In original concept, creating double knitting means working stitch-by-stitch to create a two-faced reversible fabric. At the end, each smooth stockinette face displays the same color-work design, but with colors reversed. You'd think a trick this slick couldn't be topped, but you'd be wrong. Here is a trick called "double knitting by transformation."
In today's piece of knitting magic, you start with one kind of fabric and "transform" it into another by latching down a column of stockinette into ladders followed by re-latching the ladder back up. Re-latching transforms the ladder-rungs, returning them to being stitches in a column. However, by today's trick, that column now appears on the opposite fabric face!This intro to double knitting by transformation shows how two separate pieces of stockinette can be easily transformed into a simple, baffled, double-knit fabric. But this is just the beginning. Follow-up posts are set to demo re-latching into more complex fabrics with colored designs, structurally identical to knit-as-you-go mirror image double knitting.
VERTICAL BAFFLES BY TRANSFORMATION
For a start, a real-life project for proof of concept. More about this project after intro & how-to. |
| This chair cushion was made by transforming evenly-spaced columns of flat-knit stockinette fabric into double-knit fabric with vertical baffles. Working by transformation was quicker than work-as-you-go double knitting, and with better tension, also. |
INTRO
Haven't we seen vertical baffles before? Yes, but...
This series on double knitting already shown a simplified way of making vertical baffles, via my new four-needle double knitting trick. BUT! today's trick is not related EXCEPT that the resulting fabric is IDENTICAL: the same fabric by a different technique. And actually, this is EASIER (which is why the vertical baffle post suggested waiting for this post before starting a vertical baffle project!)
In this method, all the knitting is done as pure stockinette (perhaps with strategically placed texture patterns, such as cables--more on this below). Transformation to baffled vertical fabric takes a fraction of the project time that it would take to double knit the entire fabric in the first place, regardless whether by the classic two needle method, or my new four-needle method. It is especially faster if you have a knitting machine to quickly churn out yardage of stockinette fabric. (Hello machine knitters!)
The idea is to start with two independent fabrics. A ladder is let down in both fabrics. Holding the fabrics back-to-back, you hook up the rungs of the back fabric onto the front fabric, and those of the front fabric onto the back fabric.
HOW-TO
This swatch is actually the one left over from the previous post. As described there, the swatch was made of two stockinette fabrics, joined at the bottom. Then, the previous post shows how the side was latched up in the into a "transformation edge."Now, that same process--transformation--is going to be applied to the interior of the fabric.
In these photos I have dropped the fifth column from the LEFT edge on the front (purple) fabric, and the matching column (fifth column from the RIGHT on the back (green) fabric. The ladder stops a few stitches from the bottom, so it doesn't tangle with the cast-on.
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I've named the purple "front" and the green "back." In real life, either face could have been called "front." |
The loop immediately below the bottom purple rung gets a crochet hook inserted. The loop at the bottom of the green ladder gets a stitch holder.
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| Transformation set to begin Front fabric gets a crochet hook, back fabric gets a stitch holder (Both these bottom loops are marked in blue in the next set of photos) |
Transformation is now set to begin. Hold the purple fabric face (front) towards you. The idea is to hook up the green back ladders onto the front purple fabric face. When this is done, the fabric is flipped and the purple ladders are drawn onto the green fabric face.
By this switcheroo, the two previously independent fabric faces are connected through the layers, to become one two-faced double knit swatch, just as if they had been double-knit that way in the first place.
This project was knit as a single piece of fabric. Being in a single piece makes an easy bottom: simply fold up. However, the fold makes it harder to work the columns in the lower left corner. It's a balancing act between which you prefer: 1) latching up more easily with an open bottom, but then you have to graft the bottom shut, or 2) having an easy bottom to make by simply folding the fabric, but latching up from a congested corner.
Step-by-step
- The cycle begins by inserting the hook through both ladders. In the photo below, you cannot see the hook-head, because it now comes out on the green side.
- The purple bottom loop (blue dotted line and arrow) stays on the barrel of the hook.
- The hook in inserted to "jump over" the bottom PURPLE ladder-rung, marked with a purple dotted line and arrow, but under the next higher rung, which is marked with a brown dotted line and arrow.
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| Sandwich front---crochet hook "jumps over" before heading to the back fabric face. Click here for super-enlargement |
- Now we must direct the hook to catch the bottom GREEN ladder rung on the other side of the fabric. That rung is marked with a green dotted line and arrow. But first, we have to find it. Therefore, flip the fabric sandwich over so the hook shows, then grab that rung as shown.
- The hook is NOT catching the loop on the holder which is marked in blue . That loop just stays on the holder, keeping out of the way for the time being. Instead, the hook is catching the lowest LOOSE rung.
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| Sandwich back Click here for super-enlargement |
- Once the green rung is caught, flip the fabric sandwich back to the purple side. The hook now draws the green rung to the front and slips it through the purple loop. Now the hook is wearing only one loop--a green one. Note: Sometimes, the loop gets twisted in the draw-through (as you'll see in the below video). However, the problem is obvious and not hard to correct: just one more thing to look out for!
- The cycle begins again when the hook again inserts through the ladder, again "jumping over" the next higher purple ladder rung, and grabs the next lowest green rung.
Once the first few opposite color loops are established, you may find that flipping is no longer necessary. You will be able to see the opposite ladder rungs right through the fabric, called the "see-though" method. See-through has the advantage that the loops are harder to twist, easier to grab and much faster.
A third alternative for rung-grabbing is called "open book." You'll see that the fabric layers can be separated. By this method, the entire back fabric is displayed, making it easy to see the next lower back rung to grab. Open-book is basically foolproof--you'll always grab the correct rung--but it is slower than see-through.
Here is video showing the entire process with all three techniques in order: flip, see-through, and open book. It also shows what to do on the OTHER side of the fabric.
Just going to say it again: regardless which way you choose to find the next-lowest rung of the back fabric, you ALWAYS have to insert the hook to first "jump over" the next higher rung of the front fabric.
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Direct You-Tube link: https://youtu.be/I2Ddma3cCow
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Tips:
- At least for the first time, choose NON-SPLITTY pure WOOL, the stuff off a sheep's back. In my experience, most superwash is splitty, so consider using non-superwash. This is because split stitches ruin the smooth look. If you're still having trouble with splitting, consider using a latch-hook instead of a crochet hook.
- Made with synthetic or any slippery fiber, the dropped ladders want to slide and may even start to disappear. That's why wool is better for this trick: it is naturally sticky.
- Unlatched ladders in wool are kinky, so lightly steam the wool til the kinks fall out. Easier to re-latch smooth ladders.
- Make sure you're starting with same number of released rungs on both fabric faces, and that the fabrics are stockinette, held back-to-back.
- Call one fabric the "front," and the other the "back," then work this order consistently. If you switch up, the fabrics get one row off because you'd be jumping over a stitch in a different row in different columns.
- Count the same number of stitches in from the edge before unlatching, so matching columns get transformed.
- On the reverse, the front (purple) ladder rungs sit nice and neat, waiting to be picked up, per video. They were pushed into position when "jumped over" earlier. However, sometimes, a jumped-over ladder gets pushed down or sideways so it hides between the fabric layers. If one ladder-rung seems to be missing, this is usually why. Hunt around to hook that loop out of its hiding place.
- On a very long column, work in batches: maybe 10 or 15 rows, then catch up on the other side. Check to make sure you aren't missing any hook ups by counting the rungs still remaining above--there should be the same number both sides at the end of each batch. More on this below.
- This swatch is small and narrow. On a larger fabric, or one which will get a lot of transformation (like in the next post), it is easier to leave the bottom OPEN, then attach afterwards--more on this below.
- It is easiest to start transforming the first stitch or two of each column via the flip method, or the open-book method. However, no matter what method you start with, if all you're doing is hooking straight columns, you'll probably revert to the "see-through" method pretty quick. Nevertheless, occasionally still flip the fabric over to make sure of not skipping rungs by accident.
- With deeper projects, if you are right handed, it's easiest to attach the fabrics at the left edge, then start column one in the leftmost corner of the front fabric, with each subsequent column starting to the right. This lets you "open like a book" to investigate if things don't seem quite right. If you start at the rightmost column, you can still open like a book BUT it will be awkward because it is against your handedness. If left handed, do the opposite: start at the rightmost column then work leftwards.
- At the top, stop latching opposite colored rungs when you are two or three rungs from the top. Latch those last three rungs in the SAME color. This gives you the same "frame" at the top as you got at the bottom--recollect that you don't latch all the way down on the front to avoid tangling with the cast on.
Close up: a purple column on a green background, a green column on a purple background.
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| Transformed double knit column |
Geek note: as you see by the top stitches on the double-knit column, it is possible to switch from purple to green rungs when latching up (and vice versa). Intra-column color-switching gives rise to many opportunities: that's the next post in this series.
By transforming further columns, you get stuff-able vertical baffles. Here, the parallel baffles are stuffed up with Bernat "big blanket" chenille yarn. (There's lot more about stuffing at the knit-in vertical baffle post--remember, although these are completely different METHODS, the make an IDENTICAL fabric.)
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| Double knit sample with vertical baffles created via transformation, stuffed up with jumbo chenille yarn. Normally, that loop would be cut off before fastening the top--it's left that way because if it were cut, the stuffing would be inside where you couldn't see it... Couple of other things to note: --The leftmost column was worked first, then the next column was worked to the right of that. --Note the three-stitch "frame" top and bottom. --The simplest way to finish the top is to graft it shut. |
Vertical baffles by transformation IRL: seat cushion
Overview: The project was started with a provisional cast on. By the time this photo was taken, that cast on had been removed and the stitches put on a circular needle as a holder. Also, one ladder had been let down (red arrows) and the rungs steamed to relax their kinky ways.
This project was knit as a single piece of fabric. Being in a single piece makes an easy bottom: simply fold up. However, the fold makes it harder to work the columns in the lower left corner. It's a balancing act between which you prefer: 1) latching up more easily with an open bottom, but then you have to graft the bottom shut, or 2) having an easy bottom to make by simply folding the fabric, but latching up from a congested corner.
Folding over also makes an unusual situation with stitch count--the fabric will have one less stitch on the provisionally cast on edge. This is because one fabric is laddered down from the stitch "heads," and the other from the "tails." One solution is to add one stitch in an inconspicuous spot, two rows above the cast on. Be aware and don't add stitches where a ladder will later be let down. Another solution (which I used on the seat cushion) is to simply live with the differential stitch count.
Being a stitch off means that the two fabrics are offset by 1/2 stitch. This is most visible where laddered-out columns run close together. The offset would prove an awkward thing to work around if each column had been dropped all the way to its bottom, so leave margin of at least three stitches each side of the fold line, to avoid this. At the side-edges, this situation also shows up as a half-stitch offset. It's not a structural issue. It isn't a visual issue either, as long as you leave a bottom margin as shown when laddering down, and isn't visually apparent at the sides unless you go hunting for it. (And again, none of these problems arise if the project being latched up started as two independent fabrics.)
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| There is only a single stitch arm (1/2 a stitch) between the columns of the two released stitches. Click here for enlargement . |
So...what is actually going on behind the scenes when you unlatch + re-latch? I've already shown how to make an edge by transformation, and this makes a very pretty alternating edge. It turns out, that same alternating structure is created inside the transformation column. This short video illustrates the alternating criss-cross of loops from one fabric face to the other. (This is also the structure created by double-knitting as-you-go, whether by the classic two-needle method or by the new four-needle method.)
To make the top match the bottom, the top of this cushion was grafted shut in knit (stockinette).
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| Matchy-matchy top and bottom: fold-over edge below, knit (stockinette) graft above |
Grafting in stockinette differs from the instructions so far in this series. The default bottom for double knitting, introduced here, is to pick up the second fabric through the cast-on loops of the first. This makes a purl-looking bottom edge. Then, the top is separated onto two needles for front and back if they aren't separated already, then grafted shut in purl. This makes the default of top and bottom with a purl row-match. By contrast, on this project, the match is achieved by the simple folded bottom paired with a knit-grafted top.
This cushion was knit in Drops Karisma, a DK weight yarn. It was worked at a gauge of 5 sts/in and 7 rows/in. This is a slightly loose gauge for this yarn. The latching process draws yarn out of the fabric, so a looser gauge makes latching easier. However, too loose and the stuffing shows. Another reason to swatch for transformation projects.
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| Puffy stuffed baffles |
The baffles vary in width from 9 columns at the top to 11 columns at the bottom. Each column is stuffed with a doubled-over strand of Bernat Big Blanket chenille yarn. A method for stuffing blind (dead-end) baffles is described here.
Adapted for clothing, this combo of yarn and stuffing would make a heavy jacket. It would be similar in weight to a melton wool jacket (think: pea coat) although puffier, stretchier, and less "hot," due to being less wind-resistant. If the sleeves were stuffed, it might bring to mind the Michelin Man: might be best to leave sleeves un-stuffed, or anyway, lightly stuffed. Another use: a chunky puffer vest which would be good under a wind breaker for outdoor use. For indoors, a vest would be good for a cool office (sitting still) or chilly warehouse/greenhouse (moving) but probably too warm for a well-heated house. In any kind of garment, the shoulder seams ought to be stout: vertical baffles make a heavy, stiff fabric.
The fabric was knit in stripes on the "front" side, and this makes latching up easier. There are nine blue or green rows between each rust-colored contrast stripe, so I batch-latched in groups of ten on each side: easier to keep track.
Knitted-in vertical stripes also gave this cushion a matching look to one I made earlier--another striped cushion, knit-as-you-go by my new four-needle double knitting technique, made with horizontal baffles. Here are the two, side by side, variations on a theme.
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Left cushion was knit as-you-go via four needle double knitting in horizontal baffles Right cushion is in matching colors, also striped, but in vertical baffles by transformation |
Transforming with texture
This swatch shows transforming into vertical baffles with texture. This project started with two fabrics, the darker with a 6-stitch wide texture (cable) panel. (However, there's no reason not to put cables on both sides!)
Cables are usually knit with purl columns alongside to make them pop: the receding purls stand the cables taller by contrast. However, when transforming, cables are knit plain across, meaning, no purl offset columns. Instead, the offset is created afterward by a contrasting color column, which is transformed in the adjoining column where the purls would ordinarily be.
If you stuff the baffle with the cable panel while leaving the baffles alongside flat, you get a really juicy cable, standing higher than with any purl offsets you could ever knit.
...a really juicy cable, standing higher, like a real rope running down the middle
Stuffed transformed vertical baffle fabrics would ordinarily be too stiff for a neck scarf, but! If you transformed a long fabric and left all the baffles unstuffed EXCEPT for a central cable, that would be a beautiful and wearable scarf with an unusual design feature, as if a real cable (rope!) ran right down the middle.
Geek notes:
-- Vertical baffles by transformation is yet another example of the relationship between independent fabrics and double knitting. More on this subject: Double knitting + working independent layers.
--Suppose you want a quilted look in a transformed project, as from discontinuous columns, below. In this case, stop the knitting to drop the columns at the top of each discontinuity. Alternatively, this might be a situation where knitting baffles as-you-go would be just as easy.
--As to stuffing, experiment on your swatch to see which is easier: stuffing discontinuous columns as-you-go, or weaving the afghan hook through the S-shaped baffles which discontinuous latching leave behind, drawing through the stuffing-yarn afterward.
--The sides on the seat cushion project were joined afterward by the "zig-zag" method, to be shown in a future post. The cable swatch was worked with an open bottom, and both bottom and top were later grafted together, matchy-matchy.
Next post: color patterns by transformation
--TK
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This is one in a series on Double Knitting. The series so far:
