Changing colors is one of the simplest ways to add interest to your knitting, yet it’s also where many projects start to look uneven or unfinished. This workshop focuses on clean, confident color changes, whether you’re working back and forth or in a continuous round.
What’s actually happening
Every time you change colors, you’re ending one strand of yarn and introducing another. The goal isn’t to hide that moment. It’s to manage it intentionally so the fabric stays smooth and balanced.
Flat knitting and circular knitting behave differently, and understanding those differences is what makes your color changes look polished instead of accidental.
Changing colors in flat knitting
When knitting flat, color changes happen are best at the edge of the fabric.
This allows you to:
• Join a new color neatly without disrupting stitch tension
• Keep edges tidy and consistent
• Avoid loose stitches or tight pulls at the color change
Because the join happens at the edge, the structure is forgiving. The key is learning how to introduce the new yarn so it behaves like it’s always been there.
Changing colors in the round
When knitting in the round, color changes occur in a continuous spiral.
This means:
• The beginning of the round shifts upward slightly
• Color transitions can form a visible step if unmanaged
• Tension at the join matters more
Understanding this structure allows you to control how stripes, bands, and blocks of color appear, rather than being surprised by them.
What you’ll learn
• How to join a new color cleanly in flat knitting
• How to change colors in the round with even tension
• How to manage the start of a new color so it looks deliberate
• How to keep your fabric smooth and consistent
Once you know what’s happening structurally, color changes stop feeling fussy and start feeling reliable, whether you’re knitting flat or in the round.
Please bring two contrasting colors of worsted weight yarn and US 6, 7 or 8 needles.