Knitting techniques

Learning a new technique can be very frustrating. I hope this will help you understand these techniques. Googling a technique can sometime just add to the confusion, to an extend whatever works for you is right  for you.

I love knitting with colour, even adding stripes to a garter stitch scarf makes the knitting more interesting, somehow it will seemingly grow faster too.

In my classes I teach techniques, taking my students into a new world of colours and stitches. Understanding techniques can open a whole new world. My world is full of colour and texture, like a great book, a journey.

This techniques page is a work in progress, I am adding classes and details, as I add new designs.

The Fantail Swing is knitted from a diagram and written instructions. However, most Intarsia is worked from a graph, with each square representing a stitch. 

The difference between Fairisle and Intarsia? With Intarsia  the yarn is worked from an individual ball or length of yarn, per area of colour. With fairisle the yarn is carried at the back of the work, side seam to side seam.

Graphs are essential for designs like the Times Cable Swing and picture designs as the Living Reef A Line coat.

Desert Flower A line design.
Right: Wrong side of knitting.
Left: Right side of knitting.
Below: Graph each square represents a stitch.

 
An individaul length of yarn is used for each area of colour. I strongly recommend a class of Intarsia.

Choosing your first project is really important, the Living Reef has fine detail and 21 colours - try something with 4 to 6 colours as your first project. 

FAIRISLE 
This is generally a pattern repeat worked in two colors across the full row, when you work in 1 colour the 2nd colour is carried at the WS - wrong side of the knitting, behind the colour in use. I call this carrying the yarn, it also referred to as stranding. 

When carrying over more than 5 stitches the carried yarn is ‘woven in’ on the wrong side of the knitting. The Madras & Tiffany are the Fairisle designs presently in the range. 

Generally the pattern repeat is worked from a graph, most Fairisle repeats are geometric and over 6 to 20 stitches. The term 'weaving in' refers to catching/trapping of the carried yarn into the wrong side of the knitting. I like to weave in every third to fifth stitch, this helps with elasticity in the knitting and practically stops these only strands being caught on finger nails and rings.

Fairisle Repeat

TEXTURED STITCHES 
Cable and textured stitches have their origins in Scotland and Ireland. There is nothing more classic than a cream cable sweater; it has an architecture all of it's own. There are several techniques involved. From the basic cable to what I choose to call travelling stitches. I use cables in most of my designs for many reasons, which I will share later.

Right.Diamond Swing has traveling stitches which I have used to create diamonds.

Diamond Cable Swingcoat

Travelling Stitches: Knit stitches (stocking stitch) worked on a base of Purl (reverse st-st). Using a CN - Cable Needle to move K2 across the Purl, stepping the K2 1 stitch to the right or 1 stitch to the left. This creates both zig-zag or diamond texture patterns. The knit stitches are moved on RS - right side rows. 

The Knit traveling stitches are placed on the CN and held at the front of the knitting - the Purl is the background.
Written as C2R or C2L - Cross 2sts to the Right or to the Left.

C2L - place next 2 knit sts onto CN, hold at front, P1, then K2 from CN. The 2 knit sts have moved across to the left by 1 stitch.
C2R - place the next Purl st onto CN, hold at the back, K2, then P1 from CN. The 2 knit sts have moved to the right by 1 stitch.

Byron Coat

LACE PATTERNS  
These patterns are created by increasing or making stitches at the same time as decreasing, always maintaining the same number of stitches across the row.

Stitches are created by working a yrn – yarn round needle, as you knit the next stitch the yrn creates a stitch and a hole = lace. The next stitch maybe K2tog – in this was the stitches across the row are maintained, so think of these as a paired decrease/ increase.

The increase stitches create the lace open work. Lace is generally an all over pattern repeat, often with both written instructions and a graph. The graph will show only the repeat, which is knitted over the row/ full width of the garment. Lace can also be used as a motif pattern, as I have used in the Hamlet Swingcoat design. 

The Blocks Cardigan has lots of bobbles in Wool and Mohair. The pattern on this garment is worked in Intarsia, with a length of yarn per area of colour. However with the bobbles we are working 8 bobbles per pattern block. I use one length of yarn and carry this bobble to bobble across a row, then up to the next row of bobbles. This way I have two ends to sew in, instead of 16 ends (2 per bobble), also it is very difficult to put 2 end into the back of a bobble.

Other textures are created by increasing stitches for several rows, the increase stitches, the increased stitches are knit on Purl background, so the stitches/ pattern sit proud of the knitting creating a 3D pattern.

This increases the number of stitches across the row. The pattern will then decrease stitches back to the original number. This is generally a stocking stitch motif on a reverse stocking stitch.

Bell Stitch We can get really three dimensional and create an embossed Bell shape in stocking stitch on reverse stocking.

Increase 1 stitch to 5 stitches, as with the bobble, but then continue along the row. Wrong side rows Purl these additional 5 stitches. Work maybe 3 rows then start to decrease on RS rows back to 1 stitch.
To keep the Bell shape symmetrical we decrease by working the first two sts and the last two stitches together. There are two different decreases for this, which keeps the shoulders of the bell looking alike: sl1, K1, psso, K1, K2tog = 3sts. These two methods of decrease position our stitches differently creating the shape of the Bell. The following right side sl1, K2tog, psso takes us back to 1stitch. I love the Bell shape, and have used it on the bodice of the Victoria Smock. On the cuff of this design I have added the extra stitches into the cast on edge, so the bells have formed a trim on the cuff.  

LEAF LACE This combines making stitches to create lace, as well as the 3D effect. The leaf has a centre stitch, each side of the centre stitch we increase by yrn - Yarn Round Needle - so yrn, K1, yrn - so we have increased 2sts - one each side of our centre K1 - following WS (wrong side) row P3.
Next Rs row with 3sts: K1, yrn, centre K1, yrn, K1 - following WS P5. As we continue the Knit stitches before the yrn increase 1 stitch. Having worked 3 RS yrn increases you will have 6 increased stitches + the original centre Knit 1 - a total 7sts. These extra stitches create the 3D effect.

The trickiest part of working any texture, where we are moving or creating stitches, is wrong side rows. Wrong side rows rarely have any increase or decreases therefore you just have to maintain stocking stitch or reverse stocking stitch as the right side of the knitting.

Fit & Style

In these designs I find using a double pointed needle in a smaller size to pick up stitch (loops from the right side of the knitting) without actually knitting them. This allows you to check your pick up is even, count the stitches and see if more or less are needed. With Mitres it is really easy picking up from the striped edge of the mitre – simply a stitch per stripe.

I also use this technique when picking up a neckline, using a circular needle. Pick up the loops from the knitting, count the loops, if you have too many you can knit two loops together. If you need more stitches you can spread the stitches out and see where you might have gaps where you can pick up extra stitches.

Necklines can be daunting, often you are taking stitches from a stitch holder; picking up from a cast off stepped edge which is uneven, then up the side of the neck from a straight edge. Picking up and knitting at the same time it can be hard to achieve the correct number of stitches. By picking up loops with the circular needle, when you join the yarn and knit you can make the adjustment to stitch numbers. Don’t try to pick up too close to the edge of the knitting as cast off decreases can show, it is better to be picking up slightly onto the right side of the knitting.

Intarsia & Fairisle starting with simple vertical stripes then advancing onto more intricate patterns and fairisle. The basic are very simple, again it is about following a graph and preparing yarn placement for the row ahead. I use garments from my range to show talk about skill levels, combining of Intarsia and fairisle and colour proportions. Techniques for achieving the best results include - Joining in a new colour, securing ends, carrying colours and how to cheat!

Fit & Style - full day class: This is great for any level of knitter, as it is about fitting to your body shape, unlike most knitting patterns which are straight up and down. I have being teaching this by commencing with the students knitting swatches, as home work then in the class we take body measurements. Ease and fit relates to the individual, so each student will work from their own body measurement, add ease, and calculate stitches, body length and fit. I use garments from my range demonstrate fit, style and ease, also pattern and colour.