I am putting out a call for .jpgs clearly showing different methods of two-handed two-color knitting and one-handed two-color knitting. If any of you have digital cameras and can do this next to a white wall for best contrast, that would be perfect.
If you can help me with a photo I'll acknowledge you and your blog or web site in the booklet, send you a free copy of the booklet, and put your name in gratitude on our rabbit rescue web site.
If any of you can come up with clear photos showing how you catch long floats while color knitting, I'll do all the above plus send you 4 skeins Cascade Lana D'Oro alpaca/wool yarn in the Colonial Blue color.
Please contact me at nanetteblanchard at earthlink dot net before you send the photos to let me know to expect them. The photos need to be your property and need to be clear, large enough to see well, and in .jpg or .png format. The photos will be in black & white in the booklet. Any photos would need to be emailed to me before the end of the month.
Melise asked to see exactly how I strand the yarn through my fingers for tensioning which is shown in the photo below. I notice that the Philosopher's Wool book does it a bit differently - the strands of yarn go over the index finger the same way but come back up over the pinky, not the ring finger.
Lisa said she wanted to see info about catching floats. I will describe how to do this in the booklet but am not sure I can get photos or diagrams. In the meantime, those interested should go HERE to see some detailed photos on how to do it.
Chris and Laura asked how I knit one color. You're right Chris - I still hold the right needle like a pencil and knit English (throwing). Laura, I think I get decent tension but occasionally I'll still have problems, usually when I'm using bamboo needles.
Wendy asked about the whole foreground/background/which color in which hand controversy. The standard line is that you should hold the background color in your right hand (this yarn will supposedly be held above the other) and the foreground/contrast color in your left hand in two-handed knitting. Then some knitting authors (like Joyce Williams in Latvian Dreams) came out and said no - this doesn't always work this way. Some knitters will carry the right hand yarn below the other yarn so who knows??
The best explanation I've read is that if you are normally a right-handed English (throwing) knitter that when you switch to two-handed knitting the stitches from your left needle/hand will be looser and therefore LARGER and more prominent. So you should hold the contrast/foreground color in your left hand This makes perfect sense and is quite obvious when I look at my own knitting. Whatever you do - just be consistent about holding the yarns so your knitting looks even.