Joining yarn is a common occurrence in knitting. It’s done when you run out of the old yarns and need to join a new one or when you need to join another color for the design. Either way, it is a necessary method in knitting and you can easily do that in a few different ways like the united join, drop and join, etc.
How Do I Join Yarn In Knitting
Joining a new yarn can seem pretty difficult when knitting. There are many ways to join new yarn. And based on that the procedure can defer as well. So, let’s take a look at the different reasons for joining a new yarn and how you can do that.
Method 1: Drop And Join
The drop and join method is generally used for joining a new yarn to the old yarn when the old yarn ball is finished. With both yarns, tie a temporary knot leaving four to five inches of ends; or knit the next stitch on both strands, then drop the old one and continue from the new one.
This is considered one of the simplest ways of joining a new yarn in knitting.
(a) Leave Tails
When you are almost finished with the old yarn, leave a tail of 6 inches at the end. Similarly, take the new yarn to be joined and leave 6 inches at the beginning.
(b) Position The Yarns
Lay the new and the old yarn side by side in such a way that they face the backside of the knitting pattern. Facing them backside helps to hide the joining section from the front.
(c) Continue Knitting
Now take the new yarn and continue knitting the rest of the row so that it seems like there wasn’t a break in the first place.
(d) Hold The New Yarn
Hold on to the new yarn tail with your left hand so that it doesn’t come off while knitting the rest of the row.
(e) Filling In The Hole
At this point, there is supposed to be a big hole where the yarns were attached.
Fill the hole by weaving in the loose ends of the yarns by using a tapestry needle. Now, the gap should be closed and the yarns nicely joined and tight.
Method 2: The United Join
The united join method is knitting both the old and new yarn together to join them.
(a) Leave A tail
Leave a 10 inches yarn tail at the end of the old yarn when you are finished with it.
(b) Position the Yarns
Now take a new yarn and keep a 2/3 inches yarn tail at the beginning. Lay the new yarn across in such a way that the yarn tail faces the front and the rest of the strand synchronizes with the old yarn tail.
(c) Hold The Yarns Together
Hold the old yarn tail with the new yarn piece so that they stay together and look like one big joined yarn strand.
(d) Start Knitting
Now knit them together while still holding onto them so that they don’t fall apart from each other. Knit at least three stitches this way.
(e) Finish Off
After the three joined stitches the old yarn tail should be securely tucked into the pattern tightly. Now leave the old yarn and start knitting with the new yarn strand. Then, later when you are finished with the project, weave in the rest of the old yarn tail using a needle so that there’s no chance of it coming apart.
Method 3: Russian Join
Russian join might just be the best way to join a new yarn without showing that there is a joint. It hides the intersection very well and the plies stay very smooth and bendy. You will need the yarn pieces, a sharp needle, and scissors for this.
(a) Intertwining
Put one strand of yarn on the other. Now interlock them in the middle where you want to join them.
(b) Threading
Now thread one of the yarn strands with a sharp needle. The sharper the better.
(c) Burrowing
Then, take the needle and burrow it into the yarn thread. Start right after where the threads meet each other.
(d) Untwisting Tips
Keep tunneling into the yarn with the needle in the opposite direction of the intersection. Keeping the needle in the middle of the thread makes sure that it’s more secure. You can try untwisting the thread a little bit which supposedly helps the needle push in more easily.
(e) Bunching
Keep doing the burrowing process for 3 to more inches until you notice some bunching on the needle.
(f) Remove Bunching
When you feel like there is enough bunching, pull the needle through the yarn all the way. Now pull the long thread to stretch out the bunching.
(g) Cut Off Extra Parts
Now the shorter part of the yarn has been nicely embedded into the longer part of the yarn. Take scissors and cut off any extra part of the short yarn that’s sticking out.
(h) Repeat On The Other Piece
Repeat the same process on the other piece of yarn. And, you got a nice piece of joined yarn.
Method 4: Another Way
This method is very useful if you want to prevent making a hole at the intersection. It’s done by overlapping the old yarn with the new yarn. You will be using knitting needles and yarns for this.
(a) Leave a Tail
Firstly, leave a short part of the old yarn where you want to join the new one.
(b) Position Yarn and Hook
Get ready to knit as you would normally do and go into the first stitch with your right needle.
(c) Make A Loop
Now take the new yarn and make a loop. Make sure to leave a short yarn tail at the beginning.
(d) Join In New Yarn
Place the loop over the right needle.
(e) Complete Stitch
Then complete the stitch with the new yarn thread instead of the old yarn.
(f) Tips To Prevent Holes
Now take the old yarn tail again and loop that over the new yarn. This step prevents the yarns from creating a hole in the intertwined area and secure the new yarn more firmly.
(g) Secure The Old Yarn
After you have looped the old yarn piece over, hold it in place with the left hand. Then, pick up the new yarns again and make two or 3 more stitches with both the strands holding together. So that, it holds everything nicely.
(h) Weave In the Ends
Finally, drop the shorter part of the new thread and keep threading with the longer piece. And, when you are done with the project, just weave those tails back in.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
1. What happens if I knit a knot in the yarn?
Ans: A knot in the yarn makes the knitting pattern seems unorganized. Also, most of the time a knot holds two pieces of yarn together ever so slightly. And, it’s most likely to come apart when washing. So, knitting a knot in the yarn is never recommended.
2. Which needles should I use for weaving in the ends?
Ans: Any kind of needle is okay. But most people use tapestry needles for weaving in the ends.
Conclusion
Unless you are already a pro, joining a new yarn in knitting is like solving a difficult math problem. You can potentially mess up the whole project if you don’t follow certain steps in a certain order. So, to help you out with it, we have tried to sum up different ways of joining new yarn. Follow the instructions and have fun!
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