Monday, January 11, 2010

Most Impressive Colorwork

Wish I had a little more time to write today, but unfortunately taxes, wholesaling, and general business needs seem to be taking me away from anything that even remotely resembles creativity these days...*sigh*


Since I haven't had a whole lot of creating time, I stole a picture of this hat that Joe is working on to show it off. I don't know about you, but I am quite impressed. I know there were a few comments on my mittens post from people who fear colorwork. Let this be an encouragement to you! Joe has only been knitting since early summer (when I forced him to learn to help with slipper production) and this is his very first go at stranding. I wish I would've tried it sooner, my mittens were only the second colorwork project I have ever attempted (the first being my little lamb sweater).

Joe does have a funny method of working his hat. He is purling all of the stitches and keeping the working yarn toward him... anyone else ever used/seen this method?

So if you are waiting to take the colorwork plunge, time to jump in- you'll be in good company!

25 comments:

  1. I hear that is how they do it in the Andes, so Joe is in good company! The hat looks fab.

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  2. I've heard of people doing it this way. They say it leads to much neater floats.

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  3. Just this weekend I was sitting with a friend who had an in progress colorwork project with her and she mentioned as an aside that she works it that way. I'm not sure if that's how she always works her stockinette or if it was just for colorwork but it was the first time I'd seen it as well!

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  4. joe, I'm impressed. pretty soon you can open swiss knits and be melynda's competition!

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  5. I'm intrigued by that method of stranding. I'm going to do some research and may have to try it out on some mittens =) What pattern is he using?

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  6. Oh my! I can't believe I fogot to say the pattern! It's 'Ullared' from the book 'Hat's On'

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  7. When I taught my husband to knit he wanted to start with a hat in the round. Try as I did to make him copy my hands, he found that purling/keeping the worked yarn toward him was most comfortable for him. Beautiful hat. :)

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  8. Very impressive! I've done a few pairs of your slippers, and try as I might can't get my husband to join me. He actually knew/ran with Joe in High School, and I keep telling him that Joe does it, but it has yet to work.--Angela

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  9. Yes, at least some Andean men who knit stranded hats for their sons, purl with the yarn going toward the center of the hat, and they work at the far side of the tube. They often tension their yarn around their necks. I've tried it, and that makes flicking one of several colors of yarn with the thumb a fast way to handle many colors.

    Go, Joe! Great work indeed.

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  10. Wow ~ looks great!
    He must have a good teacher ;-)

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  11. That's his first attempt?! Very impressed. My first, second, and third attempts don't even look that good.

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  12. Hey Angela, tell Dennis to man up and buy some needles! How did you find Melynda's site?

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  13. I do need to work on my color work. It is not good. To say the least. I' am jealous that this is his first time at stranding and it looks that good!

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  14. Joe--I found Melynda through a suggestion to become a fan of hers on Facebook. Its highly unlikely that Dennis will knit-he let me try to teach him once, but it didn't stick. I must not be as good of a teacher as Melynda :-)--Angela

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  15. Go, Joe! That looks great. I always tell people (mostly non-knitters, though I have one knitter friend who refuses to even try it and thinks it's impossible - mostly she just refuses to try new things lol) that colorwork looks WAY more impressive than the actual work that goes into it. It's only slightly more fiddlier than knitting with one color and the results are so worth it. I love, love, love colorwork.

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  16. Love it! I still haven't tried colorwork, but I'm feeling slightly encouraged...we'll see if I can work up the bravery.

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  17. Wow, good job Joe. Melynda, are you a little jealous at all of the compliments joe is getting, this is your blog and everything. Anyway, I need to have myself a go at colorwork. I mean I can't let jow beat me or anything...Amanda

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  18. Apparently Ann from MasonDixonKnitting does her Alice Starmore knits this way... when she's not absolutely disgusted with the fiddly parts!

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  19. i remember being so afraid of colorwork that it ended up being a breeze! it was so much fun to get that instant gratification and since i started off as a thrower and taught myself continental, it was a easy to work the yarn in both hands - i edned up thinking "what was i so afraif of?" gotta get my hubby to try knitting again! we tried once and need to try again!

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  20. Beautiful...smiles.

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  21. wow! I have been (seriously) knitting five years and have yet to take on color knitting..

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  22. wowee!! way to go hubby :) i miss colorwork. if i could knit one thing right now, it would be a pair of fair isle mittens, much like the ones you just made.

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  23. wow...looks great...most people don't like to purl colorwork but I bet it really helps with keeping the tension loose...I think I will give it a try..thanks Joe

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  24. JOE! Who knew?! Good job at teaching him, Melynda! That hat is beautiful! I'm so impressed! I'm telling all the boys though.... (secretly, they'll be jealous :) ) Nice job!

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  25. I'm very impressed...but not surprised. Good job, Joe.

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