How to Strand Yarn When Knitting
Stranding is the knitting technique where a knitter combines two or more yarns in one project. Stranding can be effective if you want to add bulk to your project, because doubling up on the yarn makes for a thicker knitted garment. If you have a pattern calling for a bulky yarn, for instance, you could use two strands of a thinner yarn to make it work. In another sense, stranding is a useful technique for adding color and texture variations into your knitting.
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Instructions
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Choose your yarns. Some yarns will work well together, while others will not. If you only want to add bulk to your project, strand two skeins of the same yarn together while knitting. If you want to add color or texture variation to your project, hold two different skeins of yarn together at once. You might choose a solid color and a variegated one, or a standard yarn with a novelty one. To see how the yarns will look together, hold both strands together and wrap them around your finger a few times. This will give you an idea of the texture and color they will provide to your knitted project.
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Check your gauge. Since you are knitting with two strands held together, your gauge will be off; in other words, the number of stitches you make per inch will be different than it would be for only one strand of yarn. Make a gauge swatch by knitting up a square using your two strands of yarn and the recommended needles in your pattern. Then measure how many stitches per inch you have made, and how many rows per inch you have made. Compare this to the gauge in the pattern; if you have more stitches per inch, you need to lower the size of your needles. If you have fewer stitches per inch, you need larger needles. Once you match the gauge of your pattern you will be ready to begin it.
If you aren't using a pattern, make a small swatch of your work to see how you like the stitches you plan to use with these yarns and needles. Then adjust your needles accordingly to fit the look you want for your project. Use small needles for tight, small stitches and use larger needles for large, loose stitches. -
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Set up your yarn before you knit. When you knit with two strands of yarn held together, it can be easy for them to get tangled and knotted. To avoid this, separate your skeins of yarn into containers so you can pull out the strands from each skein individually without knotting them together. There are a variety of options for this; some manufacturers sell yarn keepers, which are like plastic containers with a hole in the lid. Put your yarn inside, then pull one strand of the yarn through the hole in the lid. Another method is to cut a hole in a plastic container of your own, and sand down the edges until they are smooth. Or you can use an inverted flower pot; put your yarn under the pot and pull the strand through the hole in the bottom of the pot.
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Knit your project. Hold both strands together as you would normally hold one. Make sure as you knit or purl each stitch that you put the needle through both strands every time. Otherwise you may end up dropping stitches or causing holes and bumps in your finished project.
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References
- Photo Credit knitting image by anna karwowska from Fotolia.com
