NEEDLE JOIN using a blunt or sharp tapestry or embroidery needle.
This is a very quick cheat’s version of the Braided join.
Hardly any yarn is used, so it makes your skeins go further, or uses up every last scrap !
Gives a strong join, no ends to weave in at the finish of a multicoloured project. Although it means you’ll be working with double thickness yarn when knitting/crocheting the joined area, this is hardly noticeable unless it’s underfoot on a smooth st.st. sock sole, or in an area on a sweater that’ll be in full view.
The 2-coloured bit of yarn is visible in the FO, but only if you look closely.
Can also be used to join a new skein/scrap of the same colour !
Pics :
Thread blue through needle.
Poke needle through yellow yarn, about 2” = 5 cm. from the end of the yellow strand, going up and down, under and over the plies like you’d do a running stitch in embroidery. You’ll see the twisted yellow plies form a row of x x x x’s on the needle.
Pull blue through yellow yarn, all the way through. Remove needle.
Pull blue yarn back until there’s only the tip poking out, and the yellow x’s show over the blue, all spread out.
Poke needle through blue yarn, close to where the yellow x’s end, and do the running stitch again. If your yarn is loosely plied, you may have to twist it tighter to get the blue x’s on the needle.
Now put the yellow end through the needle’s eye.
Pull through, remove needle.
Spread x’s out again. Done !
Last pic = join under tension - it’s not coming apart !
Works for single ply yarns too, just add twist to get the x’s. If your yarn will felt, you can do a needle join, then spit-felt it to tighten it and make it stronger.
If you want to take the extra time and effort, you can thin out the end that is threaded through the yarn, to do this you first do a few x’s with the full thickness end, pull through a longer length, remove needle, split the yarn end and do more x’s with 2/3 thickness, pull through, remove needle and split again, do remaining x’s with 1/3 thickness. Repeat with other yarn end. You’ll be threading that needle 6 times per join instead of two, so it’s no longer quick !
Leave the split-off ends hanging from the wrong side of your work and clip them after washing/blocking.
If you want to be extra-sure in a loosely worked piece that’s going to be washed in a machine, or with a more slick (cotton, linen or Superwash) yarn, just take a longer length end each side that you work the x’s through, so there’s a longer joined area that’ll be anchored more in the knit/crocheted stitches. Helps if you use a sharp needle and pierce the yarn fibers.
Or use the join below with matching sewing thread.
SLIPPERY YARN JOIN
For slippery shiny silk or rayon/viscose the needle join won’t work.
Find sewing thread in a matching colour, overlap the yarn ends 1 1/2 “= 4 cm at least, and sew them together with a lot of small stitches and a sharp thin needle. Leave any ends hanging on wrong side and clip after washing/blocking, that way you’re sure they don’t poke out on the right side.
Braided Join phototut in this post
twisting plies join tut posted by penelopesweaving
Craft Yarn Council Standard Yarn Weight System with symbols, weights, recommended needle/hook size and gauge
tricksy blog table of Yarn weights: terminology and US vs UK standards.
link : Craftsy how to measure WPI, yarnweight chart.
Also :
1 strand of laceweight + 1 strand of fingering weight = sportweight
2 strands of fingering weight = DK weight
1 strand of fingering weight +1 strand of sport weight = worsted weight
2 strands of sportweight = Heavy worsted or Aran weight
1 strand of sportweight + 1 strand of Dk weight = Bulky weight
2 strands dk= chunky weight
.
.
2 strands Lace = Fingering
1 strand Lace + 1 strand Fingering = Sport weight
2 strands Fingering = DK weight (or Worsted ?)
1 strand Fingering + 1 strand Sport =Worsted
2 strands Sport = heavy Worsted weight or Aran
1 strand Sport + 1 strand DK = Bulky
(but check WPI and/or add up the plies of the combined yarn strands to make sure)
Math FU I got from Raiderfan46
MATH FU that I’ve gathered from other Ravelers:
Double strand equivalents:
2 strands lace = fingering,
1 strand lace and fingering = sport
2 strands fingering = dk
2 strands sport = worsted
2 strands dk = bulky
2 strands worsted = super bulky or thicker
The table should say “more or less” because there are variations but it’s a good guideline.
Here’s what the book, Hip Knit Hats, says:
2 fingering= SPORT
2 sport OR 1 sport+2 fingering= WORSTED
3 sport OR 1 sport+1 worsted=HEAVY WORSTED
1 worsted + 1 heavy worsted OR 1 worsted+ 2-3 sport=CHUNKY
3 worsted OR 1 worsted+1chunky=BULKY
-WoolFestival WPI chart and estimate of yardage needed for a sweater
TechKnitter’s thoughts on Gauge/Ease/Fit for sweaters
-Regia Sockentabelle giving foot lengths and st. counts for EU sizes in 3ply, 4ply, 6ply and 8ply or
LightFingering, Fingering, Sport/DK and DK/Worsted
-Trick for measuring (your own or recipient’s) hand to find out sock size in LadyJhia’s post :
There is an old fashioned trick that you can use to get an idea. Take a tape measure, have her make a fist, and measure around her fist being sure the tape goes across the knuckles. That will tell you the total overall foot length. To work out how long to make the toe/heel sections, measure the side where the thumb is, from the bottom of the thumb to the top of the knuckle closest to the wrist (that portion you are measuring looks like a triangle). That is how the more experienced clerks in baby/childrens stores used to measure for new socks. It always works, unless the person has some kind of genetic or accident-based variations.
-’Rule of Knuckle’ where to start decreasing for a hat, based on measuring the recipient’s hand against their head, from maryskid’s post :
The general rule I follow is to measure the distance from the hat wearer’s wrist to their first knuckle from the fingertip of the index finger for the body of the hat, then start the decreases.
Photos in post 227 and 228
-YouTube video of provisional CO over the cable of a circ.
-page for a knitfreedom video course, shows types of bind-offs and their names (find instructions via Google/YouTube)
-list of free tutorials on the knitfreedom site here
AUGH MOTHS ? read this :
Juniper Moon Farm (120F = 49 Celsius)
The Zen of Making’s saga
study on microwaving
Felting in the tumble dryer :
use 400 rpm spin cycle on washing machine so item is still pretty wet. (Faster spin cycles will leave creases).
Place the item in a pillowcase, tie it shut OR use a roomy mesh lingerie bag and zip/tie it shut.
You can stuff 3-D items with washcloths to give them shape. Inside bags, put a piece of sheeting fabric between the layers and loosely baste on each corner to keep the wool layers from sticking together.
Tumble dry on high heat with laundry (jeans, towels) to provide agitation.
Check periodically to see how the felting progresses, re-wet if necessary, shape. Stuffing and fabric can be taken out when felting is well underway.
If more felting is needed, wet item again and toss it in the dryer with the next load of laundry TB dried.
link to Learning Crochet’s Group pages
Sybil R’s blog here explaining some steps in her fingerless gloves
TECHknitter’s blog, click ‘revised unified index’ for A-Z of topics
i-cord method of knitting mitt thumbs or glove fingers
Page from KPL forum with videos/tutorials links
-Laddered Jaquard method of stranded knitting, catching the floats in a separate layer explained in magicneedles’ project
phototutorial of placing beads in crochet in my Vlad project here
translate knitting terms
and here too
Resources Page for translating patterns in the Excuse Me ?! Group
site with database of vintage yarns vintageknits.com
tutorial for dyeing a long gradient
let dry, wind with dyed part in the middle and repeat for a two-way gradient
Tomofholland darning tutorials
entire Encyclopedia of Needlework by Thérèse de Dillmont online here, see Mending
-Stricknetz links page, also Werksverkauf - yarn outlets at factory addresses
DIY teatowels from making a teatowel thread , see also pics of make/buy in LSG swap 2012 thread, 2013 ditto
-click ‘inspiration’ tab here
join in sc for many loose hexi’s or blanket squares here
-Lori’s Twisty Bind-Off video, Continental. (She has uploaded a throwing/English knitting one too)
Elizzza’s nadelspiel.com video of FLAT stranded knitting Continental, catching the floats every 2nd st.
-print free graph paper to your knit gauge here, great for fair isle or intarsia designing
Forum post in French on wardrobe/mending discussion in Tricote and Co Group. Also post 773
Look up Boro mending Japanese darning.
Grumperina’s tutorial for cabling without a cable needle
NOTE: can’t get the link to work, will try to find the defunct blog pages on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine, or make my own phototutorial.
Ditto frogknitting’s method of prepping the zipper with a crochet chain
Ditto Eunny Jang’s video showing TechKnitter’s no-sewing-way here
YouTube videos setting in sleeves here and here
Knitty article on weaving in ends in different types of knit fabric.
Brioche knitting tips on AntyHelenInspires profile
BreiKonijn notebook 
projects
handspun
stash
queue
favorites
friends
groups & events
needles & hooks
library
blog posts
Project
