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I get bored super easily. And it seems as though my kind of bored isn’t the same as the boredom of others. It was recently explained to me that somebody has such terribly, horrible time with boredom and they are quite lucky that they don’t beat their head on a wall just to escape it. Later I saw this person sitting and watching television and even though they seemed to be having a good ol’ time I thought, HOW BORING!
I can’t really watch television, not like that, at least. Whenever the TV is going I more listen to it than actually watch it. Normally I’m actually watching my hands as they crochet, work my knitting loom, write lists and keep up with work or any number of things, really. I’ve tried to just sit there and be calmly watch TV but it just doesn’t work for me. Oddly enough, I can totally watch a movie in a theater, though. I guess it is the whole consuming in the dark experience that makes it different for me.
Over the past few months I’ve made a TON of loom knit caps (need the basics? Get the tutorial to e-wrap loom knit a cap in both photo and video tutorials!) and I started to get bored and I wanted to figure out how to mix it up… It literally took me forever to figure out changing colors of yarn on a knitting loom. I tried lots of things, and some ways I found online but then finally I figured this business out while “watching” a new show called “Z”. FYI, because I think it’s gonna be one of my new tv jams, it’s on Try Amazon Prime and it is about Zelda Fitzgerald, the original flapper, wife of the author F. Scott Fitzgerald, an artist and painter. I tell you she was such an interesting woman though I’m only on episode 3 so I don’t know if that business above I discussed is covered in the series but it is awesome so far!
For this project you will need:
- Knitting Loom + hook
- 2 colors of yarn
When you’re ready to change colors be sure you’ve taken off the second loop and knitted all of the way around the loom. You’ll have only one loop one each peg. Grab your second color of yarn, and just like we do when beginning a project on the loom, tie a loose knot (or make a slip knot) on the side peg.
Snip the old yarn off of the skein leaving a tail of a few inches.
Start e wrapping (or whatever your knitting method is) the new color of yarn around the pegs.
While keeping your tail of the first color held taut, knit around the loom just like you would normally do.
Now in my first few color change projects I got the number of rows off here and there. This is largely because I didn’t realize that the very first time you knit over the new color, you’re still using the OLD color meaning that row will still be the OLD color. It’s not until you have the same color top and bottom on your pegs that your new color will actually start in the design of your project.
After you’ve gone around the loom a time or two remove the new color from the side peg.
Next tie a knot with the tail of the former color and the side peg tail of the new. This can be a simple somewhat loose overhand knot twice over. There is a learning curve but if tied too tightly the join looks funny and then you have a problem with really tight knitting. Leave the tails alone and once your project is complete weave in the ends and call it good!
If you’re wondering, no you’re not experiencing déjà vu. Remember this guy? This hat is the same one I used for the making a loom knit cap with a brim tutorial!
After making like, 12 knit hats and getting bored, I’ve found that changing colors makes it interesting again. Heck, I even made a rainbow hat that I’ll share with y’all here in a bit. So if you’re into loom knitting and want a way to mix things up or if you want to learn how to loom knit, this simple way of changing colors is perfect for any skill level.
The video was so helpful. Thank you. Just curious are you a Gemini? You sound just like me, my grown kids still complain “Why can’t you just sit there & watch the t.v.”?. Have a fabulous day Jodie
Hey, Jodie! Glad to know I’m not the only one who doesn’t properly watch TV :) Oh, and I’m a Scorpio!
Hello Allison,
I am not experienced in loom knitting and just started not long time ago and was curious, would this work the same when doing it with a KB afghan loom? I’m looking into making a blanket with the KB afghan loom in the future once I go to my local Joann Fabrics or Michaels to buy the loom and was curious as to how I would change colors on that loom. Really loved the how to change colors on a knitting loom post. Really well explained and loved the knit hat here. Really beautiful. Keep up the good work :)
It would work just the same as a round loom you just won’t keep working around and around so your afghan will lay flat. In all honesty I have the KB afghan loom and it is amazing. I hope you enjoy loom knitting a big ol’ afghan! :)
Thank you for show how to use 2 colors
From Houston
Thanks Allison! This looks much better this way than just tying the two different yarns together end to end and continuing knitting from there! 😳
What yarn are you using?
I used Hometown USA yarn (aff) in the colors Washington Denim and Los Angeles Tan.
Thank you for this tutorial i’m making hats for all my family for christmas and i wanted to spice things up a bit so this really helps!
Thanks for explaining those steps to change colors so clearly great job!!!kay
Thank you for the clear and simple instructions!
Thanks for the clear instructions.