There Are Very Effective Methods of Joining Yarn Part Way Through a Row. the Russian Join

Joining Yarn

Many texts on knitting say that new yarn should always been joined at the beginning of a row. I don’t agree. Not only can it be wasteful both time and yarn-wise, it just isn’t necessary: wasteful yarn-wise because you can end up with several long lengths of yarn in a big project, timewise because you may be half way through a row of 200 stitches only to run out of yarn, or you find a knot in the yarn. So before unpicking consider the alternatives.

There are very effective methods of joining yarn part way through a row. The Russian Join is one of these – and as a bonus with the technique a new colour can be joined to start precisely where you want it. The felted join has come down through time and is one of the best joins for pure wool (not treated wool – it must be able to felt). There are various knots such as the magic knot, but I don’t like these. Somehow that knot seems to work its way through to the front, and I did have one come undone when using a slippery yarn.

The following 2 methods are good for joining together the same yarns. The first is for a medium weight yarn, and the second for a heavier weight yarn. I came across these in an online book written in French[1]. I have not as yet seen them elsewhere. Google Translate came up with some very creative words, but the following translation is with the assistance of 2 members of Knitting Paradise Forum. The pictures come from the online book.

Method 1:

1. Thread the new yarn onto a tapestry needle and work needle through the plies of the old yarn for about 2-3 cm coming out of the yarn close to last stitch worked. / 2. Knit 2 or 3 stitches with the double yarn, then continue with the new yarn.The join is almost invisible in a medium weight yarn.For heavier weight yarn use method 2.

Method 2:

3. Split the plies of boththe old yarn and the new yarn in half for a few cms. Twist half of the old yarn with half the new yarn for 2 or 3 cm to form a new strand of the same thickness as the original. There is now a new strand formed by twisting half the plies from each yarn together, and the 2 other ends of the split yarns. / 4.Knit a few stitches with the new strand, leaving the other ends hanging to be sewn in later . Continue knitting with the new yarn. Sew in the loose ends separately with a tapestry needle.

[1]