when knitting with two strands of yarn held together...

[samstress]

how do i keep them from getting all twisted up? :

am i doing something wrong or is this normal? i have to stop after every row to untwist them (it's easy enough, but it's annoying and time consuming)

any ideas?

[geekgolightly]

If I'm knitting with two strands held together, I allow them to twist together. I can't notice it in my knitting.

If I am color knitting with two colors, I always keep the one I am working with on the right and the one being "held" on the left.

[flapjack]

But when you knit, you're adding twist anyhow. It adds strength and structure to your fabric.

Let it be. Don't fear the twist.

[MsElle07]

Twisting is just fine! You only need to untwist if it's getting so twisted it starts to create clumps and become impossible to work with.

[samstress]

Originally Posted by MsElle07

Twisting is just fine! You only need to untwist if it's getting so twisted it starts to create clumps and become impossible to work with.

this is what's happening. so, there's no way to avoid it?

[flapjack]

There could be. IF you have a ballwinder then you can break the yarn and rewind your balls from the opposite end- that might sort it out. Or one from the opposite end.

Can you knit both english and continental? You'll also find that switching from one to the other will ease your problems because you hold the yarn differently.

[greenegirl]

Are you knitting flat or in the round? If you are knitting flat, you may be able to avoid the twist problem by paying attention to which way you turn the work when you switch your needles from one hand to the other.

Start by untwisting your yarns so that they are once again 2 separate strands coming from their individual skeins. Knit a row, then switch the needle to your other hand as you normally would. Before you start knitting the next row, look at your strands. They are now crossed. Knit the next row. Before switching the needle to your other hand, look carefully at the way your strands are crossed and, while switching the needle to your other hand, turn the work in the opposite direction so that the strands are no longer crossed.

As long as you turn your skeins stay lined up (I think this is easier with center pull balls since the skeins don't bounce about like they do when you knit from the outside) and you turn your work in alternating directions when switching the needle to your other hand, you can avoid the twisting problem! I was so excited when I figured this out recently. :

[ckmannel]

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