Jun
Knitting tip & techniques, Knitting tips, Tips & techniques
Tutorial: Ladder back Jacquard
When working in stranded knitting with very long floats at the back of the work ( they can show disgracefully at the front of the work, especially when knitting with lopi), you can use another technique to deal with the long floats called Ladder back jacquard (the technique is commonly used in machine knitting).
With the Ladder back jacquard technique, the long floats are worked together with a ladder of knit stitches creating a web at the back of the fabric. This avoid having to trap them into the knitting fabric, making it both completely invisible and more elastic. For this technique to work properly and neatly, it is important to respect the color dominance (that is to not twist your strands at the back of the work). Other than that it´s rather easy and straight forward. I hope the tutorial below will make the learning smooth.
Example of a sweater with very long strands. Ladders of knit stitches were added in between the motifs (brown ladders) and inside the motifs themselves (white ladder).
1. How to anchor the motif yarn at the back of the work
Bring the background yarn to the front
Make a loop with the motif yarn
Put the loop on the right needle: this makes an extra stitch
Bring the background yarn (that was in the front) to the back again and continue knitting
Here is a video demonstrating it:
2. How to knit the ladder at the back of the work
You will be working in stranded knitting normally. Each time you come to a ladder, that is to the extra stitch knitted at the back of the work with the motif yarn…
…start by bringing the background yarn to the front of the work
Knit the extra ladder stitch with the motif yarn
Bring the background yarn to the back again
Continue knitting in stranded knitting
Here is a video showing the motif worked in stranded knitting and knitting the ladder at the back of the work
3. Stop the ladder by knitting the extra ladder stitch together with the stitch on its left
When there is no more need for the ladder back jacquard technique, stop just before the extra ladder stitch…
… and knit the extra ladder stitch together with the stitch on its left (this way the ladder stitch is underneath and invisible)
The ladder is now attached to the work and is completely invisible
Continue knitting normally
Here is a video showing the process.
I´ve used this technique for projects such as the socks from my book Socks of Iceland
Or the sweater The five gaits of the Icelandic horse (coming soon – I will link it: as a matter of fact, this tutorial is for this sweater to be released)
In this particular pattern, I have indicated on the Chart exactly where to anchor the yarns and where to stop the ladder, taking all the guessing from you for a peaceful knitting where you can only concentrate on teh technique if it is new to you.
Useful link
