Double Knitting Cast on

#1

I’m not getting how to cast on with double knitting. I’m about to start a double knit muff. I dont get any directions I’ve seen so far and there are none here. Thanks for any input.

#2

Hi Angela,
Plain old backward loop cast-on is often what’s used for double knitting. Be sure to cast on enough stitches for BOTH the front and back of the work (basically, twice as many stitches as normal, or twice as many as shown in your chart).

Does that answer your question?
Amy

#3

Do you use both yarns at once? I’m not using a chart. The pattern just says cast on 80 stitches with yarn A … I was concerned because it didnt mention yarn B until the binding off stage. I figured this project would be a fast knit up.

Thanks for the response!

The pattern is :

http://www.knitlist.com/2003/muff_band.htm

#4

It looks like you’re supposed to follow the instructions as for the headband, which says to carry both colors at once, knitting in color A, then purling in color B, across the row; and on the reverse side, knitting B and purling A.

FYI,
Your project is a very simple form of double knitting, in that the colors don’t cross from front to back. One color stays on the front, and the other on the back. So the two sides are not connected except at the side seams.

You can work it as instructed, or you can cheat in this case. There are two ways to cheat, which avoid having to carry both yarns across every row:

Knit the front piece seperately. Then knit the back. Sew them together along all sides.

Or…and this is another method of double knitting…
Knit the first stitch in color A, bring the yarn to the front and slip color B p-wise, bring the yarn to the back to continue; repeat across the row. On reverse rows, Knit in color B, yarn forward, slip color A, yarn back. Be sure to twist yarns together at side edges, or you can purl the last stitch of each row with both colors and slip the first stitch of the row, to join the yarns neatly.

#5

Ok I think I know what you are saying now. I’ve not followed the pattern exactly…i did it like the heart pattern thing u did. But I tried to go to do what u said (“the sides aren’t connected except at the seams”) But that changed the sides that one certain color is on, so i had to go back and fix it. I’ll try the “right” way next time. I am still trying to get the hang of this back and forth business with the yarn. It seems like it would be easier if it wasn’t half funfur. I am just a very ambitious person but I should try to get the hang of holding everything first. I’ve got about an inch done. Lol…it’s a slow process…hopefully this is done before christmas! :-/ I wish I woulda learned how to knit sooner! This gift was a last minute thing for my boyfriend’s mom.

Thanks for all the help :smiley:

Here’s a picture of it so far!

#6

I forgot to mention with that last double knitting method that you need to do it on circular needles, because the yarn will be at the wrong end to knit with, so half the time you will need to slide the work to the other end to begin the row.

Or, you can do two rows in one color (knitting, then purling, and slipping the opposite color each stitch), and then two rows in the opposite color.

Amy

#7

Cool picture! Thanks for sharing!
Yeah, carrying both colors across the row is hard work. It’s also tiring on the hands, at least it is for me!

Happy Knitting!
Amy