Have you ever tried to work colourwork in the round, but found that you’ve struggled to maintain your tension when the stretch between areas of the same colour is more than a few stitches? Ladderback Jacquard might be the technique you’re looking for! Rather than catching floats at the back of the knitting, the floats are caught in a separate layer of fabric that sits behind the main layer, so your floats are invisible from the front of the work, even if you’re working a long stretch of one colour.

This tutorial shows you how to use Ladderback Jacquard when working two-colour colourwork in the round, and includes a mini project you can practise the technique on.

Ready? Here’s how to work Ladderback Jacquard.

The tutorial

Before you begin

Look at your chart and work out where to place the ladder stitches.

You want 3-5 stitches between the ladders, and if you are working on DPNs or magic loop, it is helpful if you have a ladder stitch at the beginning or end of each needle – this helps you maintain tension at the ‘corners’.
The ladders do not have to be evenly spaced, although you might find it easier to keep track of them if they are.

Set-up

Work as far as the start of the round before the first colourwork round.

Set-up round

On the rnd before the first round of colourwork (in this case, Rnd 1 of the chart), you need to add the ladder stitches as follows:

Using MC, knit to the position of the first ladder stitch (picture 1).
Using CC and starting with the yarn at the back of the work, take the yarn to the front of the work between the needles, then back over the needle to create a yarnover (picture 2). You should bring the CC up from under the MC when making the yarnover.
Using MC, knit the next stitch, making sure the CC yarnover is trapped by the MC at the back of the work (picture 4).
Using MC, knit to the position of the next ladder stitch (pictures 3 and 4).
Repeat Steps 2-4 until you have reached the end of the round, making sure your tension is even on your MC stitches and that the CC floats are relaxed (pictures 5 and 6).

First colourwork round

Following the chart for the colour changes, knit to the first ladder stitch (picture 1).
Bring both yarns to the front between the needles (picture 2).
With just the float colour, purl the ladder stitch through the back of the loop. When you’re purling the float stitches, make sure the non-float yarn is in front of the purled stitch. This will ensure the ladder stitches do not show through at the front (picture 3).
Take both yarns to the back between the needles (picture 4).
Following the chart, knit to the next ladder stitch.
Repeat Steps 2-5 until you have reached the end of the round (pictures 5 and 6).

All further colourwork rounds

Following the chart, knit to the first ladder stitch.
Bring both yarns to the front between the needles.
With just the float colour, purl the ladder stitch. As before, make sure the non-float yarn is in front of the stitch you are purling.
Take both yarns to the back between the needles.
Following the chart, knit to the next ladder stitch.
Repeat Steps 2-5 until you have reached the end of the round (pictures 1 and 2 show what your work should look like from the front and the back).

Note on the colour of the ladder

The float colour will not necessarily be consistent up the ’ladder’ – use the ‘float’ yarn, regardless of the colour. In the example, the ladder should be worked in the following colour:

Rnd 2: Ladder 1: MC; ladder 2: CC
Rnds 3-8: Ladders 1 and 2: MC
Rnds 9-10: Ladder 1: CC; ladder 2: MC
Rnd 11: Ladders 1 and 2: CC

Ladder 3 is worked in CC throughout.

Where the ladder happens between colour changes in the chart, you should use the colour to the left of the ladder for the ladder, e.g. for the ladder between stitches 7 and 8 in Round 2, you should work the ladder in CC.

Finishing round

The finishing round is worked on the round after the final colourwork round.

Break CC.
Knit to 1 stitch before ladder stitch (picture 1).
Slip the final MC stitch knitwise with yarn in back, slip the ladder stitch knitwise with yarn in back, knit the two slipped stitches together through back of loop (picture 2).
Repeat Steps 2-3 until you have reached the end of the round (picture 3).

Once you have completed the finishing round, all your stitches will be in MC. Continue working in MC alone as directed in the pattern.

Finishing

Weave in your ends. You can reduce show-through by weaving the ends into the ladder layer.

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Ladderback jacquard test piece

You will need:

· Scraps of yarn in two colours (MC and CC)

o The yarn should be the same weight, and same composition.

o A wool or wool blend is ideal for this technique.

o The yarns should have good contrast so you can see what you’re doing.

· A long circular needle [at least 80 cm (32 in) in length] for working magic loop, or DPNs in an appropriate size for your yarn:

o 4ply: 3 mm

o DK: 4 mm

o Aran: 5 mm

o Chunky: 6 mm

· Stitch marker x 1

Instructions

Using MC, cast on 22 sts. Join in the rnd, taking care not to twist the cast-on edge. Pm to mark beginning of rnd, slip this marker at the end of each rnd.

Rnds 1-2: Using MC, *k1, p1; rep from * to end.

Rnd 3: Using MC, k to end.

Rnd 4: Work the Ladderback Jacquard Set-up round.

Rnds 5-16: Work Heart Chart Rnds 1-12, using Ladderback Jacquard to control the floats.

Rnd 17: Work the Ladderback Jacquard Finishing round.

Rnds 18-19: Using MC, *k1, p1; rep from * to end.

Using MC, cast off all sts loosely in pattern.

Finishing

Weave in all ends. Stand back and admire!

Abbreviations

sts: stitches

rnd(s): round(s)

pm: place marker

k: knit

p: purl

CC: contrast colour

MC: main colour

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