Lively Loop

How to hold two yarns

Any colorwork.

left needleright needlebackground: toppattern: below (dominant)
Two yarns at once: background in one hand (or on top on the index finger), pattern in the other (or below). The yarn carried below makes a slightly larger stitch, so hold the pattern color below (the dominant color), and do not switch hands mid-project

How to do it

  1. Option 1: background in the right hand (English style), motif in the left (continental).
  2. Option 2: both yarns on the left index finger, background on top/closer to the tip, motif further back.
  3. The yarn carried below makes slightly larger stitches: carry the motif color below.
  4. Do not switch the yarn positions mid-project, or the motif will look brighter in some places and paler in others.

Tip

A colorwork thimble (with two hooks) keeps the yarns separated.

Common mistake

If the yarns keep twisting, one of them is passing sometimes above and sometimes below.

More in this section «Colorwork (stranded knitting)»

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