbie stranded knitter...namely me. :)

Expository tale: I once made a stranded cardigan vest (sleeveless cardi) for my father using several shades of worsted (Aran) weight wool...more than three colors per row at a fairly tight gauge/tension. I had seen a Bargello needlepoint pattern in some magazine...and for no other reason except I liked the pattern...decided it would be great for a sweater for Dad. When it was finally finished, I swear that thing would have deflected arrows! ...and was WAY too warm for the South Carolina climate where we were living. Consequently, my father loved it, but from afar...i.e. it never left his closet.

Dad's vest - front

Dad's vest - back

Moving on...

In a discussion of yarn selection, it must be said here that there are those who will insist that when recreating different stranded traditions, the knitter must use yarns inherent to that tradition. Granted, as a lover of history and long standing traditions, I can certainly understand this reasoning. However, some quite lovely stranded work has been created using non-traditional yarns.  Obviously, this style of knitting can technically be accomplished with any yarn. That being said, the sometimes complicated patterning of stranded knitting is best displayed worked in yarns which show off these motifs. Bottom line: “Hairy” novelty yarns should probably not be considered. Just saying.

So when selecting yarns, look for lines that have enough colors to suit your pattern needs.

Color is a wonderful glorious thing. It is one of the reasons we love stranded knitting, but original color selection and color substitution can be tricky. I have a couple of ideas about color selection, but since this series is primarily about technique, a discussion of color should probably be left for another post. (That’s two “other posts” now.)

Next Week: Gauge/Tension

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Stranded Knitting: Part 1 - Introduction and a Non-definitive Definition

This post starts a multi-part series on stranded knitting. You might be an expert on this form of knitting and would enjoy reading another perspective on some of the techniques. Perhaps you have always wanted to try stranded knitting and need a place to start.  I am hoping over the next few weeks to bring beginner and expert something that will answer some questions and maybe spark some gentle discussion on this wonderful, addictive form of knitting.

There is certainly no one way to knit any garment…and definitely no one way to knit stranded or Fair Isle designs. To put it another way, as long as the outcome is what you want, I feel there is no wrong way to knit anything.

That being said, as I have taught stranded/Fair Isle classes, several questions have come up about how I do certain things in the course of knitting these patterns. I am, by no means, an expert on the subject, but I do understand when learning something new, having a place to start (i.e. my developed methods) gives a student a foundation on which to develop his or her own methods…methods that work best for them.

I am also an avid reader of other knitters’ methods. This study helps me to reevaluate and refine the way I do things. I am hoping this “tome”…as it is apparently growing in length the more I get into the subject…will spark further gentle discussion and we can all learn from each other.

So...over the next installments of this blog, I will attempt to discuss several aspects of stranded knitting. Along the way, I will include how I handle the topic at hand...again, without any declarations of this being the right way to do things…just the way I do them.

For the sake of organization, here is a list of the topics I will be discussing..

Non-definitive definition

Yarns used and fabric created

Gauge or Tension (including gauge swatches0

Needles used

Casting on (including several two or more color edge treatments)

Knitting in the round (including knitting small circumferences)

Holding yarns

Tensioning

Yarn dominance

Reading charts

Adding new colors

Finishing old colors

Weaving yarns…to catch long floats

Weaving yarns…to add new colors and finish old colors

Weaving yarns while turning corners

Using markers

Creating stitches for sleeves and/or ribbing

Centering motifs

Casting off

Weaving in the ends

Blocking

These will break down roughly as one topic per week…depending how much I ramble on about each topic. I am sure there will be some weeks when two or more topics will be covered.

So all that being said, let’s get started.

Stranded Knitting (a non-definitive definition)

The broad term of knitting which employs more than one color is generally referred to as colorwork or color knitting…and includes working with stripes, slipped stitches, mosaic knitting, intarsia, and stranded knitting…to mention a few.

I guess you could technically throw forms of knitting and/or knitting techniques which can be working in a single color as well as with more than one color ...entrelac or cables come to mind. The possibilities of adding color to your knitting are endless, thus rendering the definition of “color knitting” a bit muddy.

I can hear the uproar even now as there are various strong opinions as the definitive definitions of such things. So I will abandon that line of discussion and venture off to the subject at hand….stranded knitting.

Simply put, stranded knitting is knitting which employs more than one color per round…where the unused yarn is stranded behind the working yarn. That being said, I should mention that most forms of stranded knitting use only two colors per round.

You will notice I have said “per round”. While stranded work can certainly be accomplished by knitting flat (knit one row, turn, purl one row), it is most often worked in the round. This way the patterning is always facing you. Believe me, purling some of the more complicated patterns is not fun.

But what you call the various forms of this type of colorwork, you may ask. If you look at the outcome of this type of knitting in terms of the patterns and colors, the broad heading of “stranded knitting” can be further broken down into subsections…roughly, but not totally, by geographic traditions…which include Fair Isle, Norwegian or Scandinavian, and other knitting traditions from the Baltic Circle. (Please realize that is list is by no means exclusive.)

Because of the popularity of Fair Isle designs, there has recently been a tendency to name all stranded knitting…and sometimes even all color knitting…“Fair Isle knitting”. This is definitely not a correct practice and does a disservice to both the knitting traditions of Fair Isle and the other styles of stranded knitting. But a discussion of the characteristics of the various stranded knitting traditions is perhaps a discussion best left for another post.

For this series, I will talk about some of the techniques that are currently used to achieve the wonderful colorful patterning of this style of knitting. Please understand, though, I will largely focus on Fair Isle and Shetland Fair Isle because that is my interest and where I first started down this path of knitting in color.

It is also important to remember that like most things, there are no absolutes and the phrase “generally, but not always” should be applied liberally.

Hey…I did say it was a non-definitive definition. 

If you have any questions or gentle comments, please feel free to post them below. I'd love to hear from you.

Next week: Yarns Used and Fabric Created

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On the horizon - stranded shawl and stranded knitting discussion

Preliminary photos and no pattern written up yet...this is not an official pattern release yet...but wanted you guys to see what is most recently off of the needles.

I'm thinking of calling it Saluda Sunrise....because this is what we see most mornings.

Also, starting Tuesday, May 12...and hopefully every Tuesday for a while, I will be posting Stranded Knitting: a discussion which will cover some of the aspects of stranded knitting. I hope you will join me and add any gentle comments or questions you may have.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

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