Simply Knitting - UK (2020-05)

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EXPERT ADVICE

The delights of

double knitting

Fancytryingdoubleknittingbutnotsurewheretostart?

Check out our quick guide for tips, tricks and technique variations

T

hisrelativelynewadditiontoyourknittingskillsetiswell

worthlearningasit producesa squishypieceofdouble-

sided,tubularknittingwhichcanbeworkedupflaton

straightneedles.It’stheperfectquicktechniqueforknittingthings

liketubescarves,double-sidedpotholdersandcoasters,toname

justa few.It doesn’ttakeanycomplicatedstitcheseitherbecause

if youcanknitandpurlyoucandoubleknittoo!Herewe’ll focus on

the basic flat knitting technique to get you started:

HOWDOESITWORK

Explainedsimply,you’reknittingtwosidesofknittingatthesame

timeasyouworkalongyourstitches.Thisdoublelayerofknitting

placesthewrongsidesbacktoback.Whenyou’reknittinga

doubleknittingpattern,thefirststitch(knit)willbeforthefront,

thesecondstitch(purl)fortheback,thethirdstitchforthefront,

thefourthstitchfortheback,and so on. This can be done in a

single colour, or two colours.

CASTINGON

Thecastonyouchosedependsonwhetheryouwantanopenor

closedbottomedge(soa tubeora padeffect).If youareworking a

reversiblepiecewithtwocolours,thenthetwo-colourItalian

cast-onmethoddemonstratedhere:www.youtube.com/

watch?v=fsLlCXOWZ_gisperfect.Thistechniqueproducesa

beautifullyneat,closed-bottomedge,whilstalsosettingup

alternatecoloursreadyforthetwosidesofthefabric.If you

requireanopenbottomedge,thenthetwo-colourbackwards-loop

cast-onmethodseenhere:www.youtube.com/

watch?v=dT0v3jwBgco/isideal.Asbeginnersit’sgoodto

alternatecolours,soforexample,onestitchinpink,oneinwhite

andsoon.Thiswillhelpyoutorememberwhichstitchisthepurl

stitchandwhichoneistheknitstitch,dependingonwhichside

youareworking.Rememberyouwillneedhavedoublethenumber

ofstitchesthanyounormallywouldforthesamewidth,ashalfof

themwillbeusedtocreatea completelydifferentlayer/sidesofor

example,if youwanta piecethatis 20 stswide,thenyouneed to cast

on a total of 40 sts (20 sts for front and 20 for the back).

MOVINGTHEYARNS

Gettingtheyarnintherightplaceforeverystitchisimperative.In

orderforthestitchestohavethelookofstockingstitchonboth

sides,youneedtomakesurethattheyarnisontherightsideof

yourknittingbeforeyoumakeyourstitch.Forexamplewiththe

yarninback,K1st,withtheyarninfront,P1stitch.Forthecoaster

projectonpage 71 wehaveusedthetechniquewherebothyarns

aremovedbackwardsandforwardsbetweentheneedles

together,eventhoughonlyoneyarnwillbeknittedwithoneach

pass.Thereareothervariationsofdoubleknittingwheretheyarns

aremoveddifferentlyandyoucanwatchoneofthemhere:www.

youtube.com/watch?v=JroP84tUmJA. You’ll also need to make

sureyoutwisttheyarnsatthebeginning of every row to prevent

the two side edges separating.

ADDINGCOLOUR

Doubleknittingworkseffectivelywithtwodifferentcolours,and

patternscanbecreatedworkingfroma traditionallooking

two-tonechart.Workingthefrontinone shade, as you contrast

with the other shade on the back.

USINGA CHART

Thisiswheredoubleknittinggetsmostchallenging.Asyoutryto

rememberyourK1,P1rhythmwiththeyarnsinthecorrect

positioninsomecasesyou’llalsoneedtofollowa chart.Thefirst

thingyouneedtogettogripswithisrememberingthatevery

squareonyourchartrepresentstwostitches,theFront‘knit’

stitchandtheBack‘purl’stitch.SowhileyourFrontstitchfollows

thechart,yourBackorpurlstitchwillstayplainorfollowa chart

ofitsown.Youmightfindit easiertorememberif yousay,‘Chart

knitstitch’(followingthechartcolour),then,‘Backpurlstitch,

(usingthesecondcolour),asyouworkacrossthefirstfewrows,

justtogetyoustarted.Beforeyoustart,decidewhichside is the

Chart side and clip on a stitch marker to remind you.

Two-sidedcowls

makegreatdouble

knitting patterns

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The Knitter