Stranded knitting is all about color, but did you know the way you hold your yarns can decide how your motifs look?
This little detail is called color dominance, and once you get the hang of it, your Dorthea designs will look sharper, clearer, and more professional.
What Is Color Dominance?
When you knit with two colors, you’re always carrying one across the front and one across the back. The yarn held closer to your work (closer to the needle and to you) becomes the dominant color. It pops forward, making the motifs stand out.
The other yarn naturally recedes, becoming the background color.
In the Dorthea Collection, that means the pattern colors – the ones forming the motifs – should always be dominant. That’s what keeps the shapes crisp and easy to see.
How to Hold Your Yarns
There’s more than one way to manage two yarns, but the golden rule is simple: be consistent throughout your project.
If you prefer carrying both yarns in your left hand, let the dominant color rest closer to your palm while the background color sits toward your fingertips.
If you like working with one yarn in each hand, keep the dominant yarn in your left and the background in your right.
Whichever method feels natural is the right one for you, just remember to use the same method from start to finish.
Design meets detail: Color dominance makes every motif stand out. The right technique transforms yarn and pattern into wearable art.
Why Consistency Matters
If you accidentally swap positions mid-project, you’ll notice the difference right away. The motifs will look “blurry,” uneven, or disappear into the background.
In designs like the Dorthea Sweater and Dorthea Yoke Sweater, where vertical lines and bold shapes define the look, keeping the dominant yarn consistent is what makes those motifs shine.
On the wrong side, you’ll also see the floats running in two neat, parallel lines – another good sign that your dominance is consistent.
What About Long Floats?
Even with consistent color dominance, long floats still need securing. That means catching the yarn at the back so it doesn’t snag.
For a step-by-step guide, see our post: How to Work with Floats in Stranded Knitting.
When catching floats, just remember: keep the yarns in the same order. The dominant color must always be closest to the work, while the background must be kept in the back.
The Dorthea Cowl is your beginner-friendly gateway into stranded knitting and color dominance. Effortless, cozy, and Copenhagen-cool.
Colorwork with Dorthea
The Dorthea Mittens are a gentle and beginner friendly introduction to colorwork and dominance in stranded knitting. You’ll see right away how dominance makes one color pop while the other fades back.
The Dorthea Cowl lets you practice on a larger canvas, with repeating motifs that really show the effect of consistency.
Finally, the Dorthea Sweater and Dorthea Yoke Sweater take the technique to the next level. These pieces rely on dominance to create bold, Nordic-inspired motifs that stand out in any crowd.
From mittens to sweaters, the Dorthea Collection proves that stranded knitting can be bold, modern, and full of personality. Mix, match, and make it yours.
Can’t Wait to Share
Stranded knitting is as much about the process as the result – every float, every color choice, every motif tells part of your story as a maker. The Dorthea Collection was designed to highlight those details and give you projects you’ll be proud to show off.
Can’t wait to share until it’s finished? That’s the whole point! And we love seeing your works in progress just as much as the final piece.
Share your Dorthea projects with us on Instagram using #hobbiidorthea and #COPENHAGENfibersbyHobbii. Also, remember to tag us: @hobbii_yarn and @copenhagenfibers.
Because Copenhagen Fibers is Made to Notice.
