Have You Tried the Russian Join?

Weaving in ends is one of the things about knitting that a lot of knitters don’t enjoy. It’s a necessary evil, particularly in large projects or projects where the color changes often.

I usually just weave in my ends the old-fashioned way, but if I’m working with wool I’ll sometimes do a “spit splice” (I don’t actually spit on it, though, I use water to felt the ends of two balls together).

Another option is the Russian join, which is a way of sewing the ends of two balls together. There’s a good video tutorial at BHooked Crochet if you haven’t seen it before.

It works best on plied, natural fiber yarns (because they hold together a little better). Brittany says she’s skeptical about the strength of a join made this way, but I think if you don’t pull on it too much it’s OK.

I like the idea of using this join if you were making a magic ball, or a larger ball out of small odd balls that you wanted to use in a project. Not having ends to weave in would be great, and it eliminates the need to tie knots to join all those odd balls together. I’m definitely going to try this soon and will share the results with you!

Have you ever used the Russian join? I’d love to hear your thoughts and all about when you use it.

[Photo via BHooked Crochet.]

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There’s always room for more stitch dictionaries on your shelf, but Andrea Rangel’s Knitovation Stitch Dictionary is unlike those stitch pattern books you might already own. That’s because this one is full of colorwork stitch patterns rather than textured stitches, lace or cables, so the designs are ripe for adding to hats, sweaters and other projects with a stockinette stitch background.

The book starts with a quick introduction to knitting colorwork that’s also unlike what you’ve probably seen before, because it’s less about the colors themselves and more about the kinds of fibers you choose, how the yarn is prepared and the gauge you’re working at and how those things all change the look of a design.

Most of the book is filled with motif designs and swatches. The motifs were designed and named by Andrea’s husband Sean, who is an artist and brings a bit of whimsy to the designs.

You’ll find some classic looking leaves and flowers, mosaics and waves, but also rubber ducks, penguins, puzzle pieces, cherries and cows, snails and teapots, eyeballs and chess pieces, to name a few. Many of the designs also have funny names, like a fish named toilet bound, or cats in suits called corporate fat cat.

Of course you can use the designs in any way you want on any project you like, but there are also three patterns in the book — for a hat, a sweater and a pair of fingerless gloves — plus discussion of how the motifs were added, adjusting patterns for a different size or gauge, and adding your own motifs.

If you like adding a bit of colorwork to otherwise plain projects that other people have designed, or you’re ready to start making your own designs with fun motifs, this book is a great place to start. The fun and funny motifs are sure to inspire you to want to pick up your needles and add a little more color to your projects.

About the book: 160 pages, hardcover, 150+ motifs and three knitting patterns. Published 2023 by Interweave, suggested retail $28.

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