How to join yarn in knitting at beginning of row

Q: Is it best to join yarn at the end of row?

Lets talk about a technique that we use in almost every project we make. Whether it is a colourful cardigan or a simple scarf, at some point, we need to attach a new ball of yarn. To avoid creating a mess within a row, it is usually best to join the yarn at the beginning of a row.

The images above are for demonstration purposes only. Contrasting coloured yarn was used to make the joins more visible. In an actual project joining a new ball in the same colour will look more seamless.

Table of Contents Show

Join a New Ball of Yarn Video Tutorial
Method 1: Drop and Join
Method 2: A United Join
How do you join a new color at the beginning of a row in knitting?
Is it best to join yarn at the end of row?
What is the best way to join yarn?

Balls of yarn aren’t limitless – they run out! At some point you’ll need to join a new ball of yarn to your knitting.

Here are two ways to do it, including my favourite, stealth way. Never tie a knot to join again!

Join a New Ball of Yarn Video Tutorial

So, you might be wondering, what do you have against knots? Why can’t I just tie a knot to join my new ball of yarn?

The answer is this: even the tightest knots can unravel! So, knots are generally not “safe”. Knots can also make their way to the front of the knitting, marring your beautiful stitches. Not cute!

So, that’s why I’m introducing these two methods for joining new yarn.

Method 1: Drop and Join

Method One involves dropping the old yarn, while leaving a 6″ tail, and then picking up the new yarn. Continue knitting with the new yarn as if there was no yarn break at all. Use a tapestry needle to weave in the loose yarn tails and close the gap between new and old yarn.

Leave a 6″ yarn tail on old yarn and new yarn to be joined

Lay new yarn beside old yarn, with the yarn tails facing the back of knitting

Pick up the new yarn and knit the rest of your row…

… like so. Keep the new yarn tail anchored with your left hand.

You’ll notice a giant hole where you joined the new yarn.

Use a tapestry needle to weave in ends, pulling the hole closed.

Method 2: A United Join

Method two involves leaving around 10″ of old yarn. Lay the new yarn across the needle, so that its yarn tail sticks out at the front of the knitting. Then hold both the old and new yarn together as if they were one big yarn strand.

Knit three stitches with the joined yarns. Let go of the old yarn, pick up the new yarn and continue knitting with the new yarn. When you’ve finished your project, weave in the old and new yarn strands.

Leave around 10″ of old yarn

Lay new yarn across needle, so that its yarn tail sticks out at the front

Grab old and new yarns together. Imagine they’ve joined to become one big yarn strand

Holding both old & new yarns, knit the next 3 stitches

Drop old yarn and continue knitting with new yarn. Later, weave in yarn strands

And that’s two ways to join a new ball of yarn to your knitting! Personally, I like method two because I find that the tension is more even across the new and old yarns. But both methods will work just fine.

If the photo guides above are a bit confusing, check out the video tutorial up top to see both methods in action.

If your yarn ball is getting very sparse, it will soon be time to join a new ball of yarn. The method of joining yarns is not complicated, but there is more than one way to do it. I'll give you a few suggestions to try and then decide for yourself which one you prefer.

Unless you are doing a small project, chances are you will need more than one ball of yarn.

How do you join a new color at the beginning of a row in knitting?

Instructions.

Drop the First Color and Start the Second. ... .

Knit the First Stitch With the New Color. ... .

Knit Across the Row. ... .

Carry Colors Along the Edges. ... .

Keep the Carried Yarn Smooth. ... .

Change Colors Back to the Carried Yarn. ... .

Weave in the Ends of the Yarn..

Is it best to join yarn at the end of row?

Let's talk about a technique that we use in almost every project we make. Whether it is a colourful cardigan or a simple scarf, at some point, we need to attach a new ball of yarn. To avoid creating a mess within a row, it is usually best to join the yarn at the beginning of a row.