When working stranded knitting with multiple colors per row, maintaining even floats is extremely important. When a pattern calls for a long run of a single color, we can avoid an extra-long float by “catching” the float — twisting the two strands of yarn together behind the work.

Catching the yarn held continental

You have worked 3-5 stitches with the yarn held English style, and now you need to secure the continental float.

Catching a continental float is easy:

1. Insert your needle into the next stitch knitwise
2. Bring the continental yarn over the top of the back needle. The popover link will be the stranded knitting
3. Wrap the English yarn around the back needle. This yarn will form the new knit stitch.
4. Bring the needle, with the English yarn still wrapped around it, back underneath the continental yarn and through the working stitch.

A new stitch has been created with the English yarn. The continental yarn has been caught behind the stitch. You can now work another 3-5 English stitches before needing to catch the float again.

Catching the yarn held English

You have worked 3-5 stitches with the yarn held continental, and now you need to secure the English float.

This looks a little bit trickier, but in practice is very fun:

1. Insert your needle into the next stitch knitwise.
2. Wrap the English yarn around the back needle clockwise as though to knit.
3. Wrap the continental yarn around the back needle. This yarn will form the new knit stitch.
4. Unwrap the English yarn, pulling it counter-clockwise off the back needle. You will see that it is ‘caught’ by the continental yarn.
5. Bring the needle, with the continental yarn still wrapped around it, through the working stitch.