Joining Yarn

I know that there are already a few tutorials out there about different methods of joining yarn, but I had so much fun learning this new snazzy technique (snazzy to me, I mean, but then, I don't get out much), that I just had to share.

For you muggles out there, I apologize in advance for boring the pants off ya'.

To do this, you'll need a pair of scissors and a darning needle, also known as a yarn needle. (Lynn, you should really consider getting a metal one. That plastic thing you've got should be put away with the Polly Pockets and Barbie Dolls.)

A sharper darning needle works better, but we're not picky here at Yarn Over. We also couldn't find our scissors until we looked under the bed.

I like to refer to myself in third person sometimes because it makes me feel like royalty.

Onward.

Step 1: If you have to have the colors change at a precise point, mark that spot by pinching it, and let the three stitches you've just knit fall off the needles.

Don't panic; the free stitches won't go anywhere unless your children start bouncing on the bed while you're trying to do this.

Step 2: Cross your two yarn ends, and put your darning needle onto the thread that's on the bottom.

Step 3: Put the needle tip into the spot you marked, and sew it as much through the middle of the yarn as you can. Ideally, you're just putting it exactly in the middle, but that would depend on how many plies your yarn has.See that? The second yarn is through the loop you've just made.

Pull the needle through, and give it a nice tug. Don't be too violent, though. Knitting is supposed to be relaxing, after all, and it's scary to non-knitters to see stressed people wielding sharp pointy objects.

Now isn't that nice? Repeat step #3 for the other side of the yarn.
Now, finally, just cut what little bits of yarn ends you've got sticking out from the main line.
Voila! A perfect join! Although this may be a tad bit time consuming, it has the advantage of being invisible, extremely strong, and you won't have to weave in any ends after you've finished your project. This is especially nice if you've got a reversible project going (like a scarf), and you want to hide any knots. This is also a good way to deal with changing the yarn in a sock - no more walking on knots!