# Swing Knitting



## sockknitter (Jul 9, 2012)

I recently came across a type of knitting called Swing Knitting. I was on the Brown Sheep Company website and when I saw this technique, I fell in love. It is a free form type of knitting. Here is a link to that section.
http://brownsheep.com/blog/getting-into-the-swing-of-things

Has anyone used this technique? Are there any you tube videos showing how to do it? Would love to know more about it. I can't seem to find any classes in my area.


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## no1girl (Sep 4, 2012)

looks fascinating!


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## franci6810 (Dec 18, 2012)

Never heard of this technique, but would love to give it a try. Thanks for the link, absolutely fabulous yarn.
Happy New Year.
XX Franci


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## graymist (Jun 21, 2013)

interesting


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## jvallas (Jul 16, 2013)

I'm fairly sure that is the category the Dreambird Shawl is in, and there are a ton of knitters working on that (1309 projects in Ravelry)! I bought and started the Lefties shawl - it's kind of a mini version.

Dreambird: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dreambird-kal
Nadita's page of other designs: http://www.ravelry.com/designers/nadita-swings
Lefties: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/leftie

The Dreambird is all about short rowing (double stitch or 
German short rows). I haven't investigated other swing knitting.


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## Colorgal (Feb 20, 2012)

I have not seen this before. I am going to search more links to see what I can find. I will do another post if I find anything of value to help us.


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## jvallas (Jul 16, 2013)

Here's a free pattern for a Swing Knit cowl to familiarize you with it:

http://www.skacelfiberstudio.com/storage/swingy_accessories.pdf


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## determined_to-knit (May 16, 2011)

Thank you for sharing this information! I had not heard of Swing Knitting before, however, it looks quite intriguing!


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## sockknitter (Jul 9, 2012)

jvallas said:


> Here's a free pattern for a Swing Knit cowl to familiarize you with it:
> 
> http://www.skacelfiberstudio.com/storage/swingy_accessories.pdf


Thanks for the pattern. I'm going to put this on my list for the new year.


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## Colorgal (Feb 20, 2012)

There is another new topic just started about swing knitting that has lots and lots of websites posted, Great information.


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## Joy Marshall (Apr 6, 2011)

jvallas said:


> I'm fairly sure that is the category the Dreambird Shawl is in, and there are a ton of knitters working on that (1309 projects in Ravelry)! I bought and started the Lefties shawl - it's kind of a mini version.
> 
> Dreambird: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dreambird-kal
> Nadita's page of other designs: http://www.ravelry.com/designers/nadita-swings
> ...


Yes, the Dreambird is in that category. After many starts with said shawl I called it the Nightmare shawl and gave up.


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## standsalonewolf (Dec 1, 2011)

gotta have lots of patience


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## jvallas (Jul 16, 2013)

Joy Marshall said:


> Yes, the Dreambird is in that category. After many starts with said shawl I called it the Nightmare shawl and gave up.


You are not alone. A lot of people complain about it. I bought it, never started it, but she's issued updates a few times, & I'm guessing she keeps trying to clarify things because people get so stumped! Hey, try the Lefties. Way easier and quicker! I haven't finished it, but that's only because I tend to flit from one thing to the next.


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## Jessica-Jean (Mar 14, 2011)

http://swing-knitting.com/

It's sweet that some folks think they've invented something, get it patented and/or trade-marked and then rake in the dough with their classes.

However, there's _still_ nothing new under the sun. Anyone who can read, can learn to do anything that someone else took the time to write out - assuming it was clearly enough written out and that the reader has peace and quiet long enough to absorb the information. There have been men's machine knit sweaters in store windows for the last couple of decades with this technique. If it can be done on a machine, often it can also be done by hand.

Just my two cents.


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## Jessica-Jean (Mar 14, 2011)

Joy Marshall said:


> Yes, the Dreambird is in that category. After many starts with said shawl I called it the Nightmare shawl and gave up.


Interesting. On Ravelry, the Dreambird has 52 pages of projects, but only 7 pages 'finished'. Unless a lot of knitters didn't bother to edit their project as 'finished', that makes for a ton who're still stuck somewhere with it.

I look at the Dreambird KAL page several times a year, but have so far resisted the urge to purchase it. I do not _need_ another pattern!


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## pzoe (Mar 17, 2011)

Wow. Thanks.

Pzoe


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## cd4player (Jul 29, 2011)

I came across German Short Rows on this site a while ago and started using them on my socks - WAY easier than traditional wrap-and-turn short rows. 

Swing knitting looks like nothing more than incorporating this short-row technique into garments. I saw some similar stuff in a recent edition of Creative Knitting magazine.

As Jessica-Jean said, there's really nothing new under the sun, at least when it comes to knitting!!


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## RoxyCatlady (Mar 22, 2011)

I've seen "swing knitting" done before without the short row - it has been used as a way to avoid "pooling" of colours when knitting with handpainted yarns. The plan or idea: Knit across the row with one ball of yarn. Go back to the start of that row, and knit across again with a second ball of yarn. Now, you have two ends of yarn at the same edge - knit across with the first ball again. Now you have one end of yarn at each side or edge of the knitting - go back to the start of that row, and knit across again with the second ball. Now you have two ends at the same side again...

So, basically, you work two right side rows, then two wrong side rows, knitting with two balls of yarn at the same time.


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## Joy Marshall (Apr 6, 2011)

Joy Marshall said:


> Yes, the Dreambird is in that category. After many starts with said shawl I called it the Nightmare shawl and gave up.


The German short rows are part of the problem, I think, with the Dreambird. In frogging, of which I had to do a lot, the German turn is almost invisible.


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## Knitophile (Oct 22, 2012)

Joy Marshall said:


> The German short rows are part of the problem, I think, with the Dreambird. In frogging, of which I had to do a lot, the German turn is almost invisible.


That's why you usually see it done with a ton of safety pins.
See


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## Knitophile (Oct 22, 2012)

Blog with some good first projects for Swing Knitting:
http://knitting-and-so-on.blogspot.ch/2013_02_01_archive.html

http://knitting-and-so-on.blogspot.ch/search?updated-min=2012-01-01T00:00:00%2B01:00&updated-max=2013-01-01T00:00:00%2B01:00&max-results=24

http://knitting-and-so-on.blogspot.ch/2012/12/more-mixing.html

http://knitting-and-so-on.blogspot.ch/2012_11_01_archive.html

http://knitting-and-so-on.blogspot.ch/2012/10/short-wave-mitts.html

http://knitting-and-so-on.blogspot.ch/2012_09_01_archive.html


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## Knitophile (Oct 22, 2012)

sockknitter said:


> I recently came across a type of knitting called Swing Knitting. I was on the Brown Sheep Company website and when I saw this technique, I fell in love. It is a free form type of knitting. Here is a link to that section.
> http://brownsheep.com/blog/getting-into-the-swing-of-things
> 
> Has anyone used this technique? Are there any you tube videos showing how to do it? Would love to know more about it. I can't seem to find any classes in my area.


As some one else said, there is another current posting on this. See http://www.knittingparadise.com/t-59081-1.html for a lot more links and explanation.


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## Joy Marshall (Apr 6, 2011)

Now the Winspan is an easy and very effective swing knit. I have done several of those. They take much less concentration than the Dreambird. The designer doesn't even specific a wrap and turn or German short row. In fact, some knitters highlighted the row of holes by just the turning.


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## Knitophile (Oct 22, 2012)

Joy Marshall said:


> Now the Winspan is an easy and very effective swing knit. I have done several of those. They take much less concentration than the Dreambird. The designer doesn't even specific a wrap and turn or German short row. In fact, some knitters highlighted the row of holes by just the turning.


Wingspan, See http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/search#view=captioned_thumbs&query=wingspan&craft=knitting&page=1&sort=best
If anyone wishes to try Wingspan, they may wish to consider the notes here:
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/koiguki/wingspan
You will see in those notes that koiguki comments on Swing Knitting as well. You will see why she chose Wingspan instead!


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## jvallas (Jul 16, 2013)

Knitophile said:


> That's why you usually see it done with a ton of safety pins.
> See
> 
> 
> ...


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## KnitGma (Apr 10, 2013)

sockknitter said:


> I recently came across a type of knitting called Swing Knitting. I was on the Brown Sheep Company website and when I saw this technique, I fell in love. It is a free form type of knitting. Here is a link to that section.
> http://brownsheep.com/blog/getting-into-the-swing-of-things
> 
> Has anyone used this technique? Are there any you tube videos showing how to do it? Would love to know more about it. I can't seem to find any classes in my area.


There is a note on the post that Ravelry has a link to Swing Knitting.


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## Maribeth (Feb 27, 2011)

Ravelry also has a group for swingknitting you can join.


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## gma11331 (Oct 18, 2011)

I read thru the pattern for the cowl and would like to try it...I wonder if the "double stitch" cited is the same as "twin stitch" used in fish lip heels? Guess I'll have to play with the pattern to see if I can master it. I too have seen the men's sweaters in the "swing knit" in stores for years.


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## Knitophile (Oct 22, 2012)

gma11331 said:


> I read thru the pattern for the cowl and would like to try it...I wonder if the "double stitch" cited is the same as "twin stitch" used in fish lip heels? Guess I'll have to play with the pattern to see if I can master it. I too have seen the men's sweaters in the "swing knit" in stores for years.


Swing Knitting "Double Stitch":


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## czechmate (Jun 17, 2011)

I like your two cents jessica Jean you are right !!! lets use our brains this year.......


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## Jessica-Jean (Mar 14, 2011)

Knitophile said:


> As some one else said, there is another current posting on this. See http://www.knittingparadise.com/t-59081-1.html for a lot more links and explanation.


Thanks for finding that link!


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## kristym (Nov 21, 2011)

No books for sale on Amazon or any where else, and the tutes on utube are not a tute just ads.


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## LindaBarnes (Mar 26, 2016)

That link did not take me to what you were talking about!!! Went there and kept getting an error!!!


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## Jessica-Jean (Mar 14, 2011)

LindaBarnes said:


> That link did not take me to what you were talking about!!! Went there and kept getting an error!!!


Links aren't etched in stone. They're semi-permanent. Had you noticed just how old this topic is? You will probably have better luck using Google than kvetching about expired links.


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