# Can you avoid that dash line when changing colors in ribbing?



## Peggy Beryl (Jun 4, 2012)

I just ran across a previous post by MomBeezzz from 8/11/13 in which she links to a source which shows how to avoid the dash by knitting the first row of the new color. Her post is titled, "Loose that purl dash line when changing colors." You can SEARCH for it above. 

Supposedly this does not destroy the stretchy effect of ribbing. I have not tried it.

What about the body of the work if it is not done in ribbing? Anyone have any hints?


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## Knitted by Nan (Aug 3, 2013)

When you are changing colour, whether it is in the ribbing or in the body of the work, if you are knitting on the right side of the item, the right side facing you, any purled stitch will show a difference in colour as the thread is towards the front of the knitting. You do not do the usual ribbing in the row where the colour change takes place. You can avoid this by only using knitting stitches on the right side of the knitting. The reverse is also true, if you change colour on the wrong side of the knitting, you must only use a purl stitch because the thread it towards the front of the knitting if you use a knitting stitch.

It will not affect the elasticity of the ribbing if all stitches in the row are knitted rather than the ribbed pattern of knit and purl.


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## mattie cat (Jun 5, 2013)

google "jogless stripes". There are instructions and a video for changing color without the jog when knitting in the round.


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## kikifields (Jul 3, 2011)

I've avoided that quirky little dash line by knitting or purling or whatever the first row after the ribbing is done in the ribbing color - then change.


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## marianna mel (Sep 26, 2013)

I used this technique on these little mittens. The ribs were still stretchy.

http://mariannaslazydaisydays.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/toddler-mittens.html


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## AmyKnits (Aug 20, 2011)

EveMCooke said:


> When you are changing colour, whether it is in the ribbing or in the body of the work, if you are knitting on the right side of the item, the right side facing you, any purled stitch will show a difference in colour as the thread is towards the front of the knitting. You do not do the usual ribbing in the row where the colour change takes place. You can avoid this by only using knitting stitches on the right side of the knitting. The reverse is also true, if you change colour on the wrong side of the knitting, you must only use a purl stitch because the thread it towards the front of the knitting if you use a knitting stitch.
> 
> It will not affect the elasticity of the ribbing if all stitches in the row are knitted rather than the ribbed pattern of knit and purl.


This is absolutely correct! I learned this technique from Hilary4 when I was learning to knit fair isle... It works! On the color changing row ONLY, KNIT across the ribbing instead of Knit AND Purl. You won't see or notice a difference EXCEPT the colors will look right!

Here is a link to MY asking the same question.....with photos and the correct answer.

http://www.knittingparadise.com/t-145185-1.html


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## Knitted by Nan (Aug 3, 2013)

Amy they are absolutely beautiful hats. I love the colours, the patterns. Very well done. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:


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## Peggy Beryl (Jun 4, 2012)

Thanks, everyone, for your posts. This subject had come up again in our "Knit and Sit" at my LYS this week, but we didn't happen to have any examples to examine at that time. The owner had donated all hats and mittens to a Christmas charity just the day before. 

When I have made hats for the preemies at the hospital, I just followed directions and assumed that was the way it had to be; but, having picked up snippets of info here on KP, I was hoping some of you would have illustrations of techniques that avoided having this line appear.

EveMCooke, you stated the problem and the solution so well. I had not analyzed what was actually creating this line of stitches, but now I get it.

Amy, your hats are gorgeous--both of them. Only another knitter who had recognized this problem would even notice that partial line where you joined another color on the "before" hat. And the second hat . . . well, just let me know when you tire of it and we can make a deal.

And, marianna mel, thanks for showing us those cute mittens and giving the link to the pattern. My GGDs will be wearing mittens by Christmas with no quirky lines where new colors are joined into the work. I already have their orders for special colors. One pair has to match Barbie's mermaid tail, and another for our kindergarten student has to have the local high school's color scheme so she can wear them to games where the big boys play. She lives in a very small town, and high school athletics are a major community drawing card.

So, again, thanks to everyone who has taken the time to make this thread more useful and interesting.


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## pzoe (Mar 17, 2011)

Thanks from me also.

Pzoe


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## SouthernGirl (Dec 28, 2011)

And thanks from me, too. I've book marked this top.


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## headlemk (Feb 16, 2011)

What I do in ribbing is to knit one row with the working yarn, then begin the joining color in the rib stitch again. You cannot see the knit row and the ribbing doesn't have that "dash line".


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## Anna3703 (Mar 4, 2012)

I am knitting a scarf - all garter stitch - but changing colors now and then. How can I avoid that running dash when changing colors. I have read all the posts on changing colors in ribbing and stockinette and circular needles.... but what about changing colors in garter stitch on straight needles and not have that dash on one side??

Anna


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## headlemk (Feb 16, 2011)

There was a post on this just the Dec 2, I think. The guy in the video threaded the new color through the loops on the needle (like a lifeline) pulling through a long tail. Then he "picked up stitches" of the threaded color onto the needle, then began to knit as usual. It was surprising...no line.






Someone suggested using a DPN when picking up the sts so as not to have to slip all the stitches onto another needle in order to begin knitting.


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## Anna3703 (Mar 4, 2012)

Thank you, Headlemk, I just watched that video, and by Jove, I think I've got it ! Although in the video, he was working with rib stitches, but I'm sure it is the same method with garter. Now I'm anxious to get back to my scarf, but I think I will do a small swatch and practice on that first.

Thanks again.
Anna


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## knitgogi (Aug 25, 2013)

Anna3703 said:


> I am knitting a scarf - all garter stitch - but changing colors now and then. How can I avoid that running dash when changing colors. I have read all the posts on changing colors in ribbing and stockinette and circular needles.... but what about changing colors in garter stitch on straight needles and not have that dash on one side??
> 
> Anna


I'm pretty sure this is what you do--that is, if you don't mind having a right side and a wrong side. In regular knit stitches, it's basically reversible. But if you're going to add a color, then you must CHOOSE which side you want to be the right side and which is the wrong side, because when you add the color, there will be a jog. So join your yarn and MARK the side that you joined it on. When it's time to join another color or back to the original, MAKE SURE that you join on the SAME SIDE that you did your first join. That way all your wrong sides will match and right sides will match. I did a hairband a good while back with stash yarn and wondered why some joins had no jog and some did. At some point later, knitting something else, it occurred to me that I needed to make sure I was always joining on the same side and then my joins would match. Hope this made sense.

If, however, you need BOTH sides to be basically seamless with no jog, then the video Headlemk just posted is AMAZING! I, too, will be saving this whole thread.

Edit: I see you already watched it yourself. Great, isn't it! But I would not go to all that trouble if I didn't mind having a wrong side.


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## knitgogi (Aug 25, 2013)

headlemk said:


> There was a post on this just the Dec 2, I think. The guy in the video threaded the new color through the loops on the needle (like a lifeline) pulling through a long tail. Then he "picked up stitches" of the threaded color onto the needle, then began to knit as usual. It was surprising...no line.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


WOW!! Thank you for this post!


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## Anna3703 (Mar 4, 2012)

Yes, Knitgogi, I realized too, that you have to start the new color on the same side of your work, which ensures that all the "dotted lines" are on the same side, which gives me a wrong side and a right side, which I was trying to avoid. 

But, yes, that video sure is great. It is a keeper.


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## AmyClaire (Jun 3, 2011)

Peggy Beryl said:


> What about the body of the work if it is not done in ribbing? Anyone have any hints?


"If it's not done in ribbing" ... if there are both knits and purls on the front, but not in a ribbing configuration? A row of stockinette would have the same effect -- no purl blips on the face, and a slightly different fabric texture on that one row.

If you are asking about eliminating purl blips on reverse stockinette ... this video is with ribbing but it'd work on reverse stockinette.






Prepare to have your mind blown, it's a really, really, really odd technique.


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## MartyCare (Feb 16, 2011)

The line is called a "purl bump." When teaching someone to see the difference between a purl stitch and a knit stitch, I use color change on purpose. Oh yes, this must be a purl rib, because there is a purl bump.

It happens too when we do a reverse stockinette stitch, like purl panels on both sides of a cable panel. I'd rather not change colors with that sort of stitch pattern.

It also happens with a variegated color yarn. So I don't use variegated for the cuffs of hats or mittens.


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## Jules934 (May 7, 2013)

oh


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