Posted by Del on May 21, 19102 at 17:00:07:
In Reply to: adding new yarn posted by Alysa Johnson on May 02, 19102 at 16:56:26:
I don't really feel qualified to answer this as I've only been knitting for a year now - logged on trying to wean myself from English to Continental :)
Okay: Tying a square knot will definitely hold, and doesn't matter if you're knitting something nubbly, but eventually you will do a project where you don't want a lot of knots. I line up the new yarn with the old, head-to-tail, overlapping about eight inches, and knit three stitches with both yarns held together. (One book recommended only one stitch, but that was too loose for me.) After those three, carry on with just the new yarn. This is a tiny bit tricky because you have to adjust a bit to get the tension right, and you can get confused and knit the tails instead of the new yarn. Also when you come back across the row, you have to be careful to pick up BOTH threads of those three stitches.
I have a gf who will only change yarn at an edge, but this method works anywhere in the piece--and of course if you are on circular needles there is no edge :) When you're done, just thread the ends onto a needle and weave them invisibly into the piece for a few inches (1st one direction, then another) then clip.
If I'm giving terrible advice here, somebody stop me---