Step by Step Colorwork!

Simple Sailboat

Don’t be afraid of colorwork. When a student starts a colorwork project for the first time, I try to navigate them through every stitch. I encourage them to practice on a small swatch before beginning project, it always saves time. This way, they get used to the flow of twisting, which is critical in achieving nice, neat, even colorwork. And then, of course, there’s blocking….

This is written for 13 sts chart - 1 repeat and one selvage stitch each side

Row 1: K3 MC,ADD CC, K7CC, ADD NEW MC, K1MC, SITW, K2MC

Row 2: P2MC, NEWTW, P9 CC, NEWTW, P1MC, SITW, P1MC

Row 3: K1MC, CUT MC LEAVING 6” TAIL. NEWTW, K11CC, CUT CC LEAVING 6” TAIL, NEWTW, K1MC

only one MC yarn should be ‘alive’

Row 4: With MC, P13

Row 5: K1MC, Add CC, K1CC, (SITW, K2CC)2X, K1MC, K1CC, (SITW, K2CC)2X, K1MC

Row 6: P1MC, NEWTW, P1CC, (SITW, P2CC)2X, P1MC, P1CC, (SITW, P2CC)2X, P1MC

Row 7: K2MC, NEWTW, K1CC, SITW, K3CC, K1MC, K1CC, SITW, K3CC, K2MC

Row 8: P2MC, NEWTW, P1CC, SITW, P3CC, P1MC, P1CC, SITW, P3CC, P2MC

Row 9: K3MC, NEWTW, K1CC, SITW, K2CC, K1MC, K1CC, SITW, K2CC, K3MC

Row 10: P3MC, NEWTW, P1CC, SITW, P2CC, P1MC, P1CC, SITW, P2CC, P3MC

Row 11: K4MC, NEWTW, K2CC, K1MC, K2CC. If doing multiple repeats, do not twist CC across row - join a new CC when you get to next sailboat.

Row 12:P4MC, NEWTW, P2CC, P1MC, P2CC, P4MC

Row 13: K5MC, NEWTW, K1CC, K1MC, K1CC, K5MC

Row 14: P5MC, NEWTW, P1CC, P1MC, P1CC, P5MC

Row 15: K7MC, SITW, K6MC

Row 16: P6MC, NEWTW, P2CC, P5MC

CC: Contrast Color

K: Knit

MC: Main Color

NEWTW: New twist. OLD color goes Over (the new color, the color you have not yet used on this row but are about to), to the Left (of the old color), and Done (leave it there). Pick up the new color and continue.

P: Purl

SITW: Simple Twist: twist colors around each other in either direction