It’s been so exciting to see some really stunning versions of Janette Budge’s triumph of a toque, the Variance Hat, coming off the needles. Quite a few folks have tackled this as a first colourwork project, which is brilliant to see! Even though Janette’s design features eight shades of J&S 2ply Jumper Weight, you never use more than two colours on any given row, making it a very approachable introduction to colourwork (and one that is sure to wow your knitting and non-knitting friends alike).
Stranded colourwork (sometimes called Fair Isle knitting) is, for me at least, an enormously appealing knitting technique, but also one where I know I’ve got lots of room for improvement. Fundamentally, if you can work a knit stitch, you can work a stranded colourwork pattern. But there’s all sorts of tips and techniques that it’s good to have in mind, in order to create really beautifully even colourwork motifs. Knowing when and how to catch floats, this month’s Confident Knitting technique, is one very big piece of the puzzle. But we have a large collection of videos focussed on stranded colourwork techniques. I found myself drawing on quite a few of them as I knitted my own Variance Hat (pictured above, in the Alternative Kit colourway) and thought it’d be nice to gather them together here. Whether you’re contemplating casting on your first stranded colourwork project, or your fourteenth, there’s always something new to learn!
Where to Begin? Choosing Colours for Colourwork (On YouTube here)
Choosing colours, especially for a complex design, can be daunting… The Variance Hat has two beautiful suggested colourways, but if pinks/greens or blues/greys aren’t your thing, perhaps you’ll want to design your own. In this video tutorial, Felicity (Felix) Ford and Jen take you through using inspiration from the world around you to develop colourways – it’s a whole heap of fun! (The featured project is Felix’s Skystone Armwarmers from Boost Your Knitting).
Getting a Handle on Yarn Dominance (on YouTube here)
If you’ve done any digging into colourwork knitting, you might have come across discussions of yarn dominance. Essentially, the way you hold your two yarns will affect which colour appears more dominant. This tutorial covers options for holding your yarns in a consistent way to ensure your colourwork motif really glows. (The featured project is Ella Gordon’s Shaila Mittens form A Year of Techniques.)
Avoiding a Tangle: Managing Your Ends
I used to love colourwork but absolutely detested weaving in all the ends. I’d tried splicing a few times, but after a few unfortunate accidents, had been put off of the technique. This tutorial from Jen (YouTube link) completely revolutionised my splice game. If you’re working with woolly wools, splicing can be a super handy way of dealing with ends as you go.
And if splicing isn’t your thing or doesn’t suit the yarn you’re using, knitting in ends (YouTube link) is another great way to completely avoid fussing with weaving in ends at the end of a project.
(The featured project is the Marangoni Hat by Tori Seierstad from Boost Your Knitting.)
Troubleshooting: When Things Get Tight
Achieving even tension, with floats neither too loose or too tight, is the biggest challenge of colourwork knitting. Some of the tutorials already mentioned, like holding your yarns in a consistent way and catching floats, can really help with this! But you might also find that flipping your knitting inside out helps solve the issue. In this blog post, Jen shows you the why and the how (with diagrams! We love diagrams!)
These tutorials really are the tip of the iceberg … we’ve got plenty more that might come in handy (like steeking, two-colour alternating cast on and using stitch markers to separate repeats – a personal favourite of mine) over on the YouTube channel.
Photo © Jesse Wild.
I hope you’ve found a tutorial or two to take your colourwork knitting to the next level! There is, of course, no one right way to knit colourwork (or anything else for that matter), just the way that works for you. But the more you know, the more you’re able to refine your own unique approach to common knitting problems. If you’re feeling fired up to cast on Janette Budge’s Variance Hat, you can purchase Confident Knitting in the online shop. When you do, you’ll get all three patterns released thus far + detailed, supporting photo tutorials, and receive nine more patterns from nine amazing designers with nine chances to learn something new. We’ve also still got a few Spring Kits in stock, giving you all the yarn you need for a first project, or pick up a J&S Starter Bundle to help you on your way to creating your own stunning colourway.