Carrying second color "PLEASE HELP"

MaryD@77 wrote

on Oct 18, 2012 7:10 AM

I am very inexperienced in knitting, and would like to make a pair of "phentex slippers and it has the checkerboard pattern in it, The patterns says" Knit first 6 stitches in light color, then 6 stitches in dark color.Alternate the color every 6th stitch. All rows are knit in the garter stitch". so I don't know what I'm suppose to do when I keep my second color yarn hanging and when I draw it up to knit the second  color I have a long string of yarn running along the work, front or back I don't know where to place my yarn when I go from one color to the next so that this isn't happening.

Please help me if you understand my problem, I would love to make these puffy slippers if I could figure out to do it right.

Thanks so much, Mary 

Merlich wrote

on Oct 18, 2012 6:54 PM

Hi Mary,

Don't worry, your problem is easy to solve! You just have to put a mark on the side that is the right side. If your pattern doesn't say anything about it, then we must assume the first row you've knitted is the facing side, or the right side (RS). When you change colours, you do it with both yarns at the back. When you finish that row and turn to begin the next row (the wrong side, WS), then you twist both yarns on the front. That way all the strings face to the same side. Easy! Isn't it? I hope I've made myself clear to you. In case it is already confusing, ask again and I or someone else can give you a different tip.

Cheers,

Merlich.

salmonmac wrote

on Oct 19, 2012 3:57 AM

Here's a video for knitting phentex slippers that shows you how to switch colors on both the right side and the wrong side. When you start out with the pattern, it may help to put a marker or safety pin on the right side, just for easy reference. Most of the checkerboard patterns I've seen are a 4 stitch repeat so it's not necessary to catch the floats, those long strands of the color that is not in use at the moment. For a 6 stitch repeat, it may help to catch the unused yarn every 3rd stitch to prevent the long loops on the inside of the slippers. You do this by laying the yarn over the strand of working yarn before making the knit stitch so that its trapped or caught rather than loose and floppy. Good luck with the slippers! They were my first project when I started knitting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tl-xOoaLIMY 

SOCKLADY65 wrote

on Jan 8, 2013 12:16 AM

With phentex slippers you want to just overlap or twist the first change in color of each row than knit as usual with your color change this is what makes the puffyness of the slipper so just drop the color not being used until you get to it again and knit as usual just make sure wool is in back or on wrong side