Sunday Stitch – Stranded Knitting Colorwork

Stranded Knitting Colorwork, aka Fair Isle Knitting, is knitting with two (or more) colors in the same row or round. Its the definitive style of colorwork knitting and it can be a bit intimidating. How do you manage two colors at the same time?

Well, there is more than one way. Of course there is! If we know anything about knitters its that they are good at coming up with their own personalized way to get that knitting done. Today I’m teaching the way I do stranded knitting colorwork: with one color in my right hand and one in my left. That is to say, Color A is knit English style and Color B is knit continental style. 

There are some knitters who will hold both strands in their right or both in their left. But not me. The two-handed method has these advantages over the one-handed methods

• by holding the strands apart they won’t get twisted or tangled
• by separating the strands you can get a neat effect called color dominance (which I cover in the video at 6:25)
• if you are going to teach yourself a new method of knitting so you can manage two colors, learn continental. Continental style knitting is so very useful for more than just stranded knitting. Learning that method will pay off for you in spades.