How To Double Knit Multicolored Textured Stitches

The key to this technique is knowing how to double knit. Many reference books include information on the topic.

Each double knitted 'block' is a little, empty, 'pillow.' There are no floats between the two layers of fabric. There are no floats anywhere on the garment shown on the Intro page. Some of the knitters who have seen the sweater cannot understand that it is NOT double layered Fair Isle.

To make a swatch for the 3 x 2 ribbing

• Materials
  • 3 different colored yarns in similar weights
    • 1 bright for single knitting and cast off edge
    • 1 light for double knitting
    • 1 medium for double knitting
  • appropriately-sized needles
  • an eyed needle (i.e., a tapestry needle.)
• For the learning swatch, I suggest using 3 colors so that the color contrasts will make the structure of the fabric easier to understand.

• Cast on 35 stitches.

• Knit for 2 inches in a single thickness fabric. If you don't have a stitch pattern in mind, stockingette is fine or you can use the basketweave pattern as shown.

• Double Knit Rib (read notes below before starting):
  • Row 1: Repeat across (7 times)
    • Color A at front & Color B at back:
    • (In one stitch, Color A to back, K1 with Color A, Color A to front, K1 with Color B) x 3
    • Color A at back & Color B at front:
    • (In one stitch, P1 with Color B, Color A to front, P1 with Color A, Color A to back) x 2
  • Row 2: Repeat across (7 times)
    • Color A at front & Color B at back:
    • (Color A to back, K1 with Color A, Color A to front, K1 with Color B) x 2
    • Color A at back & Color B at front:
    • (P1 with Color B, Color A to front, P1 with Color A, Color A to back) x 3
  • Row 3: Repeat across (7 times)
    • Color A at front & Color B at back:
    • (Color A to back, K1 with Color A, Color A to front, K1 with Color B) x 3
    • Color A at back & Color B at front:
    • (P1 with Color B, Color A to front, P1 with Color A, Color A to back) x 2
  • Row 4: Repeat Row 2
  • Row 5: Repeat across (7 times)
    • Color A at back & Color B at front:
    • (Color B to back, K1 with Color B, Color B to front, K1 with Color A) x 3
    • Color A at front & Color B at back:
    • (P1 with Color A, Color B to front, P1 with Color B, Color B to back) x 2
  • Row 6: Repeat across (7 times)
    • Color A at back & Color B at front:
    • (Color B to back, K1 with Color B, Color B to front, K1 with Color A) x 2
    • Color A at front & Color B at back:
    • (P1 with Color A, Color B to front, P1 with Color B, Color B to back) x 3
  • Row 7: Repeat Row 5
  • Row 8: Repeat Row 6
  • Row 9: Repeat Row 3
  • Rows 10 to end: Repeat Rows 2 through 9 as many times as you wish. (Every 'block' equals 4 rows of knitting.)

Notes for Double Knit Rib:

• There are 35 stitches on the needle at the beginning of Row 1, and 70 stitches on the needle at the end of Row 1. All other rows begin and end with 70 stitches.

• When moving the yarns from front to back and vice versa, unless it's at the beginning of a row, BE SURE TO MOVE THE YARN BETWEEN THE TIPS OF THE NEEDLES! If you don't move the yarn properly and in the proper sequence, you will end up with extra stitches on the needle and/or with yarn slipped along the face of your fabric. Of course, that might just turn into a unique 'design feature.'

• If your browser handles tables, take a look at the same instructions in table format.

• Cast off by grafting the 'front' and 'back' fabrics with a row of knit stitches. In the beige swatch, the stitches above the cream-colored marking yarn are grafted with knit stitches. The stitches below the marker are grafted in the ribbed pattern. Interestingly, the plain row of knit stitches is much more attractive. It is difficult to see in the image, so try it for yourself!

After you try a swatch of 3 x 2 ribbing, go back to the Collar page and take another look at the basketweave pattern. Once you knit the 3 x 2 ribbing swatch, you should be able to double knit basketweave or any other, textured, pattern.

Last Row of Single Thickness Fabric

First Row of Double Knitting in Progress

First Row of Double Knitting - reverse side

Rows 1 - 4

Rows 1 - 8

Miscellaneous Notes

• I did not use smaller needles for the ribbing on my swatch and as a result, the ribbing is more or less the same gauge as the basketweave fabric. For the cuffs of the sweater, I used smaller needles than for the body. Because my husband wears a bulky, calculator watch, I used a different-sized needle for each cuff, increasing the gauge on the side he wears the watch. Isn't knitting fun?