Color change tutorial
COLOR CHANGES
Changing color between rounds
1.
On the last st of the round with Color 1: Color 1 yarn over, insert hook into indicated stitch, pull up a loop; Color 1 yarn over, pull through first 2 loops on hook; Color 2 yarn over, pull through remaining 2 loops on hook.
2.
Proceed with joining with sl st using Color 2.
3.
Begin the next round as normal, making sure to crochet over the yarn tails of both Color 1 and 2 to secure them.
Changing color within a round
1.
Starting with Color 1: Color 1 yarn over, insert hook into indicated stitch, Color 1 yarn over, pull up a loop, Color 1 yarn over, pull through first 2 loops on hook, Color 2 yarn over, pull through remaining two loops.
2.
Do the next dc with Color 2 - you will notice that the last "yarn over, pull through 2 loops" of the previous dc becomes the top part of the current dc; this allows the color change to be as invisible as possible.
3.
Proceed with as many stitches of Color 2 as required. Remember to carry over the Color 1 yarn by crocheting over it.
Special color change
In order to create neat lines and triangles, we will do a special color change that will cause the top part of the last dc to be a different color. This usually occurs on the left side of the intarsia, so going from Color 2 to Color 1
1.
On the 2nd last dc of Color 2: Color 2 yarn over, insert hook into indicated stitch, Color 2 yarn over, pull up a loop, Color 2 yarn over, pull through first 2 loops on hook, Color 1 yarn over, pull through remaining 2 loops on hook.
2.
On the last dc of Color 2: Color 2 yarn over, insert hook into indicated stitch, Color 2 yarn over, pull up a loop, Color 2 yarn over, pull through first 2 loops on hook, Color 1 yarn over, pull through remaining 2 loops on hook.
3.
Proceed with Color 1, remembering to carry over Color 2 if you need to.
Intarsia carry-over
Video tutorial coming soon!
When working with color changes, you may come across a pattern that requires you to change color approximately along the same part of the round, every round. Here is a technique to avoid carrying over the unused color the rest of the round, which can peak through and cause the project to lose its elasticity, or having to cut and weave in the yarn every round.
1.
Switch from Color 1 to Color 2 as shown in Changing color within a round; carry over Color 1 as you normally would.
2.
After the desired number of stiches, switch from Color 2 back to Color 1, using either Changing color within a round or Special color change as appropriate. At that point, drop the Color 2 yarn, and proceed with the round with Color 1 without carrying out Color 2.
3.
On the next round, when you’ve reached the point where you should switch to Color 2 again, pick up the dropped Color 2 yarn and change color. The yarn will stretch from the last stitch of the previous round’s color block to the first stitch of the current round’s color block; make sure to leave a bit of slack as this will determine how much elasticity your project will have.
4.
Work the required number of stitches in Color 2, crocheting over both Color 1 and the Color 2 yarn linking both rounds.
5.
Repeat for each row as required. One the last row where Color 2 is needed, simply fasten off the Color 2 yarn and weave in the ends.
Do you have more questions?
Whether you're new to crocheting,
or you're just unclear about a special technique, we're always happy to help.
Send us a Bat Signal
and we'll come to the rescue!