carrying along 4 colors of yarn

I am working on a Noro pattern that is using 4 different colorways of Kureyon yarn. It’s a gorgeous pattern, but how do I carry along 4 different strands, without ending up with a huge, balled up mess? I am aware of some of the “twisting” methods, but that just makes the huge mess even bigger. Would it be easier if I converted the skeins into balls? If I didn’t twist all colors at every knit row? Anybody dealt successfully with this issue? Thanks! jolie

I use this method and it at least cuts down on the twisting. Sometimes with two yarns, it eliminates it.

Pretty much I use the second method for both yarns since I don’t hold the yarns in two hands.

1 Like

Thanks, but I have to carry the 4 up the side, to use for stripes, not across…

Hello
What is the pattern?
Depending how frequently the stripes occur and the colours are needed it could be neater to not carry all 4 up the side but instead to cut the yarn leaving a tail to weave in and rejoining the colour when needed.

Depending jn the pattern it might also be possible to weave in the tails as you knit so you don’t have lots to do at the end.

I have made some colour swatches where I caught the carried yarn up the side behind a stitch rather than twisting.

In general with more than one ball, either different colours or when working 2 sleeves at once for instance, if you pay attention at an end of row turn you can avoid a lot of knotty mess. Is you always turn your work in the same direction things get knotty but if you pause and turn the correct way (alternating which way you turn each time) it will untwist the yarns without needing to move the balls.

Ah, much easier situation. As Creations mentioned, it depends on the width of the stripes. I just worked a pattern with 3 yarn colors and since some of the stripes were only two rows, it was easiest to carry the yarn up, it was easiest to use the working yarn to catch one of the alternate colors after two rows and then the other alternate color after another two rows.

This is also going to depend on the weight of your yarn. These carried yarns will contribute to the bulk of a side seam or to a line of yarn up the inside of a seamless project.

I find it easiest to put the yarn in ziplock bags or separate containers or to work at a table. That way I can shift the yarn over or under to keep the colors from getting tangled. Lastly, having to cut the yarn for wider stripes is the best solution. A lot of ends to weave in but you do have neater seams.

Love Noro patterns. Which one are you making?

It’s a Noro Sweater pattern, I think an older one. It’s got a ripple border on the bottom half and on the sleeves. It calls for 4 colors and I think they are of the opinion that carrying the yarn up the side is better. Besides, I hate weaving in ends! I guess since the 4 yarns are always carried on the same side, I could just take that into account when I sew it together. I just find the 4 yarns a little unnerving to carry!! I think if I could figure out a way to carry it with a stitch, that might work better. I’ll see if I can find a video that shows something like that. Then the mess wouldn’t be quite so intimidating. Because it’s a series of 2 rows, the carries are always on the same side. It never even occurred to me to pay attention to which was I turn at the end of a row! What a lack of brains! That is genius!! Any other ideas? I’m thinking pulling out the skeins into balls might be easier also, although there is a pattern for the use of the 4 yarns, and it is not just “A,B,C,D”, so I would need to figure out a way to remember which was which. With the long color changes in Kureyon, it’s not always apparent which color is which…thanks so much for all your help!

This isn’t really the best video in my opinion because she brings the yarns all the way over the right needle (and to the right if the left needle) when really you only needle to put the yarn over the end of the right needle, in effect putting your needle “under” the tail yarn before wrapping the working yarn around the needle to make the stitch. Second stitch work as normal, ie “over” the tails.
But I just can’t find a different video right now.
Looking for weaving in ends as you go could help you find a couple more.
So, with travelling up the side I have done this with a single yarn and just caught it once behind the work, not several stitches across as you would when weaving in ends as you go.
It’s like catching floats behind but not taking it along.

This may not be the right way but its what I’ve done and it worked okay, just make sure to have an even tension so it doesn’t pull the rows together, but you know that already.

I’ve seen a video before with about 6 or 8 colours being worked and the trick of turning one way then the other keeps everything jn it’s place. It looks knotted and a mad mess on one row then totally untangles on the next. Different method of working, I think it might have been intarsia, but the tangle problem is the same.

That sounds like skeins or center pull balls placed in Labeled (A, B, C D), self closing bags might be easiest.

2 Likes