Please help! is there a way to hide color bumps?

#1

hello, i am new to knitting and am knitting a striped scarf for my sister for christmas. however, while knitting i noticed that on the wrong side, there are these bumps or overlaps where i changed colors. the book i am using said to leave about 8 inches of yarn at the beginning and end of each color change, so i have all these pieces of yarn hanging on the wrong side. how do i “weave” in the yarn to “fix” the color bumps? the book just says to weave it in but doesn’t explain exactly how. is this overlap even fixable? it just looks ugly on the wrong side, and i kind of want both sides to look like the right side! :slight_smile:

thanks for your help!
cheers

#2

The changing color bumps are the nature of the beast. The only way I [I]know[/I] to avoid it is to knit a tube so there is stockinette on both sides or double knit which is essentially the same thing, but on two needles. Weaving in the yarn won’t completely cover the bumps unfortunately. And that is the problem with striping…the ends. If you are only using 2 colors you can carry them up the side, but more makes it kind of thick.

#3

oh no! really? darn… i wish the book had mentioned that! i guess my scarf won’t be so perfect after all!! :slight_smile: thanks for the advice… unfortunately, i don’t know how to double knit and i’ve already done about 6 color changes so i can’t go back to double knit it anyway, or carry them up the side. :frowning: oh well. thanks again! :slight_smile:

#4

Technically it will still be perfect because that IS the way it IS. It’s not like you did anything wrong. :thumbsup:

#5

Hello

I understand that you have already started your stripe scarf project; however, these pages might be useful to you in the future (they do not explain how to alleviate the bumps/dots after they have been created).

http://www.classiceliteyarns.com/WebLetter/Stitches/Stripes/Stripes.php

Jan is right in that dots are just the nature of the knitting beast; I hope though that the previous web pages will be of some use to you.

Also, for me I like to knit with the tail end of the new color two or three stitches (like Amy describes in one of her tutorial videos) and if I am being picky then I weave in that end also but I generally do not, I just weave the old color end in. I weave either using this method http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall04/FEATfall04TT.html or this way http://community.knitpicks.com/notes/Weaving_In_Ends

It will still be wonderful no matter what you decide to do.
Katrina

#6

As you’ve already heard, that’s just the way the back side of knitting looks. You didn’t do a thing wrong and I bet it’s pretty.

If it really bothers you, you can always line it. The simplest way since you’ve already started would be to make another scarf just like it and sew up the edges, but that might not be your first choice :slight_smile: Something light and stretchy does nicely for accessory-type, meant-for-indoors scarves. If you live where it gets seriously cold, you can’t get much warmer than a knitted scarf lined with polar fleece.

#7

Thanks very much everyone! :slight_smile: i’ve just finished the scarf and have added a fringe to the end. i’ve realized that weaving in the tails helps hide the color bumps a bit as well… but you’re right, it is just the nature of the beast! :slight_smile: hope my dad likes the scarf anyway!