How to Join Yarns in Knitting
You'll need to join yarns in knitting when you run out of one ball of yarn and need to continue with another in the same color. With synthetic fibers or fiber blends, knitting a few stitches with a strand from both the old ball and the new ball will make the change inconspicuous. If you are using 100% wool yarn, you can felt the strands of old yarn and new yarn together with your hands, turning them into one single strand of yarn that completely hides the join. This is also sometimes referred to as a "spit join."
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Instructions
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Knitted or Overlap Join
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1
Stop knitting when you have about 8 inches of yarn left on the current ball.
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2
Pull the end from the new ball and hold the strand parallel to the strand from the current ball that's about to run out.
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3
Knit three to five stitches with both strands held together.
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4
Drop the strand of yarn from the old ball and continue knitting with the strand from new ball only.
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5
Cut the strand of old yarn so it leaves a tail 6 inches long for weaving in later.
Felted or Spit Join
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6
Stop knitting when you see the end of the ball approaching.
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7
Pull 1/2 an inch to an inch of the fibers on the end of the current yarn apart with your fingers to fray the plies of yarn. Do the same with the end of the new yarn.
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8
Dip the frayed ends in water, or wet them in your mouth (hence the name "spit join") until they are damp.
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9
Point the frayed ends toward each other and overlap them.
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10
Hold the overlapped section across the palm of your hand, then briskly rub your palms together until you feel friction and heat generated around the fibers.
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11
Check the join after several seconds of rubbing and you should find it completely felted and secure. Continue knitting as normal.
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Tips & Warnings
If you are working on a project that will have seams, try to start using the new yarn at an edge so you can weave the ends of the old and new yarns into the seam to hide them.
The knitted join for yarn should not be used for changing yarn colors because you'll end up with dual-colored stitches in the overlap area.
Never tie a knot in your yarn to join it. The knot could pop over to the right side of the fabric and show, or become loose and leave a hole.
