Ladderback Jacquard

If you've ever tackled a stranded colourwork project and found yourself wrestling with long floats at the back (you know the ones — they catch on everything, kill the stretch, and just look like a tangled mess), this class is for you. Ladderback jacquard is a brilliant technique that creates little ladder stitches on the wrong side to catch those floats, keeping your fabric elastic, tidy, and actually wearable. 
 
What You'll Learn 
- Ladderback jacquard — how to work the ladderback stitches, where to place them, and how to manage your floats so the back of your work looks as good as the front 
- Turkish cast-on (as a provisional cast-on) — a clean, flexible starting edge that's perfect for projects where you want to come back and finish the edge later, or work in both directions 
 
What You'll Make
You'll knit your choice of either a beanie or a cowl, both featuring a charming geometric gnome (gonk!) pattern worked in stranded colourwork. Little Scandinavian-style gnome motifs — because everything is better with gnomes. 
 
What's Included 
- DK weight yarn for your project (3 balls) — included in the class fee, so you don't need to source anything 
- Hands-on instruction and guidance from me throughout the session 
- Tea, biscuits, and good company (obviously) 
 
What to Bring 
- 16" circular needles in 4–4.5mm (or whatever you usually use for DK weight yarn) 
- A second circular needle for the Turkish cast-on — this can be the same size or smaller than your main needle 
 
Is This Class Right for Me? 
You should be comfortable with knitting in the round. Ideally, you'll have some experience with stranded colourwork, but no prior ladderback jacquard experience needed — I'll teach you everything from scratch.  

 
FAQ 
 
What is ladderback jacquard? 
It's a stranded knitting technique that uses small ladder-like stitches on the wrong side of your work to catch long floats. Unlike simply catching floats as you go, ladderback jacquard keeps the fabric stretchy and elastic — great for garments like beanies and sweaters that need to fit well. 
 
When should I use ladderback jacquard instead of catching floats? 
Catching floats works fine for shorter ones, but when you've got long stretches of a single colour (5+ stitches), ladderback jacquard is the better choice. It keeps the back of your work neat and prevents the tight, puckered feeling you can get from over-catching. 
 
Can I use ladderback jacquard in the round? 
Yes — and that's exactly what we'll be doing in this class! We'll work the gnome pattern in the round on 16" circulars. 
 
What is a provisional cast-on, and why use Turkish cast-on? 
A provisional cast-on gives you a live edge you can come back to later — useful for adding a brim, hem, or finishing edge after the main piece is done. The Turkish cast-on is a lovely, clean method for this and it's worth having in your toolkit.