Changing yarn colors

We must have some skills of changing yarn colors if we want to knit a piece of knitting in different color stripes or other colorful patterns. There are many methods to do yarn color changes. Anyway, I am going to show you my way to change yarn colors. This method shows you how to change yarn colors without having to cut your yarns and weave in the tails.

1. To change a new color yarn, insert the right needle into the first stitch of the left needle. Remember to leave a new color yarn tail for about 2-3 inches and don't cut the old yarn as we will carry the old yarn up the side of the piece and join in after a few rows.

2. Wrap the new color yarn around the right needle.

3 & 4. Knit it off.

5. Now, wrap the two strands around the right needle and pull the strands through as usual. Continue to knit the next stitches until the end of the row.

6. There would be only a few double stitches after the first stitch. It would be insignificant. I like to hide the yarn tail into the piece with this method.

7. Turn your work and start to knit the second row with the new color yarn. When you meet the double stitches at the last few stitches at your left needle that you made just now. Just insert your right needle into the two stitches and knit as usual.

8. The two different colors yarn would meet at one end every two rows. Twist the two different colors yarn so that the old color yarn to be set on the new color yarn.

9. Continue your knitting with the new color yarn.

10. Pick up the old yarn and knit it as usual if you wish to change back the old color for your next row.

Now, let us see the difference between  the right side and the wrong side of my garter stitch knitting piece. (Garter stitch is created by knitting or purling every row)

Note :

a.) For narrow stripes, loosely carry the yarn up the side of the work and join in when needed. (The way that I showed you in the diagrams above.)

b.) For wide stripes, snip the yarn and rejoin the yarn for each new stripe. When your knitting is finished, weave in the yarn tails which are hanging along the side. To do so, you need to get a yarn needle or any large eye needle and thread the yarn tail through it eye. Then, weave the yarn tail in and out through the bumps or eye at the side or the back of your piece.



There is another method to join in a new color if you are doing an Intarsia (blocks of color) knitting pattern. If you are interested in Intarsia color work, please click here to visit the post about one of the intarsia knitting methods. I only use one method to join a new color for my Intarsia color work. It is easy, I use it to join a new color at the beginning or in the middle of a row.

First, insert the needle through the desired stitch on the left needle. Wrap the new yarn around the right needle and leaving a tail of yarn about 4 inches long. Normally, I will insert the needle through the stitch knitwise at the knit side and insert the needle through purlwise at the purl side. Then hold the both ends and pull the yarn out to create a stitch. Don't worry about the tail, just let it hanging there because you will finish off the tail by weaving it into the knitting piece after the piece is finished.

Bind off / cast off

How to get your knitting piece off the needle? Today, I am going to show you how to finish off a knitted piece.

Binding off or casting off is the process of getting the finished piece off of your needle to secure the last row of stitches so that they don't unravel. Usually, the knit bind off  is worked on the knit side and the purl bind off  is worked on the purl side. This means that "knit the knits and purl the purls".


Knit bind off

1. Knit the first two stitches from the left needle onto the right needle. Now, you have two stitches on your right needle.

2. Insert the left needle into the stitch you knitted first on the right needle.

3. Lift the first stitch over the second stitch and completely off the right needle.

4. The second stitch will now be the only stitch on the right needle. That means one stitch is bound off. Then, knit the next stitch on the left needle. Again, there are two stitches on the right needle. Repeat the rest of the steps until the end of the stitches.

5. When you reach to the end, there are no stitches on the left needle and just one stitch  on the right needle. Cut a tail about 4 - 5 inches long and pull this tail through the last stitch with your finger. Then pull your yarn tight.

6. A row of knit bind-off stitches is completed.







Purl bind off

Since you know how to do knit bind off, that is easy to do the purl bind off. The steps almost the same.

1. Purl the first two stitches from the left needle onto the right needle. Now, you have two stitches on your right needle.

2. Insert the left needle into the stitch you purled first on the right needle.

3. Lift the first stitch over the second stitch and completely off the right needle.

4. The second stitch will now be the only stitch on the right needle. That means one stitch is bound off. Then, purl the next stitch on the left needle. Again, there are two stitches on the right needle. Repeat the rest of the steps until the end of the stitches.

5. When you reach to the end, there are no stitches on the left needle and just one stitch  on the right needle. Cut a tail about 4 - 5 inches long and pull this tail through the last stitch with your finger. Then pull your yarn tight.

Cast On Stitch

What is cast on? Cast on is the process of adding the very first stitches onto the knitting needle before you start to knit. There are variety of methods to cast on. Here I only mention the two methods that I always use.

1. Long tail cast-on
2. Knitted cast-on


Long tail cast-on
This method is common, quick and popular, in addition, you will only need one needle for this method. One drawback of this method is you have to be able to estimate the amount of the tail yarn for your cast-on at the very start of your knitting.

1. Make a slip knot and leaving an enough tail yarn on the slip knot. This will be your first loop.

2.Place the slip knot on your knitting needle and then put it tight and snug.

3. Hold the needle with slip knot in your right hand. Grab the strands of yarn in your left hand and secure with your last three fingers. Then, insert your thumb and index finger between the strands of yarn (Your tail yarn should be on your left thumb and your working yarn should be on you left index finger.)

4. Now, pull the needle downward to create a “V” shape as shown in the photo.

5. Bring the needle tip up through the loop on your thumb.

6. Then, pivot the needle tip to the loop on your index finger and grab the yarn.

7. Pull the yarn on your index finger down through the loop on your thumb.

8. Slip off the loop of yarn on your thumb and bring your thumb back under the loose strand of yarn.

9. Move your fingers to snug up this new stitch on the needle. You have just cast on your second stitch. (The first stitch was your slip knot.)

10. Then, create another "V" shape and continue the rest of the steps. Knit the cast on stitches until you reach the number of stitches needed. A row of long tail cast-on stitches is completed as shown in the photo.





Knitted Cast-on

Casting on without a big long tail? yes, you can do it with a different method called "knitted cast-on".
This method is simple and suitable for beginners.

1. Make a slip knot and leaving only about 2 inches on the end of your yarn.

2. Place the slip knot onto your left needle.

3. Insert your right needle into the loop.

4. Wrap your yarn around the right needle counter clockwise.

5. Pull the yarn through the loop (just as you work a knit stitch), but don't slide the original loop off the left needle.

6. Now, slide the loop from your right needle onto your left needle.

7. There are now two loops on the left needle. You have just completed a knitted cast on. Pull your working yarn slightly to snug up the new stitch on your left needle. Insert again the right needle tip to the stitch you just completed on the left needle and continue the rest of the steps until you reach your desired stitches. 

8.  A row of knitted cast-on stitches is completed.

Knit Stitch and Purl Stitch

The knit stitch and the purl stitch are the only stitches used when knitting any garment or project. We can create variety patterns of knitting with these two stitches, depending on how we apply them to practice.

The knit stitches and the purl stitches have difference visual effect. The knit stitches look like "V" shapes interlocked vertically and the knitting is looks flat, whereas the purl stitches look like a wavy horizontal line across the fabric and the knitting is looks bumpy.


Knit Stitch 

1. Cast on your desired stitches on a needle. Hold your needle with the cast on stitches in your left hand and the empty needle in your right hand.

2. Insert the tip of the right needle from front to back through the first stitch on the left needle. Keep the right needle under the left needle.

3. Hold the stitch with your thumb and index finger and bring the working yarn under the needles. Wrap the yarn counter clockwise around the tip of the right needle to create a loop.

4. Draw the loop out through the stitch on the left needle with the right needle tip.

5. Slide off the first stitch from the left needle carefully.

6. A knit stitch is completed. Pull your working yarn slightly to snug up the stitch on the needle. Insert again your right needle to the next cast on stitch on your left needle. Repeat the rest of the steps until you have knitted and transferred all the stitches on the left  need to the right needle.

A row of knit stitches is completed.











Purl Stitch

1. Cast on your desired stitches on a needle. Hold your needle with the cast on stitches in your left hand and the empty needle in your right hand.

2. Insert the tip of the right needle from back to front through the first stitch on the left needle. Keep the right needle on top of  the left needle.

3. Hold the stitch with your thumb and index finger and place the yarn in the front of the needles. Wrap the yarn counter clockwise around the right needle tip to create a loop.

4. Draw the loop with the tip of the right needle back out through the stitch on the left needle.

5. Slide off the first stitch from the left needle carefully.

6. A purl stitch is completed. Pull your working yarn slightly to snug up the stitch on the needle. Insert again your right needle to the next cast on stitch on your left needle. Repeat the rest of the steps until you have knitted and transferred all the stitches on the left  needle to the right needle.

A row of purl stitches is completed.

 Now, let us compare these two stitches. Did you see the difference?