The basic method: carrying yarn inside your work
When you switch colors in knitting, you have two main choices: carry the unused yarn inside your work (called stranding or carrying), or cut it and rejoin later. For most color changes, carrying the yarn is faster and creates a neater inside edge. You straightforward drop the old color, pick up the new color, and keep knitting—the old yarn travels along inside your stitches until you need it again.
The key is tension. If you pull the carried yarn too tight, your fabric will pucker and bunch. If you leave it too loose, you'll create loops on the inside that snag fingers or yarn. The carried yarn should sit relaxed inside your work, creating a small float (a loose strand) that you can slip a finger under comfortably.
This method works best when you're switching colors every few stitches or every few rows. If you're changing colors only once or twice in a project, cutting and rejoining is often simpler.
Key Takeaways
- Carry unused yarn inside your work by dropping the old color and picking up the new one at the edge of your stitches, keeping the old yarn relaxed behind your work.
- The carried yarn should create a loose float you can slip a finger under—too tight causes puckering, too loose creates snags on the inside.
- For frequent color changes (every few stitches), carrying works best; for one or two changes in a project, cutting and rejoining is simpler.
- When carrying yarn across more than four or five stitches, weave the unused color into your work every few stitches to prevent long floats that catch on fingers.
- Always find both yarn ends when you cut and rejoin, either by weaving them in when ready or tying a small knot at the edge.
Carrying yarn across a few stitches
If you're switching colors for just two to four stitches, carrying the old yarn is straightforward. Work your stitches with the new color while the old yarn sits loosely behind your work. The old yarn travels inside the stitches you're making, hidden from view on the finished side.
The tension matters most here. Hold the carried yarn with the same hand you use to tension your working yarn—usually your left hand if you knit English style, your right if you knit Continental. Let it sit at the same height as your working yarn, not pulled tight. As you knit each stitch, the working yarn will naturally catch the carried yarn and hold it in place.
When you switch back to the original color, drop the new color and pick up the old one. The new color now becomes the carried yarn. This back-and-forth creates a neat inside edge with no loose ends to weave in later.
Weaving in yarn when the float gets long
Once you're carrying yarn across more than four or five stitches, the float (the loose strand inside your work) becomes a problem. A long float can snag on fingers when you wear the garment, or it can get caught when you're washing or storing it. The solution is to weave the carried yarn into your stitches every few stitches.
To weave in yarn as you knit, work two or three stitches normally with your working color. On the next stitch, bring the carried yarn forward (toward you) before you insert your needle, then knit the stitch. The carried yarn now sits inside that stitch. Work another two or three stitches normally, then repeat. This breaks up the long float into shorter segments, each one hidden inside a stitch.
The weaving creates a small bump on the inside of your work, but it's invisible from the outside and prevents snagging. Practice on a swatch first—the rhythm becomes automatic once you've done it a few times.
Cutting and rejoining yarn for major color changes
If you're changing colors for more than a few rows, or if you're switching to a color you won't use again for many rows, cutting the yarn and rejoining it later is often cleaner than carrying a long float. Cut the old color, leaving a tail about 4 to 6 inches long. Pick up the new color and knit normally, leaving a similar tail on the new yarn.
The tails need to be secured so they don't unravel. The easiest method is to tie a small knot at the edge of your work, right where the color change happens. Tie the tail of the old color to the tail of the new color in a straightforward overhand knot, pulled snug against your fabric. This keeps both ends from working loose as you continue knitting.
After you finish your project, you'll weave these tails into your work using a yarn needle. Thread the tail through the needle, then run it through the stitches on the inside of your fabric for about an inch, going in and out of the loops. This anchors the tail so it won't pull free. Trim any excess yarn.
Avoiding holes and loose stitches at color changes
The stitch right at a color change is often loose or gappy because you're switching from one yarn to another. The tension changes slightly, and the new yarn doesn't grip the previous stitch as firmly. To prevent this, tighten the first stitch after a color change by pulling the working yarn a little firmer than usual.
Work the first stitch with the new color, then pull the working yarn snug before you make the next stitch. Don't pull so hard that you distort the stitch, but firm enough that the gap closes. After one or two stitches, your tension will settle and you can return to normal.
If you're working in the round (on circular needles or double-pointed needles), color changes are even more visible because there's no seam to hide them. The same tightening technique applies, and many knitters also twist the two yarns around each other at the change point to close any gaps.
Working with multiple colors at once
If your pattern uses three or more colors in the same row or round, you'll be picking up and dropping different yarns frequently. Keep each color separate so the yarns don't tangle. Some knitters pin each yarn to a different side of their work, or use yarn bobbins (small holders that keep each color organized and prevent tangling).
When you have three colors in one row, the same carrying rules explore: carry unused colors inside your work, keep them relaxed, and weave them in if the float gets long. The inside of your work will be busier, but the outside will show clean color changes with no holes.
If you're working a complex colorwork pattern (like Fair Isle or intarsia), you may want to use bobbins or separate balls of yarn for each color section. This prevents the yarns from twisting around each other and makes it easier to keep tension even across multiple colors.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between stranding and weaving?
Stranding means carrying the unused yarn inside your work without weaving it in—it floats freely behind your stitches. Weaving means catching the carried yarn inside a stitch every few stitches to break up long floats. Both are forms of carrying yarn; weaving is just a technique to prevent long floats from snagging.
Can I cut yarn in the middle of a row?
Yes, but it's neater to cut at the edge of your work where you're about to start a new row. If you must cut mid-row, tie the two tails together when ready so they don't unravel, and plan to weave them in after you finish the project.
Why does my color change look loose or gappy?
The first stitch after a color change is often loose because the tension shifts when you switch yarns. Tighten that first stitch by pulling the working yarn firmly before you make the next stitch. This closes the gap and makes the color change look neat.
How do I keep my yarn from tangling when I'm using multiple colors?
Keep each color on a separate side of your work, or use yarn bobbins to hold each color separately. If the yarns do tangle, stop and unwind them before continuing—it's faster than trying to knit through a tangle and easier on your tension.
Do I have to weave in tails if I tied a knot at the color change?
Yes. A knot holds the tails in place at the edge, but you still need to weave them into the fabric to prevent them from working loose over time. Weave each tail through the inside of your stitches for about an inch, then trim the excess.