Casting on - with a Braid of two colours

The final video in the serries, is for the decorative two colour cast on. I have seen lots of these - and this is the one I particuarly like. There is a three colour version - but it gets both bulkier and more fiddly.

This cast on isn't very stretchy - and it is a little messy with all the ends. I suggest working this one at a place and time where you can focus without distractions. This cast on is especailly nice as an edge to corrugated ribbing, or small checkerboard colour work.
Again enjoy
Stella

Looks hard but isn't

Left and Right leaning braids are really cool and effective on small knitting projects, I love the way the braids break up bands of colourwork and provide a structural  firm element. I've seen these braids worked to demarkate a sock toe from a patterned instep, a sweater or cardigan hem from the body and like here to pull in and constrain a cuff on a mitten. Here are two videos that I made earlier in the year to teach at Unwind 2017. Udate is I am also teaching and presenting at Unwind 2018.  I am teaching Praxis - where the class will explore colourwork, taking Speed dating, a really fun class to explore a huge variety of yarns, and presenting a talk - I stashed a yarn and I liked it, on Stashing. that last one is an update of a paper I presented at a conference way back in 2011.

As long as you can work colourwork, that is knit with two colours these braids are not that hard. The most important thing is the set up round - working one round of checkerboard stitches so the braid comes out clean.  I know every one knits differently - I usuallly hold both yarns in my left hand, but started my knit life holding the yarn in my right. Some people - cleverer than I  - hold one yarn in each hand. My mind just can't do that for to long unless there is a simple rhythm to the work. Knowing people knit differently - I have made these two videos demonstrating several methods of 'yarn carry' so they should make sense to lots of knitters.

Here is the Right pointing braid - with the set up row already worked, one round of knits in alternalting colours.  The braid can be worked in a single colour but looses its drama.

And here is the matching left braid - if stacking them above each other like I have - I suggest two rounds of plain and a set up round between each braid.
Enjoy.
na Stella

Re group and forgotten things

Hello - its been a long time, this year, and perhaps the last one has seen me blog less, but not knit less. I realised that i had never linked to my most recent knitting videos,
I have a small serries on braids - and in the words of Elizabeth Zimmerman 'unvented' a improved way to knit a Vikkel braid. This variation eliminates the elongated stitches that always occur with this braid.

I taught a class at Unwind 2017, on knitting braids and became completely frustrated with the elongated stitch that working a Vikkel braid produced. I tried knitting into the back to twist and tighten the stitch, i tried using a smaller needle and then an even smaller needle. In the end I wondered what it was about the braid that caused the elongated stitch. I realised the physical act of working the stitch -  of stretching around the working stitches drew more yarn into the work than needed and this created the elongated stitch. This techniqueworks the braid seperately from the  row after the braid and effectively eliminates  the loose elongated stitch. This technique may not be authentic - but it is effective.
The Vikkel video is part of a serries demonstrating braids - I hope to link these here over the next week or so.
Na Stella