Carrying Yarn across a row?

#1

I recently bought the ‘Stitch and Bitch: A knitters handbook’ book, and want to create the ‘Geek’ wristband. This is a two color pattern, with one color being the wristband, and the other color being the writing ‘geek’ in the middle of the band itself. The book says that the Intarsia method of knitting is to complex for this project, and that I should just “Carry the contrasting yarn across” I’m not sure how to do this.

I’ve knit with two colors before to create horizontal stripes, and carried the yarn up the side, but I’m not sure how to carry it across an entire row. When I did it before I just carried the contrasting color up ever time the colors met, I never had to switch colors in the middle of a row before. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Tips? Tricks? Video tutorials? Thanks again! Let me know if I need to clarify =]

#2

Is this wristband knit in the round?
I suspect it is, as that is why they recommend NOT to do intarsia.

Carrying the yarn across the row is also called “stranding”. Hold both yarns in back of work. Knit with the desired color. Move to next stitch. If you have to purl, leave the unneeded color in back.

If you work five sts in a single color, then you should twist the two colors (around each other in back of the work) and proceed knitting. This anchors the “strand” of the unused color. If you are alternating colors more often than every 5 sts, then this extra twist isn’t necessary as you will not develop a long “strand” in the back that needs to be secured.

#3

Are you an English or a Continental knitter? I’m an Eastern European knitter, but we hold our yarn like a Continental knitter. What I do is to drape both colors over my finger. I will “pick” one color to make a stitch, then pick the alternate color. You’ll do the color on the left first and then the color lying next to it on the right. If I’m going for a long stretch without using a color, I anchor it as I go along. I’ll knit with the required color then keeping the tension, rotate my wrist toward me and knit the next stitch with the same color to anchor the color not being used. I keep alternating this way. I get nice looking work in the back without long strands.

#4

Thank you so much for your advice! The twist method really helped, and knowing the term ‘stranding’ was really helpful when looking for videos and tips! Thanks again, I’ll let you know if I need anymore help =]