What Is the Proper Technique for Changing Yarn Colors When Crocheting?
Whether you're creating a scarf or an afghan, a dress or a tote bag, adding colorwork to your crochet designs is fun and provides interest. Making a multicolored crochet piece is feasible at all skill levels, even beginners, given the wide range of methods for changing colors, and the many different effects that these varied methods produce.
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Changing Colors for Beginners
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The simplest method of changing colors when crocheting is suitable for beginners and produces a striped pattern. In this method, the crocheter simply begins working a row with a new color: Yarn over with the new color as you form the first stitch of the new row. Clipping off the old color several inches away from the work produces a yarn end that can be woven into the work when it is complete, to prevent raveling. This is the quickest method of changing colors and is ideal for afghans and scarves, since it eliminates the bulk of extra yarn in the body of a piece. This method can be used to produce stripes of any width--working a new yarn color for just a row or two produces a thin stripe, while working for more rows produces thicker stripes.
Advanced Methods: Invisible Join
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Changing colors within a row is more challenging, but makes it possible to work more complex colorwork designs, including dots and floral motifs. One method, which does not leave a yarn end to be woven in later, is to place the new yarn on top of the previous row, and to crochet over the loose new yarn for a few stitches to secure it firmly to the work. Then, the crocheter picks up the new yarn, begins crocheting with it, and cuts off the previous yarn, placing this new yarn on top of the previous row, crocheting over it to secure it. This makes the join of the new yarn, and the securing of the old yarn color, invisible. It's ideal for changing colors in the middle of the row for reversible items, such as scarves and afghans.
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Advanced Methods: Simple Join
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Another simpler method is less invisible than the invisible join and is best suited to items that are not reversible, such as cushion covers and tote bags. The crocheter begins a stitch in the old yarn color, completing the first step of the stitch, such as drawing through the first loop. She then finishes the stitch using the new yarn color, leaving a yarn end to weave in later. She also cuts the old yarn color, leaving a yarn end. Because this method leaves yarn ends that must be woven in, it can be visible, especially on the reverse side of the work.
Method for Working in Rounds
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Changing colors when working in rounds, for instance, for granny squares, is similar to changing colors at the end of a row. Forming the first stitch of the new round with the new yarn color effectively joins the new yarn. Cutting the old yarn after working that first stitch, leaving an end to be woven in later, removes the old color yarn.
Weaving in Yarn
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Methods that leave a long yarn end require weaving in those yarn ends once the work is complete. The best way to do so is to thread each end through a darning needle, and work the yarn securely through three adjacent, same-color stitches. It's important when weaving in to ensure that the yarn ends do not show through to the right side of the work.
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References
- Photo Credit crochet image by Lytse from Fotolia.com
