The two main ways to add a second color to your knitting
You can knit with two colors in two ways: stranding (carrying the unused color across the back of your work) and intarsia (using separate bobbins of yarn and switching between them). Stranding is the method most beginners start with because it uses yarn you already have and works for patterns where the two colors appear throughout the same row. Intarsia is better for large blocks of solid color—think a picture knitted into the middle of a sweater—but requires more setup and is harder to keep even.
This guide covers stranding, which produces a reversible fabric and is fast once you find your rhythm. The key is keeping the unused color loose enough that your fabric doesn't pucker, but not so loose that it sags or creates holes.
Key Takeaways
- Stranding means carrying the unused yarn across the back of your work, switching colors as your pattern tells you to.
- The unused yarn must stay loose—a common mistake is pulling it too tight, which makes your fabric bunch and shrink.
- Tension in the carried yarn should match the tension of the stitches you are knitting, which takes practice to feel.
- You can strand over up to four or five stitches comfortably; longer floats (the loose strands on the back) should be anchored with a small stitch to prevent snagging.
Setting up your yarn before you start
Hold both colors in your hands at the same time. The exact way depends on what feels natural to you, but a common method is to hold one color in your right hand (as you normally would) and the other in your left hand, or to hold both in your right hand with one draped over your index finger and one over your middle finger. Experiment with a small swatch to find what lets you switch colors without dropping stitches.
Cast on with one color as usual. Once you reach the row where the pattern calls for the second color, you are ready to begin. Do not cut the first color—leave it hanging at the side of your work. You will pick it up again when the pattern tells you to switch back.
Making the switch from one color to the other
When your pattern says to change colors, straightforward start knitting with the new color. The old color stays in your hand, loose and ready to pick up again. On the first stitch of the new color, the yarn will naturally wrap around the old color, locking it in place on the back of your work. This is the float.
The critical mistake here is pulling the new color too tight on that first stitch. If you do, the stitch will be small and your fabric will pucker. Instead, knit the first stitch of the new color with a slightly looser tension than normal, then return to your regular tension for the rest of the stitches in that color. This takes a few rows to feel right, so do not be discouraged if your first attempt looks uneven.
Keeping the unused yarn at the right tension
As you knit, the color you are not using sits on the back of your work. It must be loose enough that it does not pull your stitches tight, but not so loose that it creates a sag or a hole. The best way to learn this is to knit a small practice swatch—at least 20 stitches wide and 30 rows tall—switching colors every 2 or 3 stitches. Look at the back of your swatch. The floats should lie flat and relaxed, not tight and bunched, and not hanging loose like a jump rope.
If your floats are too tight, your fabric will curl and shrink. If they are too loose, they will catch on fingers or needles when you wear the finished piece. The tension of the carried yarn should match the tension of the stitches you are knitting—this is a feel you develop over time, not a rule you can measure.
Anchoring long floats so they do not snag
If your pattern has more than four or five stitches in one color before switching back, the float on the back becomes long enough to catch. To prevent this, you can anchor the float with a small stitch called a catch or weaving. On the row where the float would be long, knit one stitch with the carried yarn twisted around the working yarn, then continue as normal. This creates a tiny stitch on the back that holds the float down without showing on the front.
To weave in a float: after knitting a few stitches with your working color, bring the carried yarn up and over your working yarn, then knit the next stitch under the carried yarn. This traps the float without creating a visible stitch on the front. It takes practice to keep these catches invisible, so test on a swatch first.
Reading a two-color pattern and following the chart
Two-color patterns are usually shown as a chart, not written instructions. Each square represents one stitch, and each color is shown as a different symbol or shade. Read the chart from right to left on the first row (because you knit from right to left), then left to right on the second row, and so on, alternating direction with each row. This is the same as reading any knitting chart.
Mark your place on the chart with a sticky note or a row counter so you do not lose your spot. Many knitters print the chart and highlight each row as they finish it. If you make a mistake and do not notice until several rows later, you can usually fix it by dropping the stitch down to the mistake, correcting it with a crochet hook, and picking the stitch back up. This is easier than ripping back the whole piece.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
The most common mistake is pulling the carried yarn too tight. This makes your fabric bunch, shrink, and look uneven. If this happens on a finished piece, you can sometimes gently stretch the fabric back into shape and block it (wet it, pin it to the right size, and let it dry). If the damage is severe, you may need to rip back and reknit those rows with looser tension on the carried yarn.
The second common mistake is losing track of which color you are supposed to be knitting. This is why a printed chart with a row counter is worth the time. If you knit a stitch in the wrong color, you can usually see it when ready. Drop the stitch, pull the yarn back to the mistake, and pick it up with the correct color using a crochet hook.
The third mistake is not anchoring long floats, which leads to snagging when you wear the finished piece. If you notice a long float after you have finished, you can weave it in by hand using a tapestry needle and matching yarn, running the needle under and over the float on the back of the fabric.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use stranding for more than two colors?
Yes, but it becomes harder to manage. Three colors is possible; four or more becomes difficult because you have too many floats to keep track of. For projects with many colors, intarsia or duplicate stitch (embroidering the color on top after knitting) is usually easier.
What happens if I pull the carried yarn too tight?
Your fabric will pucker and shrink, and the stitches will look uneven. The best fix is to reknit those rows with looser tension. On a finished piece, you can sometimes block it (wet and stretch it) to even out the damage, but prevention is easier than repair.
How do I know when to anchor a float?
If you are carrying the same color for more than four or five stitches, anchor it. Count the stitches in your pattern—if one color runs for six or more stitches before switching, weave the carried yarn in on the middle stitch of that run.
Do I need special yarn for two-color knitting?
No. Any yarn you can knit with works for stranding. The only requirement is that both colors have the same weight (thickness) so your tension stays even. Mixing weights will make some stitches larger than others.
What is the difference between stranding and intarsia?
Stranding carries both colors throughout the row and works for patterns where colors are scattered. Intarsia uses separate bobbins for each color block and works for large solid areas of color. Stranding is faster and easier to learn; intarsia gives cleaner results for big color blocks but requires more setup.