# Joining Yarns



## Ask4j (May 21, 2011)

Here's a compilation of all the different methods with Youtube videos as of May 2012. Attached is a MS Word document with the same information.

*Joining yarns*

Your *first join for beginners* with a knot at the end of a row with ends to be weaved in later: 




*First join for beginners without a knot* starting at end of row with ends to be weaved in later: 



 _NOTE: this method is often used in knitting with different colors and dealing with the ends later._

Here's an exceptionally good video for a beginner: 




and a variation: 




Three methods in one video showing basic join, Russian join and felting join: 




*No knot join* - trailing ends until finished then weave in ends: 




*No knot join for changing colors* trailing the main color: 




*Russian join*: 



*Russian join with long fingernails*: 




*Braided join* - (similar to Russian join but somewhat easier and less bulky): 




*Felted join* or spit splice - 



 _comment, you can use a spray bottle of water instead and secondly, it takes a bit more felting, rubbing your palms together, than illustrated to make the join strong enough. _

"Magic" knot or *double knot*: 



 _comment - excellent demo that is easy to follow._

*Double knitting join*: 



 _this is like joining at the end of a row without knotting except with two yarns that are double knitting--another technique._

*Knitting in the Round join*: 



 _comment - an excellent method for a knot free join and also for changing colors knitting for in the round._

If anyone has additional methods or new ideas, please contact me and I will add it. None of this information is mine exclusively--it is all shared information--I just compiled it.


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## Linday (Jan 22, 2012)

Thank you for putting this together. I am sure many will find it helpful.


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## Katsch (Mar 15, 2011)

Thank you very much, very useful


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## yogandi (Mar 24, 2012)

Thank you thank you thank you.Genious!!!!


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## beadlady (Mar 18, 2011)

I am a beginner and having trouble changing color on something that has a border I do the border color and then add but I keep getting a whole between the border color and the new color, any suggestions. I don't have any problem on adding colors on the end of a row.


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## forfran2 (Aug 3, 2011)

Thank you for gathering all those informations.
Great help.


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## It'sJustMe (Nov 27, 2011)

More thanks for putting this all together.


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## johannecw (Oct 25, 2011)

Thank you for assembling all these resources in one spot. Now I am going to try to bookmark this information.


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## SherryH (Apr 4, 2011)

Thank you for the great information!


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## msusanc (Apr 5, 2011)

beadlady said:


> I am a beginner and having trouble changing color on something that has a border I do the border color and then add but I keep getting a whole between the border color and the new color, any suggestions. I don't have any problem on adding colors on the end of a row.


I am not a new knitter, but I am just learning about these weave-free joins and I have wondered the same thing. But it just occurred to me -- I haven't tried this, though -- I wonder if you could change your yarn color just leaving long enough tails that you could go back and do the magic knot (aka double knot) in the place where the yarn color changes. I imagine it might take some practice to get the knot join in exactly the right spot.

The video compilation is great! I will bookmark it.


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## Ask4j (May 21, 2011)

msusanc said:


> beadlady said:
> 
> 
> > I am a beginner and having trouble changing color on something that has a border I do the border color and then add but I keep getting a whole between the border color and the new color, any suggestions. I don't have any problem on adding colors on the end of a row.
> ...


I would say doing the double knot should be done before knitting the yarn. If you leave long tails, twisting the ends and weaving in opposite directions should work very well. This method was taught in a recent class by Beth Brown-Reinsel who teaches traditional knitting and this class was the Latvian fingerless mitts which requires color stranding with lots of ends to be worked in. It is knitting on dpns so the begining and ending color ends were all in the same place and it was a bit tricky getting the patterns to line up and all ends tucked away with as little visibility as possible. Traditional Latvian knitters were very adept at this and would use 4 or more colors in one piece with 2 to 3 colors on each hand--we used 5.


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## grandmann (Feb 4, 2011)

I heard once that you NEVER knot your yarn. Even when I find a knot in the skein I take it out and redo it.


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## Mary Smith (Oct 12, 2011)

I am wondering if this isn't the same as the good old fashion "square knot." I use the sk all the time and so far have never had it open. Must admit that I don't cut my ends to short - leave enough to pull thru some stitches with a crochet hook but that isn't as bad as having to weave in ends. Even though I tug the knot t make sure that it is tight guess I'm afraid that it might work itself loose somehow if no ends are left. 

You mentioned doing a bookmark - how do you do this?


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## Ask4j (May 21, 2011)

grandmann said:


> I heard once that you NEVER knot your yarn. Even when I find a knot in the skein I take it out and redo it.


Those who teach others will make these statement so that you never forget--but after the lesson is learned I say "do it your way". I too will cut out factory knots if they are obvious and will be noticed in my work. Unfortunately with acrylics knots are usually the best way of joining and the double knot would work out well--so making a flat statement just doesn't work, use your own judgement.


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## grandmann (Feb 4, 2011)

Other words different joins for different yarns. I sounds like acrylic yarns will work very well with the double knot.

Thanks for bringing this to our attention, I have bookmarked this one.


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## Ask4j (May 21, 2011)

Mary Smith said:


> I am wondering if this isn't the same as the good old fashion "square knot." I use the sk all the time and so far have never had it open. Must admit that I don't cut my ends to short - leave enough to pull thru some stitches with a crochet hook but that isn't as bad as having to weave in ends. Even though I tug the knot t make sure that it is tight guess I'm afraid that it might work itself loose somehow if no ends are left.
> 
> You mentioned doing a bookmark - how do you do this?


Hi Mary,
Someone else had said she would bookmark this site but really it is not necessary. If you go to the top this page, open "search" and put in "joining" or "joining yarns" you will pull up this topic. Bookmarking gets to be useless if it is used too often because it then would be quicker just to search. I use bookmarking for special sites like Knitting Paradise, Knit Picks, Webbs or other places for information and things I use really often--and these can become overwhelming even though I have folders.

If you want to save this page on your computer, just hold down the left button of your mouse and drag over the information, right clic and select "copy" and then open a notepad or other word software on your computer--left clic on the new page and right clic select "paste", then go to "file" on your software and select "save as". ((If you make an error in dragging or selecting, to un-select just left clic on another part of the page, hopefully not an advertisement.))

Or you could open the word document that I attached, if you have MS Word software Vista and newer does have it. When it is open go to your "file" button at the top and select "save" and select where you want to save, entitle it and clic save.

Here's a topic on bookmarking: http://www.knittingparadise.com/t-13436-1.html ((note: I found it by searching for "bookmarks"))


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## Sugar and Spice's Mom (Aug 2, 2011)

Thank you for taking the time to put this together. It will be most helpful to me.


Ask4j said:


> Here's a compilation of all the different methods with Youtube videos as of May 2012. Attached is a MS Word document with the same information.
> 
> *Joining yarns*
> 
> ...


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## doris m russo (Jan 1, 2012)

Dear friend: I have been knitting for a couple of years, but I have been sloppy when joining the new yarn. I saw each and all of your postings regarding this topic. Today thanks to you, I have learned how to join the yarn.

What a good friend you are. Tha's is why I love KP; we learn so much.

Thank you again

Doris


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## Stephhy (May 14, 2012)

Ask4j said:


> grandmann said:
> 
> 
> > I heard once that you NEVER knot your yarn. Even when I find a knot in the skein I take it out and redo it.
> ...


I agree totally. And if someone knows how to weave in cotton yarn and MAKE IT STAY without a knot, please let me know! I haven't ever succeeded. Not once. I'm a no-knot purist failure.


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## Stephhy (May 14, 2012)

beadlady said:


> I am a beginner and having trouble changing color on something that has a border I do the border color and then add but I keep getting a whole between the border color and the new color, any suggestions. I don't have any problem on adding colors on the end of a row.


You need to "twist" your old yarn end around your new yarn just as you would anywhere else. You can look up intarsia on YouTube and see what I mean, there are many videos.


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## callmechicken (Oct 21, 2011)

thanx, i'm bookmarking this.


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## CamillaDesertMouse (Mar 19, 2011)

Thanks for posting such a plethora of resources..

I mainly use the Russian Join or braided join..both are nearly invisible.


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## Ellisen (Dec 5, 2011)

Thank you for posting this information. I've been hearing different terms used for joining, and would like to try them. I appreciate your efforts to share with us this comprehensive list of links. Bravo!


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## Ask4j (May 21, 2011)

doris m russo said:


> Dear friend: I have been knitting for a couple of years, but I have been sloppy when joining the new yarn. I saw each and all of your postings regarding this topic. Today thanks to you, I have learned how to join the yarn.
> 
> What a good friend you are. Tha's is why I love KP; we learn so much.
> 
> ...


You are so welcome Doris and it is pleasing that you have benefited from something I would do for myself and decided to share. Sharing is so rewarding.


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## Jeanie L (Sep 27, 2011)

Thank you for putting it all together...


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## San (Mar 9, 2011)

Thanks, great sites!


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## msusanc (Apr 5, 2011)

Ask4j said:


> msusanc said:
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> > beadlady said:
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## wilbo (Feb 16, 2011)

Maybe I overlooked it but I didn't see this method of joining:

http://sockpr0n.blogspot.com/2006/10/how-to-weave-in-ends-while-knitting.html


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## Ask4j (May 21, 2011)

wilbo said:


> Maybe I overlooked it but I didn't see this method of joining:
> 
> http://sockpr0n.blogspot.com/2006/10/how-to-weave-in-ends-while-knitting.html


Another great idea especially when using colors, thanks. I will add it to the list and update in a week or so.


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## hennie (Mar 28, 2011)

Thanks for taking the time to do this xxx


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## Stephhy (May 14, 2012)

msusanc said:


> Ask4j said:
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## Stephhy (May 14, 2012)

msusanc said:


> Ask4j said:
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## Ask4j (May 21, 2011)

Stephhy said:


> msusanc said:
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## msusanc (Apr 5, 2011)

Well, that's the way i change colors now. But we're trying to avoid weaving in and get the join in exactly the right spot for the pattern's color change within the row or round. I'm trying to think if there's a way to make that perfectly placed join using one of the methods that does not require weaving in. Maybe I'm asking for a miracle. :lol:[/quote]

There is a way to do this, but it sure sounds cumbersome. It's called a "back join" and here is a link:
http://techknitting.blogspot.com/2007/07/back-to-back-join.html[/quote]

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! It does sound like it might be cumbersome at first but reading through the tutorial, I understood what tech knitter was doing & saying. I am definitely going to try that (and probably have to practice).

I like this join personally because I really h...I mean dislike weaving in ends. Thanks I will add it to the list.[/quote]


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## msusanc (Apr 5, 2011)

There is a way to do this, but it sure sounds cumbersome. It's called a "back join" and here is a link:
http://techknitting.blogspot.com/2007/07/back-to-back-join.html[/quote]

I like this join personally because I really h...I mean dislike weaving in ends. Thanks I will add it to the list.[/quote]

Me too!


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## Stephhy (May 14, 2012)

I ha....dislike weaving in, too! You are so funny.


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## pzoe (Mar 17, 2011)

WOW! Thanks.

pzoe


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## wilbo (Feb 16, 2011)

Thanks for compiling all these techniques. There are really great methods for us to choose from.


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