Over the years some of my favorite projects that knitters have made from my Entrechat pattern were ones involving two or more colors.
I think using two colors works so well for my Entrechat pattern: it underlines the unusual construction and makes the textured band really pop.
I decided to make a two-tone Entrechat using two Malabrigo Rios colorways: Water Green as the main color and Teal Feather as a contrasting color:
Here's a basic how-to:
First, a word of warning: you have to be willing to weave in a few ends! I made this using intarsia, which means that for the rows where I had contrasting color on both ends of my knitting, I used two separate balls of contrasting color yarn, one on each end, and the main color yarn for the middle.
- So before you start, wind up a small ball (about 1.5 to 2 inches - that's about 4-5 cm in diameter) from your main contrasting color (CC) yarn ball, which you'll use for the intarsia bits.
- Cast on your project using the larger ball of CC yarn and follow instructions until you have your 4 garter ridges from the cast on edge. Cut CC yarn.
- On next RS row, switch to the main color yarn (MC) and follow the pattern until the sleeve stitches are bound off. Cut MC yarn.
- Join CC (larger ball) to pick up the stitches along the raglans and until you are ready to start the "Work Body" section.
- To work the textured band:
RS: K4 in CC (from the larger ball), join MC and work as explained in the pattern to 4 sts from end of row, leave MC hanging at the back of your work and join CC from the separate small ball, k4, (it will seem like you have a big gap where you joined the yarns but this will be fixed later when you weave in the ends).
WS: K4 using the smaller ball of CC, then leave CC hanging and pick up your MC (crossing/wrapping it around the CC to close the gap) and work to 4 sts from end of row, leave MC hanging and pick up CC from the larger ball (crossing/wrapping it around the MC) and k4.
- Keep working the textured band rows in this way -- you might need to untangle your three balls of yarns once in a while -- oh the joys of colorwork ;)
- When you reach the part in the pattern where you are given the length of the textured band, work the following RS in CC using the two balls of CC yarn and leaving the MC hanging (you can "carry it" at the back of your work, just twisting it with your working yarn as you encounter it).
- When you have worked the two garter ridges and you are ready to work the increase row, work the first 4 sts in CC using the larger ball of yarn, then pick up your MC to do the increases and switch to the CC from the smaller ball for the last 4 sts. Continue in this way using the three balls of yarn until you reach the given measurements, but instead of ending on a RS row as instructed, end on a WS row. Cut the MC yarn and the CC yarn from the smaller ball of yarn.
- On the next RS: using the CC from the larger ball of yarn, knit one row. Then work the ridges with the buttonhole according to the pattern.
- Last but not least: Weave in all those ends neatly.
TA-DA! A lovely two-color Entrechat!!
By the way... I will be hosting an Entrechat KAL in June! I will announce the details soon.