Finding Color Inspiration For Loom Knitters!

Hello loom knitters and welcome to our color series! This is topic 6, Color Inspiration.

Color is everywhere...it affects our mood, inspires us and makes us feel more creative!

I'm sad to say this is the 6th, and last in a series of blog posts and accompanying videos, pictures/charts discussing different methods of using color in your loom knitting. I've had so much fun writing about this topic and hope you have found these posts helpful. This post is about finding color inspiration.

The series will include

(the current topic is highlighted below)

• Topic 1: Beginners! Simple Colorwork on the loom including, self-striping, variegated yarn, stripes and color changes, vertical and horizontal colorwork (post link)
• Topic 2:  How to fix the jog when knitting stripes!
• Topic 3:  Fair Isle loom knitting
• Topic 4:  Intarsia on the loom
• Topic 5:  Mosaic & Slip Stitch Loom Knitting
• Topic 6:  Finding color inspiration
• All the topics will include pictures/video links, charts where applicable.

Do you wonder why some designers knits look so good and have that instant "wow" factor? 

Besides all the attention to detail, it may just be their color choices. Most designers study color or have a "natural eye" for how colors compliment or contrast each other.

Do you feel that you struggle with choosing colors?

Have no fear, there are ways to cheat if you don't have a "natural eye" for combining colors. You can use the color wheel, explained below, find color inspiration in your environment or look for color boards on sites like Google or Pinterest.

The color wheel explained!

Finding complementary colors

choose a color on the wheel and draw a straight line across from it and that is the colors complement. If you choose the colors next to the complement you will get a more subtle look. This combination can be quite dramatic like white and black. 

Finding Analogeous Colors

These colors are found by choosing a color and then selecting the colors on either side of that color. These colors create monochrematic looks.

Finding triad Colors

Find a color on the color wheel then draw a triangle to find that colors secondary colors. Colors must be equally spaced so there are only 4 combinations. This creates a vibrant look to your color scheme.

Note:  If this seems like a lot to remember than you can buy a color wheel like the one I use and it does all the work for you just by dialing the wheel, so easy!

Front of wheel

Back of wheel

Finding color inspiration in your environment!

Have you seen a bouquet of flowers that you just love? It's probably because the colors blend perfectly to your eye. Maybe it's a subtle blend or vibrant contrast, either way it appeals to you. Take a picture of it and find yarn in those colors. This method works for almost anything. Before painting a room, I find fabric I love, cut a swatch and pick my paint colors from that swatch. Since I already know I like the color combination, I don't worry about liking it within my room. 

Choosing color combinations from objects and pictures you already love, pretty much insures success!

Subtle natural color combinations

Vibrant color combinations

Monochromatic colors

Is there a board above that you are particularly attracted to, then you can use that as a start for choosing color combinations for your next project. Or, better yet, make your own boards using free picture editing software. These are fun to make. How cool would it be to make a blanket using the colors from your travel photos?

Another trick, use a color board found online or make your own!

Pinterest and Google are loaded with these. Use the search term "color palettes" and you'll find beautiful images and colors selected from those images.

Below are examples that I made up from pictures I love. On the left is the picture and on the right are 3 colors chosen from that picture using an eyedropper tool within my photo editing software. This is an easy and fast way to create color combinations that work together!

Isn't it amazing how the colors just work together? When objects and landscapes are visually appealing then their color combinations are also. This is where the saying "pretty as a picture" must come from!

OK, it's time to bring this color series to its' conclusion. Thank you so much for following along with me. I hope you have learned a lot about working with color in your loom knitting and beyond. Have a great day!

Read more »

Nicole F. Cox

Mosaic Loom Knitting

Hello loom knitters and welcome to our color series! This is topic 5, Mosaic & skip/slip stitch colorwork.

Color is everywhere...it affects our mood, inspires us and makes us feel more creative!

Above loom knitting Patterns Can be found Here!

This is the 5th in a series of blog posts and accompanying videos, pictures discussing different methods of using color in your loom knitting. Check back for future articles or subscribe to our mailing list to be the first notified of the new posts in this series. This post is about Fair Isle loom knitting.

The series will include

(the current topic is highlighted below)

• Topic 1: Beginners! Simple Colorwork on the loom including, self-striping, variegated yarn, stripes and color changes, vertical and horizontal colorwork (post link)
• Topic 2:  How to fix the jog!
• Topic 3:  Fair Isle loom knitting
• Topic 4:  Intarsia on the loom
• Topic 5:  Mosaic & Slip Stitch Loom Knitting
• Topic 6:  Finding color inspiration
• All the topics will include pictures/video links, charts where applicable.

What is Slip/skip Stitch colorwork?

Slip/skip stitch colorwork is a technique used to make different color placement effects in knitted fabric. By skipping stitches/pegs, you can create beautiful waves, blocks, mosaics and color effects.  

How do I do a skip/slip stitch on the loom?

You take the yarn behind the peg(s), ignoring 1 or more sts/pegs. It will usually be written like this, skip1 wyib, slip1 wyib, slip1, skip1 or some variation of those. Pegs can also be skipped/slipped by placing the yarn in front of the work, adding texture, but for the purposes of todays color series we are only referring to skipping the pegs with the yarn in back of the peg. The pictures below show examples of slip/skip stitch color patterns. All the projects below were done on the loom. Video/ Skip/slip stitch on the loom

What is Mosaic colorwork?

Mosaic colorwork is a pattern created in the knitted fabric using slip/skip-stitch using 2 colors. 2 different strands of yarn are used but only 1 is knit with at a time. Two rows are worked in one color, then 2 rows are worked in the other color and so on.

Is Mosaic colorwork hard to do on the loom?

No, it is well adapted for the loom as the loom knitter never has to handle more than one color at a time. Beginners can create exciting, complex appearing designs with very little experience. If you know how to read a pattern/chart, do the knit stitch (k) and skip a peg with the yarn in back (skip1 wyib), then you are ready to do mosaics!

What are the principles of Mosaic colorwork?

• Mosaic colorwork is simple enough for a beginner! It's also faster than Fair Isle/Stranded colorwork.
• Skills needed:  Knit stitch, chart/pattern reading, skip/slip stitch with yarn in back and working with 2 colors (similar to making stripes as each color is worked separately)
• Always work with two colors. Although you can add other colors in different sections as was done in this beautiful needle knitting blanket pattern. See the Pattern!
• Work each color for two rows.
• You will work 2 identical rows for each color. Example; row 2 will be worked identically to row 1, with the same sts being skipped and the same stitches being worked. The patterning will usually change with the color change.
• Always skip or slip your stitches with the yarn in back of the peg (wyib).
• Mosaics may be worked on any number of stitches, although your patterning may be slightly off center.
• Because 2 rows are identical in mosaic knitting, the charts are usually compressed (but not always, if the designer wishes to help out beginners by showing the entire pattern) to show every other row. Each single horizontal row represents 2 rows of knitting.
• There is no stranding (locking in floats) in Mosaic colorwork. Using skip/slip sts eliminates this need. Occasionally, you will see a mosaic pattern with longer color gaps of more than 4 sts, in this case your knitting will be neater if you lock in your floats.

Are there resources for mosaic charts?

• Yes, Barbara G. Walker has an entire book dedicated to Mosaic Patterns/charts, it's awesome.  See the Book!
• Here is a cool resource for creating your own Mosaic charts Go to link! There are rules to making your own Mosaic patterns, this makes it easy.
• Detailed and interesting article on Mosaic knitting (needle knitting is not much different in colorwork except that we don't have a wrong side to our knitting) Go to Link!

How do I read a mosaic chart?

Lets walk through a couple rows of a Mosaic chart! All Mosaic charts are worked in the same manner.

Chart explanation:  Mosaic charts are different then Intarsia or Fair Isle charts. Each row counts as two rows. Row 1 is actually row 1 and 2. Rows 1 and 2 are knit in the steel color. Rows 3 and 4 (the next rows on the chart, written as just row 3) are knit in white only. Note that the chart is worked differently in the round or if flat knitting. The selvage sts are eliminated when knitting in the round.

Flat Knitting (multiple of 6 sts + 2)
Rows 1 and 2 (right to left, knitting flat):  K1, *K2, skip1 wyib, k3, repeat from * to last st, k1 (in color Steel only).
Rows 3 and 4 (left to right, knitting flat):  K1, *skip1 wyib, k5, repeat from * to last st, k1 (in color white only).
Keep working in this manner until end of chart, then repeat, changing colors every 2 rows.

In the round (multiple of 6 sts)
Rows 1 and 2 (right to left, knitting in the round):  *K2, skip1 wyib, k3, repeat from * to end of row (in color Steel).

Rows 3 and 4 (right to left, knitting in the round):  *K5, skip1 wyib, repeat from * to end of row (in color white).
Keep working in this manner until end of chart, then repeat, changing colors every 2 rows.

That's it! Mosaic and Skip/slip stitch knitting is fun and easy and gives a dramatic result. Please leave any questions you may have on this topic in the comments below and I will update the post as needed to add helpful information.

Read more »

Nicole F. Cox

How to Loom Knit Intarsia

Hello loom knitters and welcome to our color series! This is topic 3, Intarsia.

Color is everywhere...it affects our mood, inspires us and makes us feel more creative!

The above pattern can be found in Round Loom Knitting in 10 Easy Lessons by Nicole F. Cox

This is the 3rd in a series of blog posts and accompanying videos, pictures discussing different methods of using color in your loom knitting. Check back for future articles or subscribe to our mailing list to be the first notified of the new posts in this series. This post is about Fair Isle loom knitting.

The series will include

• Topic 1: Beginners! Simple Colorwork on the loom including, self-striping, variegated yarn, stripes and color changes, vertical and horizontal colorwork (post link)
• Topic 2:  Fix the jog!
• Topic 3:  Fair Isle loom knitting
• Topic 4:  Intarsia on the loom
• Topic 5:  Mosaic & Skip/slip Stitch Loom Knitting
• Topic 6:  Finding color inspiration
• Bonus! How to Fix the jog when knitting stripes.
• All the topics will include video links where applicable.

What is Intarsia?

Simply put, Intarsia is picture knitting. Argyle was the first known pattern using the Intarsia method. In the 1500's it was used for kilts and footwear in Scotland. In later decades, it has been adapted to include a vast array of shapes and has come a long way from just argyle! Here's a tip, you can also do argyle as stranded knitting...see our post on Fair Isle.

Do I carry my yarn along the back of my knitting like in Fair Isle?

No, when doing Intarsia, you use separate balls of yarn and do not carry your yarn. The Intarsia picture is knit in an isolated position within your project.

Is Intarsia hard on the loom?

No, it's quite easy. If you can twist and untwist yarn strands, read a chart/pattern and do the regular knit stitch then you can do Intarsia.

How do I work Intarsia so that I don't have gaps in my fabric?

You work Intarsia just like you do large vertical blocks of color. Whenever your main yarn meets up with the Intarsia area, you twist your yarns together, joining them and eliminating gaps. How to Twist The Yarn. The only difference is that you will be following a chart instead of doing straight lines. 

What types of things can I knit in Intarsia?

The picture can be of anything that you can chart, geometric shapes, hearts, silhouettes, names, etc. See the heart chart below.

Referring to the chart above

• The blue area is knit separately from the white area with the exception of the top of the heart where there is white (you would make a small ball of yarn to knit this area, it is considered part of the picture).
• Where the white and blue areas meet you would twist your yarn and turn to go in the opposite direction with each separate color.
• Keep an eye on your yarn threads and make sure they do not become overly twisted or they will become difficult to manage.
• In Intarsia, the white yarn for the main knitting area is NOT carried over the blue area. You change directions and knit flat,  in the opposite direction, after twisting your yarn together.
• Once the blue area is finished, your picture or Intarsia is finished. Resume knitting as you normally would when you are not working Intarsia.

What will the back of my knitting look like?

It will look like the picture below. The full picture is knit in an isolated area but because the outside border yarn was twisted together with the Intarsia yarn, it forms one whole piece. Do you see how the picture yarn (red is easiest to see) was not carried around the project? It's a cool effect that makes your picture really stand out!

I'm glad you've joined me for this color series and hope you are feeling more confident about trying these color techniques on the loom. Please leave any questions below so that I can continue to improve my blog posts.

Read more »

Nicole F. Cox

How To Do Fair Isle On The Loom

Hello loom knitters and welcome to our color series! This is topic 3, Fair Isle.

Color is everywhere...it affects our mood, inspires us and makes us feel more creative!

This pattern is available in Round Loom Knitting in 30 Easy Lessons

This is the 3rd in a series of blog posts and accompanying videos discussing different methods of using color in your loom knitting. Check back for future articles or subscribe to our mailing list to be the first notified of the new posts in this series. This post is about Fair Isle loom knitting.

The series will include

• Topic 1: Beginners! Simple Colorwork on the loom including, self-striping, variegated yarn, stripes and color changes, vertical and horizontal colorwork (post link)
• Topic 2:  How to fix the jog!
• Topic 3:  Fair Isle loom knitting
• Topic 4:  Intarsia on the loom
• Topic 5:  Mosaic & Skip/slip Stitch Loom Knitting
• Topic 6:  Finding color inspiration
• All the topics will include video links where applicable.

What is Fair Isle?

Fair Isle is a knitting technique used to incorporate different colors into your knitting.  It is named after the Fair Isle which is one of the Shetland islands. It is also referred to a stranded knitting. Using 2 colors makes the fabric thicker, locking in air for extra warmth.

Is Fair Isle hard?

No! It's quite easy but does require more time. Placing the colors and managing different strands of yarn require a more organized loom knitter. Other than that, all you need to know is how to read the directions, do the regular knit stitch and lock in your floats. That's it, Fair Isle/stranded colorwork is perfect for the loom as our stitches are well defined and easy to follow.

Click here to get this pattern!

What are the rules of Fair Isle Knitting?

• In traditional Fair Isle knitting there are only 2 colors/per row. (hey, rules were made to be broken so I often do 3 or more!)
• No more than 6 or 7 stitches before a color change.
• Do not float a yarn color for more than 2 to 3 sts on the loom as our gauges tend to be larger and the work can become sloppy/loose with longer floats.
• You can knit fair isle in the round or flat as we only work on the right side of the knitting (no purls to worry about as in needle knitting)
• You can steek it! How to steek
• If you know how to do the regular knit stitch then you can do Fair Isle knitting. 
• It's best to use a "sticky" and elastic natural fiber like wool. Wool has barbs on its fibers which will naturally grab onto each other. Use these barbs to your advantage as they will make your fair isle pattern blend nicely.

What is a float?

Floats are the long strands created when the non-working yarn is being carried along the back of your knitting. As a rule of thumb, floats should be no longer than 1 inch/2.5 cm. This is hard to gauge on the loom as our pegs are stationary and do not let the knitting shrink until it is far away from the loom.

What is grinning?

Grinning is when the floats or non-working color yarn shows through to the front of your knitting. Some grinning is to be expected but can be kept to a minimum by carrying your yarn properly and using smaller gauge looms. I always get more grinning when I use large gauge looms as the gaps between knit sts are larger. You can cause grinning by catching your non-working yarn every stitch on a medium to large gauge loom (if you are trying to create flecks of grass, for example). Grinning is explained in the video link below.

Is there a video?

Yes, I made one awhile back on stranded and Fair Isle. I break all the color rules in this video. Watch The Video Here! This video is kind of long. I'm hoping to make shorter videos on how to carry the yarn and read the charts, although it is explained in this video. Here is a playlist for all of our current colorwork videos Using Color On The Loom

How do I read the instructions in a Fair Isle Pattern?

I'll break down a couple of rows for you so you understand how to work each row, this applies to both the written instructions and the charted...

What does a Fair Isle chart and instructions look like?

I have a premium loom knitting pattern for free here on the blog. This is a beautiful example of Fair Isle loom knitting. It is both charted and written GET THE PATTERN!

Below are the 1st (2) rows/rounds explained on the chart above. All other rows work in the same manner. All Fair Isle charts look similar with different repeating patterns.

Round 1: [K1 in A, k2 in B] 16 times (48 sts).

This is your 1st round/row:  Knit one stitch in color A, Knit 2 stitches in color B, on this chart you will repeat this 16 times until the end of the round. On this row you will not have to carry your yarn because you do not have more than 2 stitches between color changes.



Round 2: [K2 in B, [k1 in A, k1 in B] twice] 8 times (48 sts).

This is your 2nd round/row: *Knit 2 stitches in color B, [knit 1 stitch in color A, then knit 1 stitch in color B], do the bracketed portion only 2 times.* Repeat from * to * eight times. On stitches 6 through 8 of each repeat, you have 3 sts before a color change. On stitch 8 of the repeat, catch your working yarn to secure it and eliminate a long float. See below for how to do this.



Note:  Most loom knitters will develop a preference for either written instructions or using the Fair Isle chart only. Both are acceptable, although in needle knitting it is common for there to be only one or the other. My premium patterns are always written and charted so you have a choice.

How do I carry my working yarn to eliminate long floats?

Pull your working yarn towards the center, inside of the loom. Next lay your non-working yarn on top of your working yarn. It should be perpendicular (at a right angle) to your working yarn at this time (picture A). Drop the non-working yarn and knit the next stitch with your working yarn. You'll see that your non-working yarn is "caught" by the working yarn, securing it to the knitted fabric (picture B). This is often referred to as "locking" your float. See pictures below (pictures are for demonstration only, you would be casted on the loom when doing this).

Illustration A:  The pink yarn is the working yarn and the Aqua yarn is the non-working yarn. Lay your yarn exactly like this to lock in your floats.

Illustration B:  Non-working yarn is "locked in" behind the peg and the working yarn is brought forward in order to knit the next peg.

Which knit stitch should I use to knit Fair Isle/stranded knitting?     

My preference is to always use the regular knit stitch. Your colorwork will be the most defined and look just like regular needle knitting. The u-knit and flat knit stitch have a lot of tension and make smaller sts than the regular knit stitch. Never use the e-wrap knit as it does not produce stockinette and will not look like Fair Isle.

Fair Isle in regular needle knitting

I hope you are enjoying our color series so far and feeling inspired to try these different loom knitting methods. Please leave me any questions in the comments below. have a great day!

Loom Knitters WIN all (6) Fair Isle Hat Patterns!

1. Leave us a comment on the blog...Tell us what you think about our color series on any of the COLOR SERIES posts. Links to these posts can be found here: https://thismomentisgood.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_27.html

Or just comment on this post!

2. Subscribe to our email list. Don't worry, I'm too busy to be spammy. Subscribe here: https://thismomentisgood.blogspot.com/

3. Comments must be made between March 10 and March 16 to qualify. Comments are moderated for spam so they will not appear immediately.

4. Three Names will be drawn on March 17th, no purchase necessary.

5. Winners will be announced on March 17th here on Facebook and Instagram (so follow us). If your name is announced, you will have one week to contact us at thismomentisgood@comcast.net with the email you would like your patterns sent to. DO NOT leave your email or personal info in the comments section of the blog. The name that will be given in the announcement will be the same name you used to make the comment.

6. You must follow all directions to be entered into the drawing.

Read more »

Nicole F. Cox

How To Fix The Jog For Loom Knitters

Hello loom knitters and welcome to our color series! 

Color is everywhere...it affects our mood, inspires us and makes us feel more creative!

This is the 2nd in a series of blog posts and accompanying videos discussing different methods of using color in your loom knitting. This topic was squeezed in on request from one of my favorite loom knitters (Leisa, you know who you are girl!) Check back for future articles or subscribe to our mailing list to be the first notified of the new posts in this series. This post will teach you how to fix the jog when knitting stripes in the round.

The series will include

• Topic 1: Beginners! Simple Colorwork on the loom including, self-striping, variegated yarn, stripes and color changes, vertical and horizontal colorwork
• Topic 2:  How to fix the jog when knitting stripes.
• Topic 3:  Fair Isle loom knitting
• Topic 4:  Intarsia on the loom
• Topic 5:  Mosaic & Skip/slip Stitch Loom Knitting
• Topic 6:  Finding color inspiration
• All the topics will include video links where applicable.

Are you tired of the Jog when knitting in the round?
Do the back/sides of your striped hats, stockings and socks look terrible?
How do the pros have such neat color changes, even on the back of their loom knits?
Today I'm going to let you in on a secret!Here's how!

First, why does the jog happen?

Most knitters believe that their rows of stitches are stacking perfectly one on top of the other. The truth is, they are not. If you can visualize it, when knitting in the round you are knitting in an endless spiral, your stitches are not truly stacking. See image below.

How do we interrupt this?

We eliminate a stitch by doing a skip1, this will pull up your row of stitches when doing it correctly.

• Everytime you change colors, skip the 1st stitch of the 2nd row of color. Place your working yarn behind peg 1 and move on to peg 2.
• Always place the non-working yarn on top of the working yarn at the beginning of the first two rounds of a color change, pull the yarn snug to lift the row of stitches and prevent holes in your knitting.
• Your 2nd round would read like this if it was written in a pattern (assuming you are knitting in stockinette):  Skip1 wyib, knit to the end of round.

Here's an example, using the chart below, assuming the color changes every 4 rows:

Rnds 1-4:  Knit in red.

Rnd 5:  Knit in white. (at the beginning of rnd, place the non-working yarn (red) on top of the working yarn (white) pull snug after knitting 1 stitch to pull up row of sts)

Rnd 6:  Skip1 wyib, knit to the end of rnd. (at beginning of rnd, place the non-working yarn (red) on top of the working yarn (white) pull snug to pull up row of sts)

Rnds 7 and 8:  Knit in white.

Rnd 9:  Knit in red (at the beginning of rnd, place the non-working yarn (white) on top of the working yarn (red) pull snug to pull up row of sts)

Rnd 10:  Skip1 wyib, knit to end of rnd.  (at the beginning of rnd, place the non-working yarn (white) on top of the working yarn (red) pull snug to pull up row of sts)

Rnds 11 and 12:  Knit in red.

Continue in this manner.

This will be your result!

I hope I'm your favorite loom knitter today for fixing this problem, (lol). Please leave a comment below if this tutorial has helped you or if you have any other questions. Here is a video link for how to fix the jog:  VIDEO I'm sorry for the technical problems in this video, the camera fell a couple of times. I pieced the video together as best as possible.

Have a great day!

Read more »

Nicole F. Cox

Loom Knitting Color Series, Simple Color Changes

Hello loom knitters and welcome to our color series! 

Color is everywhere...it affects our mood, inspires us and makes us feel more creative!

This is the first in a series of blog posts and accompanying videos discussing different methods of using color in your loom knitting. Check back for future articles or subscribe to our mailing list to be the first notified of the new posts in this series. This post is a beginners guide to simple or easy colorwork covering variegated and self-striping yarns, color pooling, stripes (horizontal and vertical), and large vertical blocks of color. 

The series will include

• Topic 1: Beginners! Simple Colorwork on the loom including, self-striping, variegated yarn, stripes and color changes, vertical and horizontal colorwork
• Topic 2:  How to fix the jog when knitting stripes.
• Topic 3:  Fair Isle loom knitting
• Topic 4:  Intarsia on the loom
• Topic 5:  Mosaic & Skip/slip Stitch Loom Knitting
• Topic 6:  Finding color inspiration
• All the topics will include video links where applicable.

Topic 1: Simple Colorwork on the loom including vertical and horizontal colorwork

The variegated yarn in this project is an example of a self-striping yarn with long color changes.

Variegated and self-striping yarns

• No color changes necessary, the yarn does all the work.
• This does not mean you can not control the look of the color changes. Below are some ways to change it up.
• Vary your sts:  Changing the stitch can greatly affect how your color changes look. Experiment with skip/slip sts, knits, and purls on a swatch and see how it affects the look of your work.
• Color Pooling:  You can measure the color changes of your yarn and cause color pooling for really interesting, modern effects. Here is a nice guide for color pooling:  Color pooling guide.  Here is a color pooling calculator:  Calculator
• Long/short color changes:  Choose yarns for short or long color changes. The picture of the baby dress above shows a variegated yarn with long color changes. Yarn that looks mottled or blended has very short color changes. You can plan your project with this in mind.
• Combine colors:  Use a solid and a variegated yarn for interesting designs.

This is an example of intentional striping. This yoga legwarmer pattern can be found here:  Get the pattern!

Simple stripes (horizontal colorwork)

When you want to change the color of your yarn for stripes, how do you do it?

• Leave a 4-inch tail, hold it firmly and beginning knitting with the new yarn color. It's as simple as that!
• You do not need to knot it to any other yarn you are working with. Knots leave uncomfortable/unsightly bumps in your knitting and can come undone later.
• You will weave the tails into your knitting later. This will secure your ends and keep them from unraveling.
• If you are changing color often (under 5 rows): You may run the unused color inside the knitting of a hat or other garment/project where it will be hidden, occasionally catching it at the end of a row by laying the non-working yarn on top of the working yarn. This is not desirable if the backside of the knitting will be seen as it can be unsightly. Do a swatch if you are not sure.

When making stripes, how do I make a clean color change?

Help, I'm getting a "blip" or running thread/ladder across my knitting when I'm changing colors. First, let me say, this "blip" always occurs in knitting when doing stockinette/purl stitches. The only thing we can control is where the "blip" shows up. On the front/public side or back of our knitting.

As you see in the above illustration, stockinette has both a "head" to the stitch and a running thread at the bottom of the "V" formed in stockinette.

If you want a clean color change as in this example, you must change color on a knit row.

If you want the "blip to show on the public side, change color on a purl or ribbing row.

How do I control which side the "blip" shows up on?

• If you want a "clean" color change. Always change color on a knit row. It is acceptable to add a knit row within ribbing also if you would like a clean color change in a ribbed portion. It will barely be noticeable and I do this often in my patterns.
• If you want the "blip" to show up on the right/public side, change color on a purl or ribbing row.

How do I make vertical stripes in my loom knitting?

This depends on whether your stripes will be close together or far apart in large blocks.

Repetitive (vertical) striping

• Skip every other peg by putting the yarn in back of the peg to do 1 x 1 stripes as seen in the picture below. The alternate pegs (or skipped pegs) are worked in another color. Here's a secret...this is also your most basic Fair Isle pattern, not so hard right?! Here's an example on the brim of our Snowman Hat 

• Make wider 2 x 2 vertical stripes by skipping 2 pegs with the yarn in back (wyib) of the pegs. See the chart below. Work 2 sts in color A and 2 sts in color B, always skipping necessary pegs with the yarn behind the pegs. It is not recommended to skip more than 2 pegs without catching the yarn (that will be explained in topic 2, Fair Isle).

• There is no need to twist your yarn together or lock it in with the two examples above. The yarn will float along the back of your knitting and automatically be secured as you knit. Larger gauge looms will produce bigger "floats" than a smaller gauge loom so keep that in mind when making baby items as little fingers can get caught in the knitting.

The ears on the rabbit hat are an example of vertical blocks of color.

How do I make large, vertical, solid areas of color?

• Referring to the chart below. You would knit the indicated number of sts in color A, then knit the indicated number of sts in color B. Next twist the two colors together 1 time. You must twist the colors together (every time they meet) to prevent making two separate sections of knitting. Twisting locks the two colors together and makes a seamless join as you work. Vertical Color Video/Twisting Your Colors Together
• The ears of the bunny, in the pattern pictured above, shows this technique.

Note:  You may make your blocks of color any width, using any number of sts, the above is just an example. You can also do as many blocks as you would like.

I hope you are enjoying this series so far and it inspires you to add more color to your loom knitting. Please leave a comment below if you have any questions. Have a great day!

Read more »

Nicole F. Cox