My question is exactly HOW do you join a new ball of yarn?
I’ve read through many many posts here and not found an answer to this question. In fact, everything I’ve read says to “just start knitting with it,” and that’s not helpful [B]at all!![/B]
So do I form a loop with the new yarn and put it on the left needle? If not, how do I [U]attach[/U] the yarn to the left needle so that I can then work with it?
Hold the new tail of yarn, about 6", under the fingers of the hand that is holding the left needle (assuming you knit right handed) and, I hesitate to say this, just start knitting. The stitches will hold the yarn in place and you can tighten up on the tail after a row or two to tighten up the first few stitches. You can weave in the ends later.
You can tie a loose knot around the old tail of yarn with the new yarn, again leaving about a 6" tail and begin knitting. After a few rows or when the project is finished, undo the knot and weave in the ends.
I find it easiest to get my tension right if I fold my new yarn over to make a loop with a tail of a few inches and hold it in my right hand (I’m assuming you knit English). I then put my right needle through the next stitch on my left needle and put the loop over my right needle. I pull the stitch through normally. Then depending on the yarn you can continue to knit with the tail and the new yarn held together until the tail runs out, or you can drop the tail and just knit with the new yarn and weave in the end later.
This accomplishes exactly the same thing as above, I just find it more comfortable for the way my hands move when I knit.
It seems bizarre at first that you don’t have to attach the new yarn to anything, but it totally works, just give it a try!
-E
This video might be of some help to you. Jeanie
You can pretend you’re in the middle of the row, insert the R needle into the first st on the L needle, take the new yarn and wrap it around the R needle, leaving a tail that gets woven in later. The end doesn’t actually need to be fastened to other yarn or the needle or anything, you really do just begin knitting with it.