Some patterns will be more enjoyable, less ends to weave in, if the yarn is carried and not cut. However, you want to do this in a way that doesn’t distract from the beauty of the piece.
The easiest way to do that is in a piece that has an edging. It is possible to mostly hide the carried yarn without an edging but will take a bit more time and effort. No extra ends or yarn though.
First, I will share photos of how I carry yarn for a piece that has an edging and then I will share photos of carrying the yarn for a piece without an edging.
If you’d like to try this grab some DK or worsted weight yarn in two colors and a corresponding hook. Chain 14, double crochet int he 3rd chain from the hook and in each chain across. Chain 2, turn, double crochet in the same stitch and in each stitch across, changing color with the last stitch.
Continue working in this manner changing colors every two rows and follow the directions below for how to carry the unused color up the side. Finish the piece with an edging of single crochets.
After you have changed colors and worked two more rows, this puts you back where the old color needs to be carried. As you work the last stitch of the current row, pick up the old color and capture it. In the photo above I have the working loop, the yarn over, then the old yarn on the hook and the hook is inserted into the next stitch. Finish working the stitch. This will work with single crochets too.
Here you can see that I have finished the double crochet and the green yarn has been captured in the base of it.
To capture the yarn at the beginning of the row, I have worked the first stitch of the new row until only two loops remain, then pull the yarn to be carried (gray yarn) over the work toward the front, and finish the stitch. Move the carried yarn back to the back of the work.
Here I have completed two more rows and am capturing the gray yarn at the end of the second row.
When working the edging, make sure to work around the carried yarn to cover it. This is also why you want to carry the yarn loosely up the side, so that when you work over it you don’t pull on the loop and distort your work.
This is how I make the carried yarn less visible.
To carry the yarn when there will be no edging…
You will need to carry the yarn beginning with row one of the new color.
To do that, work your turning chain, when you insert the hook into the first stitch, place the yarn to be carried over the hook as shown above. Yarn over and draw up a loop, yarn and draw through two loops.
Bring the carried yarn over the hook again and finish the stitch. If the stitch is a single crochet, you won’t need to work the second step. If the stitch is a treble crochet or larger repeat the second step until you have finished working the stitch.
You can see the gray yarn has been captured twice by the green double crochet. Higher contrasting yarns will show when using this method but not as much as they do when using the method above.
Here you can see the edges of the two different swatches. The top swatch is the yarn carried when there will be no edging and the bottom swatch is the yarn carried when there will be an edging.
You can try each of these out for yourself and share your work HERE!
Happy making!
Azariahs Fibre Arts 