Knitting around the neck: Trapping the Background Colour on the purlside

This video shows how to trap the background coloured yarn on the purlside when doing stranded knitting with the yarn tensioned around the neck or via knitting pins at the shoulders.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• knitting
• around
• neck
• thumb
• trap
• stranded
• colourwork
• colorwork
• color
• portuguese knitting
• turkish knitting
• greek knitting

[IxtabsKnitting]

If it were me, I wouldn't change styles. I always find that my gauge with this style of knitting is a lot tighter than with my pick/throw style so I'd have a hard time matching gauge. Also, since you are effectively knitting in a spiral when knitting in the round, if you reverse direction at the beginning of a new round, you'll end up with a weird gap/hole when you switch from knitting a knitside spiral to a purlside spiral and come back around to the start of the round.

[brand068]

Thanks so much for these videos--they are exactly what I have been looking for! I love Portuguese style knitting and stranded colorwork, but until now I haven't been able to figure out how to combine them.

[IxtabsKnitting]

@brand068 Really glad it helped! This style of knitting is fantastic for stranded work. :-D

[brand068]

Sigh. That's what I was afraid of, thanks for the advice. I was afraid that was maybe not a good idea. But do you think it would be okay to finish the body on the knit side and then start the sleeves working on the purl side?

[brand068]

@Ixtabs yes I can see that, and am so excited! I have a knit-side Fair Isle project half done, up to the start of the sleeve steeks, and I plan to reverse direction in mid-steek and start knitting on the purlside. I'll put in a lifeline first in case I just can't match the gauge. Am I crazy, or do you think this will work? Also, I've been trying to find you in Ravelry, sent you a YouTube message with my Rav name--please friend me in Rav if you don't want to post your Rav handle here. Thanks!!!

[IxtabsKnitting]

Yes, absolutely.  That's exactly it!

[Khamomil]

Oh now I understand you purl 'round-the-neck as a first choice, and contrary to what I had understood it's not because you prefer doing stranded work from the in-side.

And you'll purl 'round-the-neck any project that requires stockinette stitch if I understand correctly.

[IxtabsKnitting]

I thought we were talking about different sides of the work but obviously that was not it at all and now I have offended you - sorry. As to your issue, I choose to use the purl stitch because it's faster, more natural and therefore easier to do than its knit stitch counterpart in this style of knitting. As a consequence of that choice, I and people from many other cultures who strand in the round this way, end up having to work on the purlside. If you prefer knitting then by all means do it.

[Khamomil]

The issue was never about WHICH is the right side, which is the wrong side, we're not total morons! The issue was that you're saying you can't work 'round-the-neck from the right side. What happens is you chose to work the stranded color work from the in-side which forces you to do all purls, and since the 'round-the-neck method makes purling a breeze you're doing your color work with both yarns 'roud-the-neck, which is very smart. I like your work and you're very talented.