Rejoining after holding stitches

#1

Hello! First time posting - hope someone can help. The directions on my pattern say: “With WS facing, place 31 stitches back on needles. Rejoin yarn and bind off one stitch. Purl to end of row.” It’s back neck shaping on a sweater.

Where I’m very confused is: I have other stitches currently held per the pattern, but the working tail is with that yarn. So, when it says “rejoin” do I rejoin with the working yarn that is way over on the held stitches? (When I did that, the sweater got twisted up and it stopped making sense all together so I undid it.) OR does “rejoin” mean add a new working yarn strand?

Does “rejoin” always mean add a new working yarn strand?

If I do that I will have two working yarn strands. But nowhere in the pattern does it later deal with that extra working yarn. I’m sorry if this is confusing. I’m also confused! And a new knitter.

Thank you if you can help! I just want to learn and get better!

#2

If you need to rejoin the yarn, it generally does mean use a new, or separate strand (either cutting the current working strand and using that, or joining a new ball - sometimes a pattern specifies, if there’s a reason they need you to keep two working ends etc, but most of the time it does mean cut the yarn and leave enough to sew in later). In your case I would just cut the working yarn and join it to these stitches you’re going to work now.
What pattern are you making?

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#3

Thank you so much!! That is very helpful. The working yarn is currently hanging on to held stitches that, if I remove the holder, will unravel. So I’m wondering what to do about that…

Anyway, it’s the Be Mine Sweater pattern from Knit Collage. I have been doing so well with it up until now! lol.

Thank you again! :slight_smile:

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#4

You’re welcome!
For the held stitches, you’ll either transfer them or knit/purl them off onto another needle when you come back to them :slight_smile:

#5

Right - thank you! I guess once they’ve been transferred with the help of the new working yarn, that old working yarn won’t be necessary since they’ll be worked further into the pattern, so i can probably just snip that old working tail and be fine.
Maybe I bit off more than I could chew with this project but at least I’m learning a lot!
Thank you so much again :slight_smile:

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#6

You’re welcome! As long as there’s enough to sew in later you’ll be fine to cut yarn ends off you’re not using. And being ambitious isn’t a terrible thing :wink:

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