I am knitting a sleeveless jumper and coming to the end of my first ball. Does anyone have a recommendation on the best way to join a new ball of wool to avoid any lumps and bumps?
I would do it the same way as when adding a color. What I personally like to do is knit with the new yarn directly and after second or third stitch I make an overhand knot with the tails of the old and new yarns, mostly to keep the tension from loosening, and then when I’m ready to weave in the ends, sometimes I undo the knot, sometimes I leave it ( depending on weather it looks bulky of if it seems to work itself well with the surrounding texture).
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If it’s real wool and not superwash treated you can spit splice. I don’t do this as i don’t use non superwash animal fibre but it’s a well used traditional method. There shouldn’t be any bulk.
The Russian join is good for various fibres although it does make the yarn thicker for the join area, probably not noticable in most pojects an there are ways to reduce the strands to make it less bulky.
I mostly just start using the new yarn, as Remi said. Generally I don’t tie the tails together, I weave in the tails making sure to follow the direction of travel of the other tail at the join so each tail goes in exactly where the other came out. This way there is no hole. I like the type of weaving in that is a bit like duplicate stitch on the wrong side. It does leave a small area of slightly bulkier fabric but almost never noticable.
Sometimes i use the weave in as you go method and i do like that but find with my tension it is slightly more visible on the RS, making my stitches a touch bigger so it depends on the project.
Do you have a usual method which you aren’t happy with?
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Best varies from one knitter to the next. I avoid joining in the first stitch of a row, anywhere but the first stitch. I knit one stitch with both yarns leaving tails to weave in later, drop the old yarn and continue with the new. I will join anywhere in a round or row and once the tails are woven in I can’t see where I joined the new yarn from the RS. For me this is simplest, least conspicuous (darned close to invisible), and requires little thought other than where in a color repeat of the yarn I am. I will spit splice if the yarn allows. I’ve never cared for Russian join and it’s likely to come undone for me and then I have a mess to deal with. I avoid knots.
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Good point GG, i also avoid the first stitch, or first several.
Interesting. I was told that I should always join at the start of a row. Is there a reason not to? I have only prev joined new ball on a scarf and just dropped old ball and started new as the yarn to pull through into the stitch, but this always felt a little precarious and with a sweater being pulled on and off all the time I don’t want a weakness where I have joined.
Joining new yarn near an edge can be fine. Joining new yarn can cause loose stitches. A messy edge from weird tension will remain a messy edge and I’ve never been able to correct the tension to make it look right. When I use both yarns for a single stitch the tension is easily corrected and I’ve joined yarns on the center front of a sweater and the join is virtually invisible. Any looseness in that one stitch is easily remedied if it’s not at the edge. I used to do several stitches with both yarns but then the extra thickness showed. I’ve simply dropped the old yarn and started with the new but the loose stitches drive me nuts and correcting the tension and weaving in ends invisibly is beyond me. One stitch with both yarns is my compromise. I can live with one double strand stitch that simply blends in. I don’t use super bulky yarn and don’t know what I’d do if I were joining new yarn with it. Long ago I used blanket yarn and was unable to do a join I found less than atrocious. I’ve avoided it ever since.
I much prefer knitting in the round when possible. No edges to deal with and my only concern about joining new yarn is making sure it’s in a place where I can weave in ends without it showing - this can be tricky on lace. I suppose one stitch with two strands at an edge could work for me. I should try it sometime.
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Joining new yarn at the beginning of a row can also lead to bulky seams if this is a seamed project. I’m with GG on the one stitch overlap, essentially invisible.
For bulky yarns just start with the new strand of yarn leaving 4-6inch tails. When you go to weave in ends, be sure to cross the two yarns at the back to close any hole.
I used to join at the beginning of a row as i thought i should, or heard i should, but i found it was messy and bulky. The way i weave in one strand in one direction and the other in the opposite, it’s much easier to do at maybe 5 or 6 sts in from the edge rather than trying to cross at the first stitch and go down a row.
On a sweater neck shaping though, working 2 shoulders, usually you have to join at the beginning of the row or the neck, although only one tail to weave.
Sometimes ends can’t be avoided, i did stranded colour work with a zillion ends and they have to go somewhere.