Double Knitting

There are two different types of something called 'Double Knitting'. This was immediately interesting to me, because, once you want to mess with colors and certain patterns there becomes a 'Right Side' and a well, ugly side. I don't really want to work hard on a blanket and then have it only attractive from one side. It would drive me crazy. I can totally see myself telling the boys they could only wear their blanket a certain way... nope, not for me. It doesn't really matter for socks, IMO, but blankets should be reversible.

Double knitting, in the first method, is also a great way to make a pillow case or something you want to open (bag, ipod case, lots of options!) The second method is awesome for completely reversible color work.

Method One of Double knitting is simply this: with one ball of yarn, cast on your stitches. knit one stitch, then, pretend you are going to purl and then (psyche!) instead of creating a new stitch you are just going to pull the old stitch onto your other needle. Make sure you do this placing your needle as you would to purl. This is called Slip Stitch Purl or SSP. Finish the row that way.

Now, you just do the opposite of what you just did: Knit into the stitches you moved over last time and slip stitch purl the stitches you knit last time.

To Cast Off you will want to out every other stitch onto a different needle and then cast off, so you don't seal off your bag.

Need to see it?

See? You are working two sides of a 3D object at once! Neat, isn't it?

Honestly, I didn't touch this one. It was, well, too boring. I wanted to play with color! Reversible knitting, here I come!

Method Two of Double knitting is much easier than it seems at first. The first thing you should know, to prevent any issues, is that 1) It doesn't matter what the last row had on it and 2) Forget color names, you will be working with Background Color vs. pattern color. As you turn your work it will get confusing if you are thinking colors vs. background/pattern.

Scared? Don't be. (Yes, I realize that 'first thing' was two things!)

You will need 2 balls of yarn, different colors.

There are different cast on methods for this technique. I ignore them. I simply cast on as I normally would, but with strands from both balls of yarn. I then ignore the colors of the stitches on the needle. If you are a stickler, you can do this.

Holding both colors, you simply knit one color, then purl the other color. This is just like the first method, but with two different yarns. Using a chart (you will need one!) you simply keep up the knit for the front of the piece and purl for the back. When you get to the pattern, just switch yarns, but keep up with the knit/purl pattern.

Yeah, you want to watch the video. Also view the other ones by this person-- so helpful!

At bind off, I simply did the normal bind off, but putting one stitch of each color together before doing the knit stitch.


I jumped in way over my head with this technique, but that's a story for another day. But here's a sneak peek.