I am very very new to knitting and to let myself in gently I am knitting a scarf. I have been doing fine up til now, managed the cast on and everything all by myself, but now I have run into trouble. I have finished the first ball of yarn and need to add another. I tried just knotting the two ends together but they came apart really quickly (I used a reef knot) and I had to pick apart about three rows.
So, is this a silly question? Did I just not tie it tight enough? Is there a special technique?
I’m not sure what a reef knot is, I use square knots and they don’t come undone, but it depends on how slippery the yarn is. Most people will tell you not to use knots, but you can. There are some methods of joining yarn shown on the Tips page.
According to my dictionary, a reef knot IS a square knot, so you should be all right there. (You can see that I’m not one of the purists who disdain knots.) But you do need to work your ends in after tying your knot. Look in the Tips at this site for one of the ways to join new yarn. And don’t be stingy – leave ends long enough to work them in well.
I always knit with 2 strands to work the old one in. This is how I do it.
Starting a new row, knit with the old yarn for 1 stitch, then go into the second stitch like you normally do and just put the new yarn over the working needle. (I make it into an upside down U) and pull it though and take the old stitch off the needle, like you normally would. (If you know the knitting rhyme, you would peek through the window and off jumps jack, if you don’t just forget that part, it won’t help).
Then I pick up the old yarn and new yarn together and knit with them both as if it’s one. Just knit it a little tighter than normal. And do this for at least 3 stitches, I’m a little anal and do it for more like 5 or 6.
Then just leave the old yarn behind and cut it later. You still have the other tail to work in, but you have one less now.
Another method is to leave off the old yarn at the end of the row, beginning the new yarn at the start of the next row. Knot at the edge and weave in the ends.
