The Two Main Ways to Knit Stripes
Striped knitting works in two ways: carrying yarn up the side of your work, or cutting and rejoining yarn each time you change colors. Carrying yarn works best for stripes two to four rows tall, because the carried yarn stays hidden inside the edge stitches and keeps your tension even. Cutting and rejoining works better for wider stripes or when you want a cleaner edge, though it leaves more ends to weave in later.
Most knitters start with carrying yarn because it is faster and produces fewer loose ends. The yarn rides up the side of your knitting, held loosely so it does not pull your edge tight. Once you understand how to carry yarn without bunching, you can move to cutting if a pattern calls for it.
Key Takeaways
- Carrying yarn up the side works for stripes up to four rows tall and keeps the carried color hidden inside your edge stitches.
- Twist the working yarn around the carried yarn every two rows to prevent long floats that catch and snag.
- Keep carried yarn loose enough that your edge does not pucker, but tight enough that it does not dangle.
- Cutting yarn and rejoining it works for stripes wider than four rows, though it creates ends you must weave in later.
- Practice on a small swatch before starting a full project so you can feel the right tension.
How to Carry Yarn for Narrow Stripes
To carry yarn, work your first stripe color for the number of rows your pattern calls for—usually two to four rows. At the end of the last row of that color, do not cut the yarn. Instead, drop it and pick up your second color. Knit the next stripe with the second color, keeping the first color loose along the left edge of your work.
The carried yarn sits between your working yarn and the edge of the fabric. Every two rows, twist the working yarn around the carried yarn once, going under it and then over it. This twist prevents the carried yarn from creating a long loop (called a float) that can catch on fingers or needles when you wear the finished piece. Without the twist, those floats will snag and pull.
The hardest part is keeping the carried yarn at the right tension. If it is too tight, your edge will pucker and curl inward. If it is too loose, it will dangle and create those catching floats. The carried yarn should be just loose enough to lie flat against the edge without pulling. Most knitters find the right feel after a few inches of practice.
Cutting and Rejoining Yarn for Wide Stripes
For stripes wider than four rows, carrying yarn becomes impractical because the float grows too long and too visible. Instead, cut the yarn at the end of each stripe and rejoin a new color. Cut about six inches from the working yarn, leaving a tail to weave in later. Pick up your new color and tie it to the tail of the old color using a straightforward knot, or straightforward start knitting with the new color and weave both ends in after you finish.
Knotting the yarns together before you knit keeps them from separating while you work. If you prefer not to knot, you can overlap the two colors for the first stitch—hold both yarns together and knit one stitch with both, then drop the old color and continue with the new one. This overlap creates a small join that holds without a knot.
The downside of cutting is the number of ends you will have to weave in. A sweater with six color changes per row and ten rows of stripes means sixty ends. Many knitters use a tapestry needle to weave these ends horizontally through the bumps of the same color on the back of the fabric, which hides them completely.
Preventing Puckering at the Edges
Puckering happens when the carried yarn is too tight or when you pull too hard on the working yarn at the edge stitch. To avoid it, keep the carried yarn loose—imagine it resting gently against the edge rather than hugging it. When you knit the first stitch of a new row, do not pull the working yarn tight. A slightly loose edge stitch gives the carried yarn room to sit without distorting the fabric.
If you are already seeing puckering on a swatch, loosen your carried yarn and knit a few more rows to see if it improves. Sometimes the puckering settles once you have more rows worked. If it does not, your tension on the working yarn at the edge is the problem, not the carried yarn itself.
Choosing Colors That Work Together
Stripes look best when the colors have different values—that is, one is noticeably lighter or darker than the other. Two similar shades of blue will blur together and look muddy. A light blue and a dark blue, or a blue and a cream, will read as clear stripes. If you are unsure, hold the two yarns together in daylight and step back a few feet. If you can still see the stripes clearly, the colors will work.
Yarn weight matters too. Stripes made from yarns of different weights will look uneven because one will sit higher or lower than the other. Stick to the same weight throughout, or your stripes will have visible bumps where the yarn changes.
Practice on a Swatch First
Before you start a full project, knit a small swatch—about four inches square—in your stripe pattern. Use the same needles, yarn, and stitch pattern you plan to use for the finished piece. Work at least two full color cycles so you can see how the stripes look and feel how the tension works.
A swatch also shows you how the colors look next to each other in the actual yarn and stitch pattern. Sometimes colors that look good in the ball look different once they are knitted. The swatch is also where you can practice the twist that holds the carried yarn in place, so you feel confident before you start the real work.
Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
The most common mistake is carrying yarn too tightly, which creates puckering along the edge. If this happens, rip back a few rows and try again with looser tension. The second mistake is forgetting to twist the carried yarn, which leaves long floats that catch. If you notice this after a few rows, you can go back and twist the floats by hand using a crochet hook, though it is easier to catch the mistake as you go.
A third mistake is pulling the working yarn too tight at the edge stitch, which also causes puckering even if the carried yarn is loose. The edge stitch should be slightly loose—not sloppy, but not tight. If your edges are consistently tight, consciously loosen your grip on the working yarn for just that one stitch.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many rows can I carry yarn before it shows on the outside?
Yarn carried for more than four rows usually creates a visible float on the outside of the fabric, especially if the carried color is dark. For stripes taller than four rows, cut and rejoin instead. If you must carry for more than four rows, twist every two rows and keep the carried yarn very loose so it does not show.
Do I have to knit stripes in the same direction every time?
No. You can knit horizontal stripes (stripes that run across the width) or vertical stripes (stripes that run up the length). Horizontal stripes use the carrying method because you change colors at the end of each row. Vertical stripes require a different technique—you work with multiple colors in the same row, which is more advanced.
What do I do with the ends after I cut the yarn?
Weave them in using a tapestry needle. Thread the needle with one end, then weave it horizontally through the bumps on the back of the fabric for about an inch. This hides the end completely. Trim any excess yarn after weaving.
Can I carry more than one color at a time?
Yes, but only if you are working narrow stripes. If you are carrying two colors, twist both of them around the working yarn every two rows to keep them from creating long floats. This gets complicated quickly, so most knitters carry only one color at a time.
Why do my stripes look wavy instead of straight?
Wavy stripes usually mean your tension changes when you switch colors. Try to knit with the same tension throughout, even when you pick up a new color. If the new color feels different in your hand, take a moment to adjust your grip so the tension matches what you were doing before.