How To Knit: Trapping Floats

How To Knit: Trapping Floats | Brooklyn Tweed

Рет қаралды 79,433

4 жыл бұрын

Trapping your floats in stranded colorwork is useful if you have areas with long color repeats - your colorwork will look neater and you won't need to worry about snagging an unsecured float. We'll show you how in this Brooklyn Tweed knitting tutorial!
Featured pattern: Andraos by Christelle Nihoul
Featured yarn: Brooklyn Tweed Peerie
Shop pattern: brooklyntweed.com/products/an...
Shop yarn: brooklyntweed.com/products/pe...
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Visit our Resources page for more knitting tips: brooklyntweed.com/pages/resou...
If you found this tutorial helpful, we’d love your support! Shop our breed-specific American wool yarns & thoughtfully designed patterns at BrooklynTweed.com.
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We develop and manufacture breed-specific wool yarns that support domestic textile production. This means designing, sourcing, dyeing and spinning our yarns 100% within the USA.
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Пікірлер: 108

@lailaal.6531 2 жыл бұрын

This is hands down the best explanation of how to trapping floats on KZfaq! Thank you

@BrooklynTweed_Official 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you - glad it was helpful! (Nice neat floats are SO satisfying!) Happy knitting!

@MrNele99 2 жыл бұрын

Def the best video for explaining how to trap floats. And thanks for not insisting that one must hold the yarns in different hands!

@BrooklynTweed_Official 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much! One hand, two hands, it all works!

@janedaniel7288 Ай бұрын

So it's trapping your floats not catching them as I thought. Very, very clear instruction. Thank you. xxJane 🐑🌼

@BrooklynTweed_Official Ай бұрын

You're so welcome! Happy knitting!

@TheHappyHen Жыл бұрын

This is the BEST, most straight-forward video I have seen for the trap! I am so new to colorwork and this makes it SO EASY! ❤🎉😊 THANK YOU!!!

@BrooklynTweed_Official Жыл бұрын

You are so welcome!

@caseylewis9444 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the video and being so awesome at explaining it!! This was like my 10th video of trying to learn and I got it watching one time through because of you. You rock!

@BrooklynTweed_Official 2 жыл бұрын

Hi Casey! That's awesome, I'm so glad we could help! Rock on with your nice neat floats!

@danishsierra Жыл бұрын

OMG! I’ve been knitting for almost 50 years and just learnt something new and useful! Many thanks!

@BrooklynTweed_Official Жыл бұрын

You are so welcome! Thanks for watching!

@janelldemello9052 2 жыл бұрын

I love seeing somebody hold their needles the way I do.

@BrooklynTweed_Official 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching, Janell! It's so interesting to watch other folks knit and see how everyone has their own personal style :)

@janelldemello9052 2 жыл бұрын

I am wondering if you mark out on your chart where you are going to do your catches. Seems to me that would be helpful. The back looks so perfect.

@BrooklynTweed_Official 2 жыл бұрын

@@janelldemello9052 Great question! Some colorwork charts do that very thing (like our Voe pullover & Voe Hat by Gudrun Johnston), or you could mark them yourself for ones that don't.

@emilydawson9292 2 ай бұрын

I have been quite trepidations about trying colourwork on account of the floats. Thank you so much for providing such a clear (and one handed) approach to catching floats!

@BrooklynTweed_Official 2 ай бұрын

You are so welcome! Happy knitting!

@barbarawood3209 Жыл бұрын

This is so helpful! My go-to video when I do a colorwork item.

@BrooklynTweed_Official Жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful! Nice neat floats are SO satisfying!

@kathleenbacon3720 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks! I’m actually working on a stranded headband right now. I hold one color in each hand, so I was happy to see you added that option at the end. I’ve been physically moving one ball of yarn over the other for my traps, this is easier. 👍🏻

@mariananavarro4175 4 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for this little tutorial it really helped me understand how trapping floats works. fantastic

@BrooklynTweed_Official 4 ай бұрын

Great to hear! Thanks so much for watching!

@eboni1346 Жыл бұрын

You've saved my project ❤️ thank you for the video!

@BrooklynTweed_Official Жыл бұрын

Glad we could help!

@lonytakerschbaum5559 4 жыл бұрын

Love your tutorial....very helpful and a different way than I've done it before. I will try this next time. Thanks!

@BrooklynTweed_Official 3 жыл бұрын

Glad you found it helpful! Happy knitting!

@ashleymendoza5152 9 ай бұрын

this is an amazing video. Is there a video of you showing how to trap floats on the wrong side of the floats?

@BrooklynTweed_Official 9 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching! Not yet, but that's a great idea for a future video!

@cecej1069 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent demonstration, thank you!

@BrooklynTweed_Official 2 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!

@anneshirleyduncan Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much. I've never seen this explained so simply.

@BrooklynTweed_Official Жыл бұрын

You're very welcome! Happy knitting!

@TheStitchWitchPodcast 8 ай бұрын

thank you so much for this; I actually feel able to do the thing that actually got me to start knitting-- color work!!

@BrooklynTweed_Official 8 ай бұрын

You can do it!

@SuzKnits 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks , you explained how to catch floats really well.

@BrooklynTweed_Official 2 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@nancystanley3239 4 жыл бұрын

Very nicely done. I’ve never done this before. I’m going to give this hat pattern a try.

@BrooklynTweed_Official 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you! We'd love to see your project!

@isabelgrosu9668 Жыл бұрын

this is so well explained, thank you so much !

@BrooklynTweed_Official Жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful! Happy knitting!

@janmeyer5933 2 жыл бұрын

Spot On, exactly what I needed!

@BrooklynTweed_Official 2 жыл бұрын

We're so glad! (Aren't nice neat floats just SO satisfying?)

@brittneywick 7 ай бұрын

THANK YOU! Wonderful tutorial.

@BrooklynTweed_Official 7 ай бұрын

You are so welcome! Happy knitting!

@shelleymetzger7513 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for this video! I’m starting my first color work piece and I was unsure of how this worked, now it doesn’t seem so daunting

@BrooklynTweed_Official Жыл бұрын

You are so welcome!

@dbowden9971 4 жыл бұрын

Perfect. Thank you.

@BrooklynTweed_Official 3 жыл бұрын

Happy knitting!

@hanhvuong8898 3 жыл бұрын

Very nice !Thank you so much.

@BrooklynTweed_Official 3 жыл бұрын

Our pleasure!

@stargirl661 2 жыл бұрын

thank you for this video!!

@BrooklynTweed_Official 2 жыл бұрын

Thank YOU for watching! Happy knitting!

@lc-xq1yz 6 ай бұрын

Best stranded videos on the internet!!! One question: are you swapping the color dominance for each of these sections? I always get confused about the dominance when changing color floats and don’t want my DC to accidentally become the main color, thus receding. Thank you so much!

@BrooklynTweed_Official 6 ай бұрын

Great question! It can be less obvious with big sections of color, but generally you'll want to keep one color dominant throughout. More complicated colorwork patterns, where you're using several colors and it's easier to forget which one is supposed to be dominant where, often have a color dominance chart next to the stitch pattern chart that shows which color should be dominant on each row. Happy knitting!

@lc-xq1yz 5 ай бұрын

Thank you so much!

@tshawnjohnson 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I would love to see an example of trapping floats when you are working on the back side with the floated yarn pulled forward and the knitted yarn pulled back. I can do it from the front, I'm just not sure why I'm having trouble on the other side...

@BrooklynTweed_Official 3 жыл бұрын

It can be a bit tricky on the back! Remember that the yarn you want to trap is coming from under your working yarn and that you're laying it over the needle in the opposite direction of the stitch you're about to work. Happy knitting!

@abgates56 8 ай бұрын

Thank you for the great explanation and clear video. This helped me so much. Question: when knitting Magic Loop, if I want to catch the floating yarn at the end of each needle should I do the wrap of the floating yarn in the last stitch on the needle, or the second-to-the-last stitch then secure it completely with the last stitch? Thanks!

@BrooklynTweed_Official 8 ай бұрын

Either way is great - remember to switch up the spot where you're trapping floats from round to round so that it doesn't show through on the front. Happy knitting!

@MarshaNovak 4 жыл бұрын

Very clear and love seeing you hold both yarns in your right hand- have been discouraged from color work because you are "supposed to" hold one yarn in each hand and I just can't get comfortable picking.

@drea3556 4 жыл бұрын

Who said you need to use both hands I am a Continental knitter who uses both in my left. I always say do you!

@kathleenbacon3720 4 жыл бұрын

Look up Norwegian Knit revisited by Arne and Carlos. I use that for my left hand knitting.

@BrooklynTweed_Official 3 жыл бұрын

Everyone knits differently - do what works for you!

@debmorton3310 3 жыл бұрын

Same here. I don’t understand why some people think their way of knitting is the only way. I’ve been knitting for over 50 years and have made hundreds of hats and blankets for charity. If it gets the job done and it works for you, do it!

@suehedin 4 жыл бұрын

Excellent tutorial! I would like to know more about the edges of the piece you are working on.

@BrooklynTweed_Official 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much! We alternated colors up the edges to help keep our swatch tidy :)

@captainswing4487 Жыл бұрын

Got it.

@marleemargulies4295 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent video. I’ve been trying to master this technique, and your video and description really helped! What are you doing at the beginnings of each row that make it look so neat?

@BrooklynTweed_Official 2 жыл бұрын

Hi Marlee! Glad this was helpful! Jared is keeping the edges of his swatch neat and tidy here by alternating the two colors that he's working with in a checkerboard pattern (also, we always steam our swatches before filming so they look extra nice!) Happy knitting!

@anepictree 7 ай бұрын

great eplanation demo, thanks - is it the same technique for knitting in the round?

@BrooklynTweed_Official 7 ай бұрын

Yes, it is! Happy knitting!

@anepictree 7 ай бұрын

thanks 😊

@cancyblackwell Жыл бұрын

But how do you switch sides with something that isn't in the round when doing floats? (e.g., whenever you're done with the right side, the yarn is always at the bottom...so how do you make it go back up to the top to keep working on the right side?)

@BrooklynTweed_Official Жыл бұрын

Hi Cancy! If you're working stranded colorwork flat, you'll need to purl back across the wrong side in pattern to get back to the right side (so you'd trap your floats in front as you're purling). Happy knitting!

@brittanyszymankiewicz7324 Жыл бұрын

I’m about to start my first colourwork project and was having such a hard time understanding how to do it, and how to prevent twisting (I hear that’s a common issue?) but this has been a perfect explanation, thank you!! Am I understanding it correctly that it’s a two stitch process to trap it completely?

@BrooklynTweed_Official Жыл бұрын

Hi Brittany! So glad you found this helpful! Yes, you've got it - the second stitch locks the float in.

@brittanyszymankiewicz7324 Жыл бұрын

@@BrooklynTweed_Official awesome thank you so much!! Going to watch your video on colour dominance now to make sure my project looks top notch. Any tips for how to hold the second colour in left hand? It feels like my hand has forgotten how to work 🤦🏻‍♀️😂

@BrooklynTweed_Official Жыл бұрын

@@brittanyszymankiewicz7324 It may feel awkward for a little bit until you get used to it, totally normal! 😁

@NS-vw8pm 2 жыл бұрын

Just watched your color dominance clip and in that video I saw that for your float, you carried your dominant color which was in in you right hand over the top but here for longer floats dominant color should be trapped under, correct? Sorry to ask for further clarity, but your work is just as lovely from behind and I’m trying to attain that precise float look from the back ( as well as maintain even tension, lol).

@BrooklynTweed_Official 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for watching! Yes, your dominant color should always be carried under your background color, whether holding one color in each hand or both in one hand (at the end of the color dominance video, Jared demonstrates his method of holding both colors in one hand, keeping the dominant color to the left/below the background color). That will give you those lovely tidy floats on the back!

@3harvard 2 жыл бұрын

I knit like you do, with both strands in my right hand. How does this affect color dominance and moving both colors back and forth?

@BrooklynTweed_Official 2 жыл бұрын

Hi Theresa! Great question - Jared demonstrates this in our How To Knit: Color Dominance 101 video here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/jt-Pga51t7nZp4U.html However you prefer to hold your yarn, the key thing is to keep your dominant color traveling under your background color. Happy knitting!

@tsaial 10 ай бұрын

Thanks for this video! I am just starting my first colorwork project. I had a question, do you mind explaining why you always come from under the working yarn? Is it possible to alternate so that the twist in the strands “undoes” itself so you don’t end up with all those twists? Total beginner here, really appreciate your video!

@BrooklynTweed_Official 10 ай бұрын

You're very welcome! Great question - there are actually two reasons you want to bring your float yarn up from under your working yarn when trapping your floats. The first is so that the float yarn sits "behind" the working yarn, so it gets trapped when you knit your next stitch with the working yarn, but doesn't come through to the front of your work. The second, which has more to do with why you don't want to alternate yarn position, has to do with color dominance - check out our tutorial here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/jt-Pga51t7nZp4U.html Happy knitting!

@tsaial 9 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for the explanation! I just bought The Nordic Knitting Primer and read about color dominance today. And then I noticed Brooklyn Tweed is listed as a yarn supplier in Portland, OR. Will definitely be checking it out in the future for projects!

@susanmarek6027 Жыл бұрын

Love the video, but I'd like to know what the sweater pattern is worn in video?

@BrooklynTweed_Official Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! Jared is wearing his Timberline cardigan: brooklyntweed.com/products/timberline

@susanmarek6027 Жыл бұрын

@@BrooklynTweed_Official Thank you! purchased. it's gorgeous💓

@user-hf4ir8bj4i 7 ай бұрын

What would be the result if I trapped every stitch with floating? Will there be any problems with its elasticity?

@BrooklynTweed_Official 7 ай бұрын

Hello! Yes, you would get a very stiff fabric and likely would have the float color showing through on the front of the work.

@csbtrod Жыл бұрын

Is the pink the dominant color of this swatch/pattern?

@BrooklynTweed_Official Жыл бұрын

Great question! Yes, Jared is using the pink yarn as the dominant color here.

@csbtrod Жыл бұрын

@@BrooklynTweed_Official Great! Thanks!

@MedineSeferzade Жыл бұрын

are there a way to make invisible color change at the back side too?

@BrooklynTweed_Official Жыл бұрын

Hmm, so you could have reversible colorwork with no floats? You'd need to do double-knitting (fully reversible) or intarsia (no floats, but you'd have a "wrong" side still). Happy knitting!

@MedineSeferzade Жыл бұрын

@@BrooklynTweed_Official which one is better or preferable? simply letting lines at the back side, double knitting or intarsia?

@BrooklynTweed_Official Жыл бұрын

@@MedineSeferzade Whichever one you like the best! Some folks like the look of floats worn on the outside!

@TheFiown 2 жыл бұрын

Isn't it easier on such a pattern as this to do intarsia rather than float the yarn ?

@BrooklynTweed_Official 2 жыл бұрын

Hi Stephanie! Great question - for a flat piece like this you could certainly do intarsia. The pattern that we use this colorwork motif in, Andraos, is a hat worked in the round, we just made a flat swatch for the video to make it a bit easier to show the wrong side of the fabric. :)

@alise4377 7 ай бұрын

What if there's a whole row with just one color, so I carry the other color all the way through the row?

@BrooklynTweed_Official 7 ай бұрын

Hello! If you're knitting flat and need the second color on the following row, then yes, you would need to carry it across so you have it on the far side to knit back with. If you're knitting in the round, then you can simply knit one round with the first color and then pick the second color back up to knit the following round. Happy knitting!

@alise4377 7 ай бұрын

@@BrooklynTweed_Official thank you so much

@NaturalAegyo Жыл бұрын

With 3 colors?

@BrooklynTweed_Official 11 ай бұрын

You can use this technique to trap multiple floats - lay your non-working yarn(s) over the top of your needle and then knit a stitch with your working yarn to make the trap.

@lc-xq1yz 6 ай бұрын

Clarification: Main color being background color.

@eh3600 Жыл бұрын

Did my first color work swatch ever over the weekend, I didn't know catching floats was a thing. Suffice it to say the tension was a mess, so much fabric bunching 😔 I'll take this knowledge into future projects, thank you so much ♡

@BrooklynTweed_Official Жыл бұрын

Try going up a needle size in your colorwork sections as well, it can help to keep your tension consistent! Happy knitting!