The three ways to bring a second color into your knitting
You add a new color in knitting by either carrying the old yarn alongside your stitches, dropping it and picking up a new strand, or weaving the new color in as you go. Which method you choose depends on how far apart your color changes are, whether you want the inside of your work to look neat, and how much yarn you are willing to carry unused across rows.
The simplest approach for most people is to drop the old color and pick up the new one at the point where you want the color to change. This works well when you are switching colors every few stitches or every few rows. If your color blocks are far apart — say, 10 or more stitches — carrying the yarn gets bulky and slow. If they are very close together, weaving becomes worth the extra attention.
Key Takeaways
- Dropping and picking up colors is the easiest method for most knitters and works best when color changes happen every few rows or every few stitches across a row.
- Carrying yarn (stranding) keeps both colors in play and creates a neat inside edge, but the carried yarn can show through if pulled too tight or too loose.
- Weaving in a new color as you knit hides the carried yarn inside your stitches and prevents long floats, but requires more hand coordination.
- Tension matters: carried yarn that is too tight puckers your fabric, and yarn that is too loose creates loops that catch on fingers.
- Vertical color changes (one color per row) are simpler than horizontal ones (multiple colors in the same row) because you do not have to manage two active yarns at once.
Dropping and picking up: the straightforward method
When you reach the stitch where you want to change colors, straightforward drop the old yarn and pick up the new one. Tie them together with a small knot on the wrong side of your work, or leave a short tail on each and weave them in later. This is the method most beginners use because it requires no special technique — you just switch yarns.
This approach works cleanest for vertical color changes, where one color fills an entire row or section before you move to the next. It also works well for color blocks that are separated by several rows, because you are not managing two yarns at the same time. The downside is that you will have a small knot or join on the inside of your piece, and if your color change happens mid-row, you may see a small gap or loose stitch where the colors meet.
To minimize that gap, pick up the new yarn from underneath the old yarn as you make your first stitch with the new color. This creates a small twist that locks the two colors together. Tighten that first stitch slightly so the join does not pull apart when you wash or wear the piece.
Carrying yarn (stranding) for colors that appear often
Stranding means holding both colors in your hands and switching between them as you knit, leaving the unused color loose across the back of your work. This is the method used in Fair Isle knitting and other colorwork patterns where colors alternate frequently. The carried yarn creates a float — the loose strand running across the back of your stitches.
Stranding is faster than dropping and picking up once you develop the rhythm, and it creates a neat, finished inside edge with no loose ends to weave in. The challenge is managing tension. If you pull the carried yarn too tight, it will pucker your fabric and make it smaller. If you leave it too loose, it creates loops that catch on your fingers or snag when you pull the piece over your head.
A common rule is to spread your stitches slightly wider on the needle before you switch colors, giving the carried yarn room to sit without tension. Some knitters hold one color in each hand — one in the right hand, one in the left — and pick up whichever color they need. Others hold both in one hand and use their fingers to separate them. Experiment to find what feels natural.
Stranding works best when your color changes happen every 5 to 10 stitches. If colors are farther apart than that, the float becomes too long and can snag. If they are closer, you spend more time managing the yarn than knitting.
Weaving in the new color to hide long floats
Weaving means threading the carried yarn over and under your working stitches as you knit, so it becomes part of the fabric rather than a loose float on the back. This method hides the carried yarn completely and prevents long floats from snagging, but it requires coordination and slows your pace.
To weave, hold the color you are not using in your left hand (or whichever hand holds your yarn). As you knit a stitch with your working color, pass the carried yarn over the needle before you insert it, then under the needle after you insert it. This weaves the carried yarn into the stitch. Alternate which way you weave (over, then under, then over) so the woven yarn does not bunch up in one spot.
Weaving is worth learning if you are working a pattern where colors are far apart — more than 10 stitches — or if you are making a garment where floats on the inside might catch on jewelry or skin. It is less essential for small projects or patterns with frequent color changes, where stranding is faster and the floats are short enough not to snag.
Managing tension when you switch colors
The most common mistake when adding a new color is pulling too tight on the first stitch. This creates a visible pucker at the color change and can make that section of your work smaller than the rest. The first stitch with a new color should be slightly looser than your normal tension, not tighter.
If you are stranding, the tension of the carried yarn matters as much as the tension of the working yarn. A carried yarn that is too tight will pull your stitches inward and distort the shape of your work. A carried yarn that is too loose will create visible loops on the back. The goal is for the carried yarn to sit flat and relaxed, with just enough give that you can slide it along the needle without resistance.
One way to check your tension is to look at the back of your work as you go. The carried yarn should lie flat and parallel to your rows, not bunched up or stretched. If it is bunched, loosen your grip. If it is stretched, spread your stitches wider before you switch colors.
Joining colors at the edge versus in the middle of a row
A color change at the edge of your work — at the beginning or end of a row — is simpler than a change in the middle. At the edge, you can tie the yarns together or weave in the ends later without worrying about the join showing. In the middle of a row, the join is visible and needs to be neat.
For mid-row color changes, drop the old yarn and pick up the new one from underneath, as described above. This creates a small twist that holds the colors together. If you are stranding, straightforward switch to the new color and keep both yarns in your hands. If you are weaving, continue the weaving pattern with the new color.
Many knitters plan their color changes to fall at the edge of the work whenever possible, straightforward because it is easier and looks cleaner. If your pattern requires mid-row changes, practice on a swatch first so you can see how the join looks and adjust your tension if needed.
Weaving in ends after you finish
If you dropped and picked up colors rather than stranding, you will have yarn tails where each color change happened. These need to be woven into the back of your work so they do not unravel. Thread each tail onto a tapestry needle and run it through the bumps on the back of your stitches for about an inch, then trim the excess.
If you stranded or wove, you still have tails at the beginning and end of your work where you cast on and bound off. Weave these in the same way. The inside of your finished piece should have no loose ends or knots visible.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between stranding and weaving?
Stranding leaves the unused color loose across the back of your work (a float), while weaving threads it through your stitches so it becomes part of the fabric. Stranding is faster but creates floats that can snag. Weaving hides the yarn completely but requires more hand coordination.
How do I keep my carried yarn from showing through to the front?
Keep the carried yarn loose and relaxed on the back of your work. If it is too tight, it will pull the front stitches inward and the color will show through. Spread your stitches slightly wider on the needle before you switch colors to give the carried yarn room.
Can I use this method for more than two colors?
Yes, but managing more than two colors at once becomes difficult. Most knitters drop and pick up colors when working with three or more, rather than trying to strand all of them. Some patterns use a technique called intarsia, which uses separate bobbins of yarn for each color block, but that is a more advanced method.
Why does my color change look loose or gappy?
The first stitch with a new color is usually too loose. Make that stitch slightly tighter than normal, or pick up the new yarn from underneath the old one to create a small twist that locks them together. If the gap persists, you may be pulling the carried yarn too tight on the stitches around the color change.
Do I have to tie the colors together, or can I just start knitting with the new one?
You can start knitting without tying, but the old yarn tail will eventually work loose. A small knot on the wrong side is the quickest fix. If you prefer not to knot, weave both tails in after you finish. Either way, the join needs to be secured so it does not unravel.