I Now Pronounce You….. Yarn and Yarn… or How To Join Yarns

We’ve all done it. Don’t even try to deny it. Happily knitting along and

WHAM!! Yarn! Gone!

What to do, what to do. Well, in keeping with the Valentine’s theme this week, we’re going to learn how to marry yarns together. And you thought only people could get married?

So, you’ve run out of yarn. You could frog back to the beginning of the row and add in a new skein there, or you could join the yarn where it meets, eliminating both the visit to the frog pond and also weaving in ends later.
There are quite a few ways to join yarns.
If it’s at least 75% wool, you can do what’s called a “spit splice” (easier to do than it is to say!). Just pull the ends apart so they are wispy, lay the two yarn ends side by side going in opposite directions, spit in your hand and rub your hands together vigourously until the heat and friction felt the ends together. (I personally, although a farmer and used to yucky stuff, find this disgusting, but I always have a water bottle handy anyway, perfect substitution!)
You could do a Russian Join, where you loop the ends over each other and then, using a needle, thread the ends back into the yarn, pulling it tight. Hard to explain without pictures or a video, so go here:

http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/knitting-tips.

Tess Knits also has a pretty good page explaning different yarn joins.

Do a Google search for “joining yarns” (I do loves me my Google!) and you’ll get hundreds of websites all just chomping at the bit to show you how to do this most wonderful, easy technique.

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There are certain things that just make sense to knit at this time of year, and market bags are one of them. We tend to use our canvas bags more often in the summer with trips to the farmer’s market and the library, but string bags and market bags are great to use all year.

I love the Three Oranges Bag by Hana Cho, which looks just like a knit version of a plastic shopping bag, but with three cute oranges stitched on. The bag uses intarsia to make the oranges, but you could use duplicate stitch or intarsia to add a different design if you like. It calls for fingering weight yarn and you can find the pattern on Ravelry.

Sharyn Anhalt’s Market Square bag (also on Ravelry) uses worsted weight yarn and a mosaic pattern to make a pretty bag you’ll want to use every time you go shopping. The bag comes in two sizes and is worked in two colors of the same yarn for a fun mixed up effect that’s almost like weaving.

Speaking of fun colors, the Market Bag from Hubbabubbie Art uses a multicolored cake yarn (specifically Lion Brand Mandala) to produce fun color changes without any extra work. This bag is worked from the bottom up with a crocheted bottom and knit mesh sides. It’s a free pattern on Ravelry.

The Pike Place Market Bag from Blue Bird Pine Shop looks like a massive bag to hold all your market goodies (that is a child holding it, but still). The bag calls for worsted weight cotton yarn and the mesh is worked on extra large needles to help it open up to hold everything you want held.

The Knit Farmer’s Market Bag form Design BCB is another good one, made mostly of mes with a little stockinette for extra stability. The base is also worked in stockinette so items you put in it will sit flat.

This mesh bag from Sheep and Stitch doesn’t have a base, and the body is worked flat before being joined in the round to make the top and handles. That makes it easy to make the bag just the size you want because you can stop knitting whenever you feel it’s big enough. The pattern includes a step-by-step video if you need extra assistance.

And the Eco Market String Bag from Mama in a Stitch has a solid knit base worked in a contrasting color from the mesh body. It’s an easy project that comes out a great size for your market needs without being too huge.

Do you have a favorite knit market bag pattern? I’d love to hear about it!

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