Knitting with two strands of yarn is one of my favorite ways to create unique texture and colors while speeding up the project as well. Many times, we do not have the exact right yarn that we need, but can double up what we have to create thicker bulkier yarns. By mixing and matching yarns we can also create the look of tweed colors. I have used this technique many many times in my knitting and today I am sharing all of the tricks I’ve learned along the way.
If you’re brand new to knitting, you can always hop over to my how to knit beginners guide on the blog and brush up on the basics before diving in. I also walk through how to make a slip knot and cast on, so you’ll feel totally ready
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What is a strand of yarn?
When you knit normally, you are using one strand of yarn. You open your skein of yarn, and you use it to make your fabric. This is not to be confused with ply- for instance a 4 ply yarn is made of 4 threads twisted.
Knitting with Two strands of Yarn
Yarns come in various thickness called yarn-weight- thin, medium or bulky. And sometimes you can double up your thinner yarn or medium yarn to make a bulky yarn project. This is called knitting with two strands of yarn also referred to as double-stranding. You knit by holding two yarns together as if it were one.
The best way to do this is to have two skeins of yarn and have one strand of working yarn from each skein. This way you will have equal yardage of each strand and will not run short mid way.
Each stitch has two strands now, and every time you knit, you insert your needle into both those strands and wrap two strands of yarn around the needle to make a new stitch. Thats it! It is a simple technique and once you get started it is very intuitive.
Benefits of Knitting with two strands of yarn:
This technique works beautifully for works beautifully for:
- Getting a “bulky yarn” look without buying expensive bulky yarn
- Adding thickness to a soft worsted or DK yarn
- Creating beautiful new and unique to you color blends using two shades
- Making blankets, scarves, and hats feel extra plush
- Using up scrap yarn or partial balls from your stash
knitting with two strands of yarn needle size
Every yarn skein comes with a recommended needle size suggestion on its label. But what do you do when you are knitting with two strands of yarn? You will need to figure out which needle size works the best, there is no exact math that works.
Start by doubling your needle size– so if the yarn skein recommends a 5mm needle, try using a 10mm needle for two strands
Create a small swatch of fabric with the needle size you choose or have. Here is how I move forward once I have the swatch-
- If the swatch fabric feels too thick and stiff- the needle size is too small, go up a few sizes.
- If the swatch fabric feels too thin and the stitches are loose or full of holes- the needle size is way too big, size down.
- If the swatch fabric feels and looks good- that is the right size needle to use!
How do you keep yarn from twisting when knitting with two strands?
To keep the working yarn skeins from tangling up, my first tip is to start your yarn skein from the middle! This allows the yarn comes out of the skein much easily and the skein does not keep rolling around each time you pull for new yarn.
Next, place each set of yarn into a drawstring bag of its own and close the bag top. This will keep each color from tangling up too much! You can also use plastic ziploc bags or small plastic containers to keep the yarn skeins separate.
Can you knit triple strands?
Yes! You will need to adjust the needle size accordingly like I show in my Bulky Knit Blanket Using 3 Strands of Yarn Pattern.
Mix and Match different colors of yarns
Till now I’ve shown examples using two strands of the same colored yarn. What happens if you mix two different colored yarns? I did that in my recent Textured Knit COBBLESTONE Blanket where I used one strand of thick cream yarn and a variegated yarn to create a unique tweed fabric.
You can also create stitches with two bright colored yarns like this pink and yellow I used in this Basic Stripe Knit Scarf Pattern.
In this chunky knit pillow pattern I used up yarns from my stash and created the most unique pillows that I loved having on display!
Knitting with two strands of yarn is an easy technique that you will find a lot of inspiration here on my blog. If you have any questions for me leave a comment below and I’m happy to answer them. Happy Knitting!
