Double knitting equivilent

#1

i have googled this but thought i might get the answer on here , i am looking for german yarn same as double knitting?

#2

You might search individual yarn companies, e.g. WEBS, for DK weight yarn (5.25-6sts/inch). Or you could search the yarn section on Ravelry. Is there a particular German yarn that you’d like?

#3

I think I know what you mean. My grandma has told me of some knitter that used a two-strand-yarn or something to double knit. Basically a yarn containing two different strands to work with. Is it that? As for where to find it, no idea. I’ve been to quite some yarn stores but never seen it

#4

Old patterns, like Beadle’s Dime Books and the 1840s book I found on Gutenberg, often call for “German wool” or “Berlin wool”. I don’t think it was ever a brand, but a type, the way DK or worsted is now. Near as I can figure, it’s more or less DK, because that’s about what the gauge works out to.
There was also…shoot, I forget which yarn company made “Germantown”, which was apparently a later attempt to match the older stuff.

#5

Actually ‘dk’ or ‘double knit’ weight yarn is the equivalent of 2 strands of fingering or sock yarn. The thinner yarn used to be the most commonly found years ago and was used for making stockings or baby things. The yarn was doubled to knit heavier sweaters, which is where the ‘double knit’ term comes in. It’s usually thinner than worsted weight, and heavier than sport weight.

The technique of double knitting can be done with any weight yarn; you can use 2 strands of yarn in different colors for that, but you can also use just one strand of yarn for it.