How to Join Yarn in Knitting Without Knots

You are in the middle of a row when the yarn runs out — or you want to switch to a new ball cleanly. Knots are the obvious solution, but they leave bumps in the fabric and can work their way out over time. Here are three knotless methods that give you a clean, invisible join.

Why This Happens

Every ball of yarn ends eventually, and the moment rarely falls conveniently at the end of a row. Mid-row joins are common, and a secure, invisible join is always worth the extra minute it takes.

Most knitters are taught the magic knot first — a join using two interlocked overhand knots — but it has a real weakness: the knot is a fixed point that can create a visible bump and occasionally loosens under washing or wear. The three methods below eliminate the knot entirely.

How to Join Yarn in Knitting Without Knots

Method 1 — The Russian Join

The Russian join weaves both yarn ends into loops that lock together. It works with any fibre.

1. 1Thread the old yarn onto a tapestry needle.
2. 2Loop it back on itself (so you have a doubled strand about 10 cm long) and weave the needle through several plies of the doubled section to lock the loop.
3. 3Thread the new yarn through the loop you just made on the old yarn.
4. 4Do the same with the new yarn — loop it back, weave through its own plies to lock.
5. 5Pull both loops tight. The two yarns are now interlocked. Trim the short tails close.
6. 6Continue knitting. The join is invisible from the right side and will not unravel.

Method 2 — The Spit Splice (Felted Join)

The spit splice works only with feltable fibres (wool, alpaca, most animal fibres — NOT superwash wool or synthetic yarn).

1. 1Unravel the last 5–7 cm of the old yarn and the first 5–7 cm of the new yarn.
2. 2Remove half the plies from each end, so each thinned end has roughly the same thickness as the original.
3. 3Overlap the two thinned ends by about 5 cm and moisten them (saliva works best — it contains enzymes that help the fibres bond; water also works).
4. 4Place the overlapped section in your palm and rub briskly with your other palm until the fibres felt together into a single strand.
5. 5Tug firmly to test the join. It should be as strong as the original yarn. If it pulls apart, redo with more overlap.

Method 3 — The Overlap Join (No-Knot Magic Knot Alternative)

If you were reaching for the magic knot, try this instead: a simple overlap worked over 4–5 stitches.

1. 1When the old yarn has about 15 cm left, start knitting the next 4–5 stitches holding both the old yarn and the new yarn together as a double strand.
2. 2After those stitches, drop the old yarn and continue with only the new yarn.
3. 3Later, weave in both tails on the wrong side in opposite directions for at least 5 cm each.

This method leaves short double-stranded stitches visible on the wrong side but is invisible from the right side. It is the fastest option when you need to join quickly mid-project.

Prevent It Next Time

• Join yarn at the end of a row, not mid-row, whenever you can. It puts the tails at the edge where weaving in is easy.
• Check your yarn quantity before starting a section. A rough test: wrap the yarn around the needle 10 times for each stitch you need to work. If you do not have enough length left, join now rather than mid-section.
• Keep 15–20 cm of tail at every join for easy weaving in later.
• Label your yarn balls if using multiple from one project — a small sticky note with the dye lot prevents colour-shift surprises later.

Related Problems

If you are joining yarn, you might also run into:

• How to fix a dropped stitch in knitting
• Why is my knitting too tight
• What does k2tog mean in knitting

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