VANCOUVERYARN.COM
  • Events
  • Around Town
    • News
    • Events
    • Community Highlights
    • Yarn Shops
    • Maps >
      • Yarn map
      • Fibre Libraries
      • Fabric map
    • Designers
    • Etc. Shops
    • Workshops
    • Supplies on a budget
    • Podcasts
    • Blogs
    • Groups
    • Guilds, Fibresheds etc
    • MORE...
  • Shop Canada
    • Canadian yarn & fabric
    • Commerical yarn online
    • Designers
    • Tools & Accessories
    • Supplies for dyers
    • Online Classes
  • Submit
    • Submit an event
    • Submit a designer
    • Submit a new design
    • Submit an indie-dyer
    • Submit a shop
    • Create Your Community Highlight
    • Submit other resources
  • About
    • FAQ
    • Visit Everlea Yarn
    • Contact

Knitting with two strands

4/16/2017

 
Picture
Sometimes when I have a knitting project in the queue but don't have the correct yarn for the job I'll resort to combining two strands of a fingering or lace weight yarn to arrive at an aran or DK weight. And I've seen other knitters knit with two strands to achieve a marled effect, too. Until recently I only ever did this out of pure necessity but the results have so many pros that I'm definitely going to take it into consideration when planning projects from now on.

Here's what I like about it:
​
- The yarns lay next to each other, so your gauge remains in tact but the fabric you knit is actually thinner than if you used a yarn that is as thick as it is wide (ie round). It's like knitting with tape yarn. And because the two strands move to wherever they fit the most comfortably the twists and turns that occur during knitting don't create as much bulk and dimension as a tape yarn would. I have found that I really appreciate this thinner fabric for a spring or summer knit like the Gemini I'm wearing under my cardigan in the photo above.

The biggest pro in my experience has been the drape of the fabric (ie. how it behaves and looks when it hangs or moves). I'm particularly happy with the drape in this Gemini shirt which is a result of my first point about achieving a thinner fabric. The drape that this Sweetgeorgia Silk Merino Lace achieves in a double strand is just killer! Definitely something to consider (ie swatch) if you're humming and hawing between a double stranded fingering vs single strand of DK or light worsted - or any substitution using this technique. I have to confess I'm more of a 'start knitting and see how it goes' kinda gal - but swatching is never a bad idea. 
Picture
Lastly, if you're knitting with a hand dyed yarn you can knit with two stands of a finer yarn to arrive at a bulkier weight and avoid pooling by joining the two strands at different points in the colourway (Not to say there aren't ways to do this when knitting with a single strand.) Last month I test knit this Moonstone Cloche by Abbye Dhal in two strands of Malabrigo sock yarn. There are greens, reds and purples in this colourway and there was no pooling to be seen - although I was less on top of where the two strands joined when I picked up stitches for the crown.

Also, I suspect that there might be an economic benefit to knitting some yarns in this way in terms of gaining yardage or avoiding buying too many skeins ie. if you know you'll have half a skien left over when knitting your garment with a DK weight yarn you can eliminate the "waste" (I have so many unused half-skeins!!!) by buying one skein of fingering weight yarn to divide into two and knit in a double strand (instead of two full skeins).

Okay now for the CONS...

For me there is only one CON, but it is kind of a big one. I find that I have to really pay attention to make sure that I'm always knitting in both strands. A pointy knitting needle will help with this, but the knitting is a bit less mindless when knitting with a double strand. When I do miss a strand it appears as though there is a hole in my knitting and I end up having to 'repair' them with duplicate stitch if I don't catch them while I'm knitting. The duplicate stitch does the trick, though, so at least there's an alternative to frogging or dropping back to that stitch.

Okay, I lied! I have one more thing to add that might be considered a con. My one point against using a double strand for structural things like hats is that the thinner fabric may take away from the structure of it, which I did find with the crown of this cloche hat. The body of the hat is knit in linen stitch which is super dense due to all the slip stitches, so I did not find it made a fabric that is too floppy, but I could see that being the case for other hats in regular knit and purl stitches.
​

Do you ever knit in a double strand? What do you like/dislike about it?

​Janna

Comments are closed.
    Picture
    Picture

    About the Everlea Guide to Vancouver Yarn

    Hi, I'm Janna. I'm the proprietor, natural dyer and instructor at Everlea Yarn. I am a tapestry weaver, longtime knitter and 2013 graduate of Concordia University's Fibres and Material Practices program.

    I created Vancouver Yarn in 2008 as a space to hold as much of the textile awesomeness that I could find in and around Vancouver. Here on the VY blog I mostly share about local events, pattern releases as well as share Community Highlights.

    Do you have an event you'd like me to post? Simply email me at
    janna (at) everleayarn.ca

    ​Thank you,
    ​Janna

    ​​Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    March 2015
    February 2014
    June 2013
    May 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    May 2009
    April 2009
    February 2009
    December 2008
    October 2008
    September 2008
    August 2008
    July 2008


    Blog ​​Categories

    Highlights
    Events
    Van Island Events
    Online Events
    Local Artists
    Local Designers
    Local Yarn


Picture
Subscribe to the Everlea Yarn newsletter!
​About Us 
​Contact Us
Join our mailing list
Terms & Conditions
Inclusivity Policy
​
Vancouver Yarn is a free resource which links you to local DIY textile shops and designers as well as artists and makers which are local to greater Vancouver BC, unceded Coast Salish territory, and throughout so-called British Columbia. I also list online shops and designers from around the country.

Many of my links come from your submissions - Thank you! If you tell me about a dyer, designer, shop etc I will add it.
Add or update a link



​​Vancouver Yarn is lovingly maintained by Janna Maria of Everlea Yarn Co.

© Everlea Yarn 2024
  • Events
  • Around Town
    • News
    • Events
    • Community Highlights
    • Yarn Shops
    • Maps >
      • Yarn map
      • Fibre Libraries
      • Fabric map
    • Designers
    • Etc. Shops
    • Workshops
    • Supplies on a budget
    • Podcasts
    • Blogs
    • Groups
    • Guilds, Fibresheds etc
    • MORE...
  • Shop Canada
    • Canadian yarn & fabric
    • Commerical yarn online
    • Designers
    • Tools & Accessories
    • Supplies for dyers
    • Online Classes
  • Submit
    • Submit an event
    • Submit a designer
    • Submit a new design
    • Submit an indie-dyer
    • Submit a shop
    • Create Your Community Highlight
    • Submit other resources
  • About
    • FAQ
    • Visit Everlea Yarn
    • Contact