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Colourwork

Cynthia Macdougall

Knit Together with Cynthia MacDougall

Colour has a way of inspiring knitters. Yarn shop owners often find that knitters want to make a garment in either the same colours as the sample in the store, or the same colours as the pattern book.
There are many ways to add colour to knitting, from simple stripes to complex pictures. Two of the most common ways to add colour to knitting are colour stranding and intarsia. Fiona Ellis’ Reversible Inukshuk Cushion in this issue uses both methods.
Colour stranding has a rich history and tradition. It is found in many cultures across Europe and the British Isles. Colour stranding involves the carrying of two or more colours of yarn across a row to complete a design.
Intarsia also involves two or more colours across a row of knitting, but, instead of taking each colour all the way across the row, the colours are ‘blocked’ into their respective areas, and each area has a strand of yarn dedicated to it.
These two types of knitting have two things in common: both need practice to get the tension even at the colour changes, and colour changes can be worked in the same way.
To change colours on knit rows, release the first colour of yarn. I like to put it down and angle it to the left. Then, pick up the next colour and continue knitting.
Read more in our Summer 2012 issue.

Cynthia Macdougall

Article by Cynthia MacDougall
www.CGKnitters.ca
blog: cgknitters.blogspot.com
ravelry name: macknitnow

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