Exquisite Striping in the Round

I have found that the best way to make nice stripes in the round is to twist the strands (and change colors when called for) on the third stitch of each round. This allows you to start the round and pull the stitches tight normally, without adding with a twist or color change at the same time. Then on the third stitch, the round is well-established, and you can change colors more gracefully. This is a good technique for making exquisite stripes or a gift for the Queen.

Here it is, step by step. Do this for every round, whether or not you change colors:

1. Work the first 2 stitches in the round using the same color as the previous round.

2. Twist the working yarn of both colors together—2 twists.

3. Place the color not in use between the 2nd and 3rd fingers of your left hand. Hold it like a cigarette in the old movies, pull the slack with your right hand, and slide up to the back of your knitting to tighten the twists.

4. With your right hand, pull on the working color yarn that you will use for this round to finish tightening the twists.

5. Insert the right needle into the next (third) stitch. Give one more tug on each color yarn with your right hand before working the stitch.

6. Work the stitch.

7. Drop the non-used color from your left fingers and tug gently on each color yarn.

8. Proceed with finishing the round.

Note: some knitters like to slip the first stitch before changing colors, to reduce the stair-step effect.

For more knitting tips that will help with Witch Warmers see
Preventing Uneven Ribs
Big Magic Loop
Closing the Bind-Off Gap
Preventing Ladders
Quick and Dirty Striping
Adding a Color in the Round
Straightening and Joining in the Round
Magic Loop Rocks!
Short Witch Warmers
Black Attack: Working with Dark Yarn
Cast-Ons: Keeping Count
I Love Cable Cast-On
Swatch Wars

Quick and Dirty Striping

Are you getting tired of untangling your colors and looking at big loopy "seam" stitches when you stripe in the round? It was driving me crazy when developing the Witch Warmers pattern. So I figured out a quick-and-dirty method of striping that saved my sanity.

The standard way of striping is to twist the two colors together at the beginning of each row, so the unused color is carried up the inside of the knitting.

My Quick and Dirty Way

Work the first stitch of each row with both colors held together. This leaves a multi-colored seamline, but it’s much faster and easier... fewer gaps and big stitches, no long threads showing on the front, fewer tangles between the skeins, etc.

This technique will give your in-the-round piece a bit smaller circumference, so you might consider using the next larger size in the pattern instructions.

Follow these steps at the beginning of every row, whether or not you change colors:
1. Before starting the first stitch, pull tightly on each color’s working yarn individually.
2. After knitting the first stich with both colors, again pull tightly on each strand individually.
3. Insert the right needle into the next (second) stitch in the row. Pull the working yarn for the one color to be used in that row tight, and proceed with the stitch.
4. Continue knitting normally in the one color, to the end of the row.

Note: for ribbed stripes as in the neckwarmer, it comes out better if you purl the 1st stitch of the round in the same color as the previous round, then use both colors to knit the 2nd stitch, and proceed with the correct color for the round on the 3rd stitch.

For more knitting tips that will help with Witch Warmers see
Preventing Uneven Ribs
Big Magic Loop
Closing the Bind-Off Gap
Preventing Ladders
Exquisite Striping in the Round
Adding a Color in the Round
Straightening and Joining in the Round
Magic Loop Rocks!
Short Witch Warmers
Black Attack: Working with Dark Yarn
Cast-Ons: Keeping Count
I Love Cable Cast-On
Swatch Wars

Adding a Color in the Round

When striping in the round, here’s how to add a new color for the first time:

1. At the beginning of the round to be worked in the new color, work the first stitch with the new color, leaving a 4-inch tail behind. Continue working in the new color to the end of the round.

2. When you are ready to start the next round (with the new color again), hold the 4-inch tail together with the working yarn and work 3 stitches.

3. Drop what is left of the tail and continue the round.

4. A couple of rounds later, when the tail stitches have been knitted off the needles, pull on the end of the tail to tighten up the last doubled stitch.



For more knitting tips that will help with Witch Warmers see
Preventing Uneven Ribs
Big Magic Loop
Closing the Bind-Off Gap
Preventing Ladders
Exquisite Striping in the Round
Quick and Dirty Striping
Straightening and Joining in the Round
Magic Loop Rocks!
Short Witch Warmers
Black Attack: Working with Dark Yarn
Cast-Ons: Keeping Count
I Love Cable Cast-On
Swatch Wars