Carrying the unused strand of yarn up the wrong side of our knitting project allows us to avoid cutting (and by extension sewing) the strand. But how can we carry the yarn up the side (or inside) of our striped knitting projects in a way that keeps that contrasting color of the unused strand from grabbing our attention in the finished product? In this SDK Blog post, we’ll explore 5 common mistakes when carrying yarn in striped knitting projects and how to avoid them for a clean, polished look.
Before we get going I do want to make note that the images used in this blog post contain fabric that was created by knitting flat in garter ridge. But these issues can be avoided when working in the round or in stockinette (or even lace and textures).
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5 Most Common Mistakes When Carrying the Unused Strand
The Solution
The pattern featured in this SDK Blog Post is the DK Beckley Shawl.
The yarn featured in the DK Beckley Shawl is dyed by The Frosted Stitch, Marine & Jolly Sailor Bold on Deep Freeze DK.
The yarn featured in the swatch used for demonstration is dyed by Bad Sheep Yarn (affiliate), Spiced Current and an OOAK on BSY Worsted.
Some Helpful Things to Know to Avoid the 5 Common Mistakes When Carrying Yarn in Striped Knitting Projects.
Learn all about how to keep that edge stretchy when striping or carrying yarn in this SDK Blog post!
This SDK Blog post assumes the reader is familiar with the process of carrying an unused strand up the side (or inside) of a project. For more info on that, along with a photo and video tutorial demonstrating the technique, check out the SDK Blog post Carrying Yarn Up the Wrong Side: Fewer Ends To Sew In Knitting Projects.
Check out this image of the edge of the DK Beckley Shawl below. The unused strand was carried along the edge as it was knit and from the right side, and is minimally visible. From the wrong side it is clearly visible but tastefully locked in place.
The Trouble: 5 common mistakes made when we carry yarn up the wrong side of a knitting project
The first common mistake involves not carrying the yarn loosely enough up the side. This sounds bonkers but, if it doesn't look too loose, then it is probably too tight. There is a helpful trick to use when beginning to work with the strand that has been carried up the side and I go into that in another SDK Blog post (linked below) so I won't go deep here. But I will share that it involves creating a yarn over at the beginning of the row in which we are beginning to work with the carried yarn and then dropping the yarn over at the end of the following row/round. If you need more info on that, check out the post How to Alternate Skeins and Achieve a Stretchy Edge.
Take a look at the baby shawl in the photo above. You can see that the edge on the left side is much shorter than the other edges and "squished" or curling up. This is after blocking. The squished side has no more stretch left but the right side has lots! This issue was created by not using the yarn over trick I described above. But that little trick alone won't take care of the potential issue of a too-tight-edge if we are carrying the unused strand for multiple rows. In order to be sure my edge will be stretchy, I actually stretch the edge before I begin working with the strand that was carried. It almost always looks too loose in my WIP, but after blocking my project, I have found that it lays quite nicely along the side of my work.
The second common mistake is created by wrapping the two strands in the "wrong" direction. I'm a firm believer in there is no "wrong" way to knit, but if the carried strand is wrapped over the working yarn, as pictured in blue above, it will be pushed toward the right side of the work and be much more likely to be visible in our finished project. The impact on visibility is quite noticeable in the second image above. For clear instructions with photos on how to wrap the two strands together the "right way" check out this blog post.
The third mistake happens when a purl stitch is worked before and/or after the twist. As mentioned above, this technique works quite well regardless of working in the round or flat. It works in multiple fabrics such as stockinette, garter ridge, lace or texture. What won't work is to use a purl stitch to lock the carried yarn in place. If the fabric is textured, its important that a knit stitch is used following the twist. A purl stitch will force the carried strand to the right side of the fabric.
The fourth mistake: wrapping in the same column of stitches row after row. Especially when there is a high contrast in saturation or color value between the two colors of yarn, the yarn that is being carried is more likely to peek through and be visible when it is locked between the same two stitches row/round after row/round.
The fifth mistake is only an issue when working flat and occurs when we wrap the unused strand before knitting the first stitch. This isn't a mistake per-say, but it does often lead to a more obvious line of color along the edge of our knitting project as opposed to working that twist after the first (or second) stitch has been knit.
Click here to scroll back up and peak at those photos of the DK Beckley Shawl. In the second photo of the wrong side of the shawl, you can see the unused strand clearly carried up. Because it is tucked one stitch in, it is less visible from the right side (shown in the first photo). This isn't an issue at all if there is a plan to seam the edge, pick up stitches along the edge or apply an i-cord boarder. However tucking the carried strand one or two stitches in from the edge does help create a more sturdy or stable edge and can make some seaming techniques more simple to complete.
The solution to these common errors?
Carry the unused strand of yarn loosely up the side, take advantage of the yarn over trick explained in this SDK Blog Post.
Make sure to wrap the working yarn over the top of the carried strand and toward the body of the knitter. For a video tutorial of how to do that, check out this SDK YouTube Video. Be sure to give it a thumbs up while you are there and subscribe tho the SDK YouTube Channel to see more videos as they are released.
If possible, try to strategize so that the tuck happens before and after a knit stitch. If that isn't possible (such as in seed stitch fabric) I have personally found it best to follow the tuck with a knit stitch.
Don't wrap or tuck in the same spot row after row (or round after round). Especially when working in the round, I stagger the location of the tuck so that it takes place one or two stitches away from the spot I tucked it in the round below. When working flat, I don't like that zig-zag look of the contrasting color to occasionally be visible (as it would be in a shawl for example). In this case I may skip a row or two in order to avoid this issue. In general, I the most I would ever carry a strand without tucking is 1in or 2.5cm (the number of rows that is will depend on the weight of yarn involved).
This one is such a simple fix: place that tuck one or two stitches in from the edge of the project.
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I would love to hear from you! Have you run into these issues before? Do you have another way to address them? Share in the comments!
Happy Making! ~Sönna
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