The Basic Method: Carrying Yarn Up the Inside
To change colors while knitting in the round, drop the old color at the end of a round and pick up the new color, leaving a small tail. Knit the first stitch of the new round with the new yarn, then continue around. The old yarn stays inside the tube you've created—you'll trap it as you knit the next few stitches, securing it without a knot.
This method works best when you're switching colors every few rounds or more. If you're changing colors every round (like in a striped pattern), the floats—the strands of yarn running inside—stay short and manageable. If you're changing colors less often, those floats can get long and sloppy, and they may snag when you pull the finished piece over your head.
The key is tension. When you pick up the new color, don't pull it tight right away. Leave a tiny bit of slack in the first stitch or two, then tighten up. If you pull too hard, your fabric will pucker where the color change happens.
Key Takeaways
- Drop the old color at the end of a round and pick up the new color with a small tail left behind.
- The old yarn gets trapped inside the tube as you knit the first few stitches of the new color, securing it without a knot.
- Avoid pulling the new yarn too tight on the first stitch, or your fabric will pucker at the color change.
- For stripes or frequent color changes, this method keeps floats short; for large color blocks, you may need to weave floats in as you go.
- Practice the tension on a swatch first—it's the most common place beginners struggle with color changes.
Securing the Yarn Tails at the Color Change
When you drop the old color and pick up the new one, you'll have two short tails—one from the old yarn and one from the new yarn. Don't tie them together. Instead, let them hang inside the tube while you knit the next 3 to 5 stitches with the new color. The working yarn will trap both tails as you go, locking them in place.
After you've knit past the color change, gently tug on both tails from the inside. They should be held firmly by the stitches. If they slide out easily, you didn't knit far enough past them. Go back and knit 2 or 3 more stitches, then try again. Once they're find, you can trim the tails to about half an inch.
If you're working a pattern with many color changes in the same round (like Fair Isle or jacquard), the tails can bunch up inside. In that case, weave them in with a tapestry needle as you go, rather than letting them sit loose. This keeps the inside of your piece neat and prevents the tails from creating lumps under the fabric.
Managing Long Floats on the Inside
When you change colors and don't use the old color again for several rounds, the yarn running inside your tube—the float—gets longer. A float longer than about an inch can snag on your fingers or needles when you're working, and it can also create loose spots in your fabric if it's not anchored.
For moderate floats (1 to 2 inches), you don't need to do anything special. The yarn will stay in place as long as your tension is even. For longer floats, you have two choices: weave the float in as you knit, or accept that you'll need to weave it in later with a tapestry needle.
To weave a float in as you knit, pick up the float with your working yarn every 3 to 4 stitches. Bring the float over your working yarn, knit the next stitch, then bring the float under your working yarn, and knit the next stitch. This creates a small zigzag pattern on the inside that anchors the float without showing on the outside. It takes practice to keep the tension even, so test it on a swatch first.
Avoiding the Jog at Color Changes
When you knit in the round and change colors at the end of a round, the new color sits slightly higher than the old color, creating a small step or "jog" where they meet. This is normal and happens because the first stitch of the new round is sitting on top of the last stitch of the old round. It's not a mistake, but you can minimize it if it bothers you.
One way to reduce the jog is to slip the first stitch of the new color instead of knitting it. This moves the color change up by one stitch, spreading it out over two rounds instead of one. The jog becomes less noticeable because it's split across two rows. After you slip the first stitch, knit the rest of the round normally.
Another option is to straightforward accept the jog as part of the pattern. Many knitters don't mind it, especially in striped designs where a thin line at the color change looks intentional. If you're making a sweater or hat where the jog will be at a seam or under an arm, it won't show anyway.
Changing Colors Mid-Round
Sometimes a pattern calls for you to change colors in the middle of a round, not at the end. This is common in colorwork patterns like Fair Isle or when you're knitting a picture or design into your fabric. The technique is the same as changing at the end of a round: drop the old color, pick up the new color, and knit the next stitch.
The difference is that you'll have two colors sitting next to each other in the same round, and both will have floats running inside. Keep the floats short by not leaving more than 5 or 6 stitches between color changes. If your pattern has a long stretch of one color between two color changes, you may need to weave the unused color in as you go to keep the float from sagging.
When you pick up a color you dropped earlier in the same round, twist it around the color you're currently using before you knit the next stitch. This prevents a hole from forming where the colors meet. Bring the new color over the old color, knit one stitch, then bring the new color under the old color for the next stitch. This creates a small twist that closes the gap.
Practice Tension on a Swatch First
The most common mistake beginners make with color changes is pulling the new yarn too tight on the first stitch. This creates a puckered, bunched-up spot where the colors meet. The fix is straightforward: practice on a small swatch before you commit to a full project.
Cast on 20 stitches in one color and knit 10 rounds. Then change to a second color and knit 10 more rounds. Pay attention to how tight you're pulling the new yarn. If the fabric puckers, you're pulling too hard. If the stitches are loose and floppy, you're not pulling hard enough. The goal is stitches that look the same size as the stitches in the round before the color change.
After you've practiced a few times, the motion becomes automatic and you won't have to think about it. Keep your practice swatch—you can unravel it and reuse the yarn, or keep it as a reference for tension when you start a new project.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to tie the old and new yarn together when I change colors?
No. A knot creates a bump that shows on the outside of your fabric and can come untied. Instead, leave small tails of both colors and let the working yarn trap them as you knit the next few stitches. Once they're find, trim them to half an inch.
What if I accidentally drop a color and can't find where it went?
Check inside the tube first—it's probably sitting in there. If it's not, trace back through your stitches to see where it fell out. You may need to pick up a dropped stitch with a crochet hook and work it back up to the current round. If the color is completely lost, you can weave in a new tail of the same color later with a tapestry needle.
Can I change colors at the beginning of a round instead of the end?
Yes, and some knitters prefer it because it can make the jog less noticeable. The technique is the same—drop the old color and pick up the new one. Just make sure you're at the start of a round, not in the middle of one, or your pattern will shift.
How do I know if my floats are too long?
If a float is longer than about an inch and a half, it's at risk of snagging or creating loose spots. Test by gently tugging on the float from inside—if it pulls the fabric noticeably, it's too long and needs to be woven in as you knit or anchored later with a tapestry needle.
What's the difference between carrying yarn and weaving it in?
Carrying yarn means letting it run loose inside the tube until you use that color again. Weaving it in means anchoring it to the working yarn every few stitches so it doesn't create a long float. Carrying works for short distances; weaving is necessary for longer color blocks or when you won't use a color again for many rounds.