How to Join a New Ball of Yarn
Crocheting and knitting projects may require additional skeins or balls of yarn. At other times the crafter may need to change color to create a pattern in the project. These yarns must be securely joined into the work in progress. It is common to tie a simple hard knot into the project, but that may cause friction for anyone wearing a garment. Knots also leave an obvious mark in an intricate pattern. Instead, use a simple method to join a new yarn ball and the current yarn end together.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
Knitting
-
1
Pull the end of the current yarn ball out to the side at the beginning of a new row. Pick up the end of a new skein of yarn. Loop the new yarn over the end of the knitting needle. Make a stitch to knit if off.
-
2
Pull the new yarn and current yarn end up together and make double stitches three times. Drop the current, now old, tail of yarn. Continue to knit with the new yarn down the length of the project. Turn and work stitches into the next row with the new yarn until you reach the set of double stitches.
-
-
3
Knit each of the double stitches off as one regular stitch.
-
4
Pick up the old yarn tail and work it into the first three stitches of the next row by repeating the double stitch with the new yarn. Knit across the row by repeating Steps 2 and 3. The yarn is now securely incorporated into the knitting project.
-
5
Cut the tails or weave them into the project when it is finished.
Crocheting
-
6
Lay the crochet project on a flat work surface. Pull the end piece of the depleted yarn ball or skein out to the side.
-
7
Pull a 6- to 8-inch length of the new yarn out of the skein or ball.
-
8
Loosely tie the new yarn to the old yarn 3 inches from the hook. A tail of old yarn will hang at the side of the piece.
-
9
Crochet the current row with the new yarn started in the first stitch.
-
10
Untie the loose knot after the yarn has been fully secured in the row and weave the ends into the finished project.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Tie the ends of a new and old yarn ball together when joining the same color at the middle point of a row in progress. Allow a 5- or 6-inch tail of both yarns to hang loosely until the rows are complete. Weave the ends into the completed project.
Be sure that the new and old yarn pieces are securely knitted or crocheted over, incorporating them into the project. This will keep the project from unraveling.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit yarn and crochet needles image by Kathy Burns from Fotolia.com
