:knitting: I am knitting an article that has to carry a yarn over a small extended area. The directions say to “catch” this yarn every third stitch, but neglects to tell one how to do this??!!
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
How do you "catch" a carried yarn?
Knitting with two colors? This makes it look more complicated that in really is when you’re doing it, but it shows good pictures of the technique.
hmmmmm…obviously I should give up TRYING to knit and find another hobby. I get so frustrated. I am a self taught knitter and a perfectionist. Those 2 things don’t go well together. LOL
Thanks so much for your help.
Linda
NOOOOO! Don’t quit! What are you making that requires this technique?
Believe it or not - a barbie sweater and skirt. I’ve made the skirt and the front of the sweater. I just thot I would follow their instructions for the sweater back if it wasn’t tooooo difficult. However, I’ve read the same comment on mittens that I knitted, too. sigh…
Is it fair isle? I’m not sure why you need this if it’s not. If it’s the same color you are joining you can always weave in the ends when you’re done. Barbie won’t care how you do it. 
I think the cited link is more for joining a new color than for the infamous catching. DON’T give up; you’ll regret it. Try this link, and scroll down to the section on Fair Isle. http://www.ca.uky.edu/hes/fcs/FACTSHTS/CT-MMB-732.pdf
It’s the same method just worded differently I think.
All it basically is is knitting a stitch normally then on the next stitch you put the yarn you want to carry over the needle and knit the stitch normally, but don’t pull the carried yarn through like you do the working yarn. It just takes practice. 
I learned it when learning Fair Isle. Here’s the video where I learned it. You need IE to view it.
http://www.philosopherswool.com/Pages/Streamingvideo.htm
That way of catching in the ends is very nice, but there is a simpler way that would be adequate for your need. I have been knitting for over 40 years and just learned the techique everyone is sharing. So you can live without it if it seems too hard right now.
First of all if you are only spanning 5 stitches I wouldn’t do anything to catch in, just change back and forth from one color to the other. But if you have to span over 5 stitches an easier way to do it is to cross the yarn not in use across the working yarn, so that the carried yarn is on top. When you pick the working yarn up from underneath the other yarn it catches it in. Do that every 3 or 4 stitches. The problem with this method is that it twists things up on the back and you need to straighten them out every little while or you will have a rats nest. But worked over a small item or distance that is not a big problem. You can also cut the carried yarn to a length you think you’ll need and it will facilitate dealing with the twisting.
Yes, it’s two colors. You knit one row with black, say, but knit the row back with blue. And the rows are about 25 stitches.I hate weaving in - I can see I just need to throw the whole mess in the trash and go back to quilting or smocking or crocheting, etc. HA! I have no idea what fair isle is. If it isn’t in my “knitting for dummies” I don’t know it. How discouraging! Pictures just don’t do it for me. I need to see videos.
Thanks tho ever so much for all your help!
Linda
I’m sorry I can’t help you on this but I just want to say “DON’T QUIT”!!! Everything will come in time and you’ll be so happy with your progress as you go. Some things take more time than others and it seems you started with a more difficult pattern. But hang in there, there are so many wonderful, helpful folks here they will talk you through it.