Need Help?No Floats! - Replay Live Archive
When working with color, we have to consider the "floats" that are carried across the back of the knitting.
When knitting 2 colors per row as in fairisle, these floats can get quite long.
Let's discuss some of the ways to work around the floats and incorporate them into our knitting. No matter what machine you have, you have options when working with color.
When knitting 2 colors per row as in fairisle, these floats can get quite long.
Let's discuss some of the ways to work around the floats and incorporate them into our knitting. No matter what machine you have, you have options when working with color.
- Hiding floats
- Embracing floats
- Multi-color Stitch patterns
Log In
If you need to join our site - Its FREE and easy.
Please Login
Before you can watch this replayed event, you must login.If you need to join our site - Its FREE and easy.
Links mentioned in the Meeting
Laura Kinnan (Daisy Knits) Princess Seam MK patternIntarsia Classroom
Crayon Blanket from Joan Swanson in the book Knit Alphabets Plus
Video used in today's meeting
10 ways to deal with floats (plus 3 knitter suggestions):
00:00:32 - Embrace the floats
00:01:54 - Linings
00:03:20 - Doubled Scarf
00:04:38 - Latch up floats
00:06:03 - Secure by sewing
00:06:22 - "Weave" the floats
00:08:54 - Modify the stitch pattern
00:10:37 - Intarsia (Isolated Motif)
00:13:30 - Multi Color Slip and Tuck
00:22:12 - Crayon Sandwich Blanket
Terry: "For wool knitwear, use needle felting to felt the strands in place."
Jenny: "I use a separate strand of yarn to catch a stitch every other row, similar to wrapping the edges of a motif"
Linda C: "Use a sewing machine with invisible thread (stitch in the ditch between columns of stitches)"
00:29:05 - Knit it Now housekeeping: patterns
OOPS It looks like I mis-spoke when I talked about Intarsia ... I believe the correct term is "isolated motif" .... Whatever you call it, the point of my little "cancel end needles" exercise was to get you thinking about ways to avoid floats.
00:10:37 - Intarsia (Isolated Motif)
| Morag W Thank you Sue lovely to see you again. You are not taking too much of our time. Are we not on next week?e |
| Patricia H Thank you Sue! |
| Patricia H Mayb?e it was raw silk |
| Patricia H I had a linen and silk sweater that felt like it had sticks in it! |
| Marjorie M Thank you! Have a Blessed Christmas. (Merry seems a stretch these days.) |
| Christine Z New here from Grasshopper Springs Ranch in Pearblossom, CA |
| Marjorie M On the barely spun single plys, Ive carefully used my ball winder and the direction I wind to add a bit of twist. Made the difference of a shawl or no shawl. |
| Sue Jalowiec thank you everyone! Happy Holidays! |
| Rhonda M Happy Holidays. |
| Ruth S Sue - Merry Christmas to you and yours. Keep safe. |
| Marie-Jo C Thank you Nancy, the same to you... |
| Patricia H Merry Christmas! |
| Scott V hsppy holdiays |
| Sue Jalowiec @karin.... good reminder! |
| Angela C Yes definitely!! Tata for now all.... |
| Sandra B Thanks |
| Karin R be aware that different colours from one brand and product line can still differ in gauge when knitted - usually not much but still... |
| Nancy M MERRY CHRISTMAS HAPPY NEW YEAR everybody!! |
| Mary Ann B Thanks for another great day. |
| DM G Your color changer video was absolutely wonderful! |
| Jill F Thanks Sue! |
| Angela C Such a pleasure to talk knitting - esp. machine knitting!! Thank youuuu ;) |
| Anne B Has anyone knit with Tencel yarn also known as Lyocell |
| Margaret G This was great! I'm raring to do R&D with my yarn "collection." Thanks! |
| Jacqueline O Mohair silk fine lace are a dream |
| DM G Thanks! |
| Nancy M spun |
| Nancy M is it soun for weavers? watch out for biasing |
| Ritta K Linen is often very heavy as a garment |
| Angela C Linen gets better the more you wash it!! |
| Angela C synthetic fibres will ball when burned |
| Nancy M alpaca tends to be hypo allergenic |
| Angela C Linen is an awesome well wearing fibre, natural too |
| Juavue H one of my daughters is allergic to wool what can I use for sweaters |
| Nancy M my next fav is Kansas Alpaca...custom spun.... |
| Marjorie M isn't yards/pound dependent of material? Bamboo and wool have different densities. |
| Scott V i noticed the yarn form joann fabric that was listed as a 4, when i bought yarn at a yarn shop the 4 yard was thinner |
| Nancy M 2/24 acrylic is a workhorse for doing kids clothes...easy knit, easy care. |
| Nancy M love ypp except I found that ei..alpaca feels "heavier" than merino and both are diff than acrylic |
| Anne B Worsted in uk is more like 5ply |
| DM G Thanks so much for showing the yarn calculator. |
| Scott V mackler stills sells 2/24 |
| Karin R wow, I thought I was the only person using toilet paper cardboard centers... happy to meet others! |
| Angela C EON with a superfine yarn can be used to make lace too. It's really pretty! |
| Scott V i have. i found that if yuo go smaller in yarn size you can create neat patterns. thats on the sk155. |
| Jacqueline O I have done a lot of knitting with hand dyed merino lace singles |
| Julie L I use the Knit Krafter to twist multiple strands...helps prevent pooling, too. |
| Dawn W cardboard over the yarn winder 'post' |
| Angela C I've never waxed yarn, though I always rewind if not on cone. I've also learned to stay away from yarns that are wound as individual strands, like multi-type fibre yarns where the fibres are not plied together |
| Maurie H I have never waxed yarn, could not see the reason for it, as long as it does not tangle I do not see the point. |
| Terry S I rewind all my yarn. I bought cashmere on a cone, rewound it and it broke in a few places from a bug intrusion. |
| Nancy M I found that the wax holds down static and airborn lint |
| Nancy M I've found the round rolled oats container is perfect for standing a skein on end and pulling from the center. |
| Dawn W toilet paper, not top. |
| Marie-Jo C Fine yarns can't fit bulky machines ! I 've been desappointed by using some... |
| Dawn W I use the cardboard center from top- slid over the winder center to maintain an opening in the cake to facilitate passing another yarn through to knit two yarns together. Keeps cake center open. |
| Mary Ann B Right Nancy M. They also break easily if put under tension. |
| Nancy M oh those roving yarns are nice to look at but they don't hold up well to wear and cleaning |
| Susan B Finally starting to knit again after a year or more. Made a tucked baby blanket, and now finishing up the Carnation Cardigan. |
| Morag W The yarn you held up would not be waxed do we not have to wax it first before using it? |
| Angela C knit weave is great for little carpets! |
| Margaret J Margaret J. Back in the saddle. |
| Marjorie M My "out of shape" is the ball. |
| Jacqueline O 315m |
| Jacqueline O Iâm using a hand knitting yarn on the max tension for my standard gauge. 315 per 100g. I dont think I could pus it any further on a standard gauge ...would need bulky otherwise |
| Anne B Yarn that goes out of shape is made for weavers not knitter |
| Marjorie M Although I find cones best. I have done the skein on end in a 5 gal bucket. I find it best if the yarn is fresh and un-squished from store. If I've squashed it in my storage tubs, I'm asking for trouble, and am better off rewinding it. |
| Scott V or red hart |
| Scott V lion heart |
| Angela C The rulers for the knit contour are meant for every needle so even if I use eon, I'll make a note of it, but I'll measure my swatch with the gauge rulers as if it's every needle, as always |
| Scott V i agree my machine cant stand yard form joann farbric but loves tam yarn |
| Nancy M i count stitches and note that its over eon |
| Mary Ann B I've seen so many of the new pretty colored yarns are more like unspun roving and I think they would be difficult to knit easily. |
| Karin R some very thick yarn can be used for knitweave, they don't need to fit into the needle hooks |
| Brenda W I use the russian join also |
| Carolyn K I"ve been able to get discarded cardboard cones from a local dyer, I then use a "cork" insert in a regular drill, put the cone on the "cork" and then wind yarn from a ball or skein on to the cone. Comes off trouble free when machine knitting! |
| Brenda W Hello from Detroit |
| Mary Ann B When you rewind you find the knots that the manufacturers are likely to put in the ball. |
| Margaret W Knitting all afternoon! |
| Morag W what is russian join |
| Nancy M no ends to work in or knot to worry about |
| Nancy M I prefer using the Russian join to connect balls of yarn. |
| Katherine H Second time here for me. |
| Lea B In Italië there are cones makes factory, mohair ,merino..... |
| Nancy M I like to think of playing/ swatching / experimenting as "RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT " sounds so much more dignified than. playing! |
| Joy G We seem to be getting more yarn on cone in the UK now |
| Sandra B Hello from Montana |
| Scott V i foudn that certain yarn brands work better then others |
| Karin R Hi from Germany! |
| Juavue H Hello from Chicago. |
| Lucretia S Lucretia |
| Matthew F Sorry that was ME - Matt |
| Nosub N Hi everyone! |
| Carolyn K Hi from Knowlton, Quebe |
| Patricia H Hi from Louisiana - and it's actually cold!! |
| Scott V hi everyone |
| Angela C Oh forgot to say PEI!! |
| Karen B Karen from Leawood, Kansas here |
| Morag W Hello Sue how are you today? |
| Maurie H Hi from Mississauga Ontario, Canada |
| Terry S Terry from Southern California with leaf blowers in the background. |
| Darcy W I'm back, and glad |
| Cathy R Cathy from Tacoma Wa |
| Lea B Good evening Sue and Matt, From belgium |
| Angela C 2nd time in! |
| Nancy M Nancy Mangeri in Kansas here!! waiting for rain/snow to arrive. |
| Margaret G Hello from Charlottesville, VA. I've been gone for a long time. It's good to be back |
| Mary Ann B Hi from cold and sunny Minnesota |
| Marie-Jo C Ready for our meeting ! Marie-Jo from France here |
| Joy G I've been machine knitting socks, so can make some for Christmas :) |
| Dawn W Good afternoon from sunny, snowy SW Ohio. |
| Julie L Hi, Sue and Matt!! |
| Sue Jalowiec great! |
| Rhonda M Hi Sue, Thanks for the video about the notes in creating a sweater. All worked out great. |
| Marjorie M Hi, Sue. I'm still fussing with ribbers. Got a new Silver Reed where the swing lever doesn't do ANYTHING. |
| Sue Jalowiec Hi marcia ... hugs ...:o) |
| Joy G I'm fine thank you :) |
| Sue Jalowiec no complaints here ... You? |
| Marcia S waiting on eye surgery so i can see to knit, but am here an am excited |
| Joy G Hi Sue, hope you're ok :) |
| Sue Jalowiec hi Joy! |
| Joy G Looking forward to it :) |
| Sue Jalowiec getting started in a few minutes |
Need Help?