Today, I’m going to show you my 3 favorite ways to join a new yarn without tying a knot. These techniques can be used:
- When you’ve run out of yarn, and want to join a new ball of the same color
- To change to a new color according to the pattern (although the color change won’t be as clean as with this color change technique)
- To add new yarns when you’re making a scrappy project- great for leftovers!
Russian Join
The Russian Join allows you to connect all of your yarns before you begin crocheting. You’ll want to check out this tutorial for a full how-to.
This technique is great if you have a lot of small pieces of yarn. You can join them in advance and then just keep crocheting! The result in joining up little pieces is a fabulous magic ball!
‘Double Up’ Join
This is the technique I usually use when crocheting. You basically crochet a stitch or two with both your old and new yarns, then drop the old yarn and continue with just the new yarn. It’s very secure and quick. Visit this blog post for details!
The disadvantage is that those couple of stitches are a little thicker (due to the 2 yarns), but that doesn’t bother me much!
Spit Splice
This technique is the cleanest, but only works for wool yarns. And yes, you use spit! Read the full tutorial here.
This can be done either in advance or while you’re crocheting.
Which is your favorite?
Or do you prefer to tie a knot? It’s okay!
If you’re going to tie a knot, I recommend the following:
- Tie the knot as you go, not in advance with the yarns
- Start crocheting with your new yarn, then tie the knot after you’ve done a few stitches
I show how to do that in this tutorial.
Happy stitching!
Here are handy links to all the posts about yarn. . .
- How to Join Yarn with No Knot
- 3 Ways to Join Yarn without Tying a Knot
- What to Do If There’s a Knot in Your Yarn
- How to Work with Eyelash Yarn
- How Much Yarn Do I Need?
- How to Calculate Yarn Weight from Length
- How to Make a Magic Ball
- How to Use a Ball Winder
- Using a Nostepinne Replacement to Make a Center-Pull Yarn Ball
- How to Make Yarn from Fabric Strips
- Dye Yarn with Wilton Icing Dye
Return to the main table of contents for Let’s Learn to Crochet Amigurumi.
Move on to the lessons for the basic crochet stitches.
Happy stitching!
Hi Stacy,
I’m with you– I join the two yarns and crochet. It is thicker,but only I know it.
I am working on Kebler–he is so cute.
Love your work and patterns
Thanks, Diane!
Two at once! Never occurred to me. I usually do the “pick up the new yarn when drawing through the last two loops”, leave long tails and weave them in. Sometime I’ll work over the old yarn to save the hassle of weaving in.
I’m very curious about the Double Up Join in terms of can you trim right at the join or do you still need to weave ends in?
With the Double up, you will still need to weave in ends. I suppose that if you doubled up for several stitches, you could snip close, but I think it’s much neater to weave in ends. Otherwise, you might snip and then a little 1/4 inch might come undone and look a little pesky 🙂
I use the Russian join when crocheting . I find that I can join yarn ahead nof tiime and it’s a smooth transition. When working in cotton, the Russian join is much better than doubling up. The joins are very visible and too thick. I’m making wash clothes and other kitchen items to be used as game gifts at my daughter’s bridal shower. The #4 cotton, in some brands, is too thick to double. It’s fine for #3 and cotton blends, but, I’m not using that type of yarn. Also, a few skiens of cotton, came with many knotsbecause it was pieced together. I Russian join them and you would never know the skien wasn pieced together!
I’m new to this site,( second email) and have alreeady used or passed on ideas I learned . Thank you so much!! I’ve passed you site on to a few friends.
Thank you so much for your feedback and details. You’re totally right- the method that you use will depend a lot on the type of yarn that you’re using.
So happy you found me… welcome! 🙂
I either use the double join or lately the Magic Knot. Working well for me so far and no ends to weave in.
I like the braided join better than the russian join even though it is a bit more of a pain. It also doesn’t work quite as well if you joining different colors.
I frequently use double up when crocheting but haven’t found it to work well for knitting. I usually end up tying knots for knitting. Is there a quick easy join like the double up that works well when knitting?
Can you tell me how to do the braided join for crocheting I have used it before and loved it but I have forgotten how to do it
Re: double join technique. Do you join yarns similar to changing yarns on a single crochet, but then picking up the tail of the old colour crocheting it in for a few stitches? Not clear on your technique. Do you have a video showing it?
Oops! Silly me! I forgot to put the link to the detailed blog post in! Here: http://www.freshstitches.com/how-to-join-yarns-while-crocheting-with-no-knot/
Hi Stacey! I want to do this for knitting; I’m making a blanket. I’m using bulky yarn, so I’d have to use the Russian join. For the future and for my blanket, will any of these work on knitted projects? Thank you!
Sounds like a great choice!
Thank you very much! Would any of these work for knitting?
Yup! They all do!
Any join will work for either crochet or knitting. I recently learned of the “mango join” and have been primarily using it. Done correctly, it’s a very strong join.
This video is the only one I could find on how to do it. I will say, though, I try to run my needle in the center of the yarn rather than weaving it in and out, but I mostly work with wool yarns only. For yarns that don’t have clear plies, weaving in and out would most likely be the only option.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QD-5s6HuSYM
Thanks! I’ll look into that option!
No mention of the braided join? I use it for knitting and nalbinding http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2-u66X5RYjc.
Thank you! I’ll look into that one!
Working with wool – spit splice – love it!
The mango is one I’m going to try.
I like the others
The braided join is not an easy one
My favorite way to join yarn is to overlap the two ends, holding both threads, untwist a couple of inches at a time… then re twist together. A variation of the ‘spit’. Some yarns will not ‘felt’ but if twisted enough for 6-7 stitches will hold just as well. Even works great for cotton and acrylic yarns.