How to Add a New Ball of Yarn When You Run Out

Photo tutorial & video tutorial showing how to add a new ball of yarn when you run out while crocheting.

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So you’re crocheting away on a project when you come to the end of the ball of yarn you started with, now what? Let me show you how to add another ball of yarn when you run out so you can continue crocheting away.

There are several ways you can join yarn together, including the Magic Knot, the Russian Join and felting for wools and wool blends, but I am going to show you the most common way, which is also the same way we Change Yarn Colors, as it’s my go-to technique.

I am showing this tutorial worked on a granny square using (US) double crochets. The same concept applies with any stitch pattern. As I do different projects, I’ll update this post with photo & video tutorials.

I am not creating anything new here, but I did take the time to take the photos, edit them, and put this tutorial together, so please respect my work. Do not pin or share any of the tutorial images – just the main photo. Provide the link for others to find my page (help out me and my blog with the traffic). Do not copy and paste my work anywhere. Thank you!

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Video Tutorial Showing How to Add a New Ball of Yarn to a Granny Square When You Run Out:

Photo Tutorial Showing How to Add a New Ball of Yarn to a Granny Square When You Run Out:

Yarn is Red Heart Super Saver in the Light Gray colorway, and I’m using an H8/5mm crochet hook – I love this Koi Fish Ergonomic Clay I bought on Etsy. My polish is from Lily and Fox in the Burlesque colorway.

Work until you have about a 6″ – 8″ tail left – you want to be able to complete part of the next stitch, and still have about 4″ or so left to comfortably weave in.

My next stitch is going to be a double crochet (the second stitch of the granny stitch cluster).

Yarn over…

… insert your hook into the stitch…

… yarn over, and pull through.

There are 3 loops on your hook.

Yarn over…

… and pull through the first two loops…

… leaving two loops on your hook. The next step is the final yarn over of the stitch so we want to pause here.

Grab the end from your new ball of yarn, and form a loop near the end.

Make sure to leave a long enough tail that you can comfortably weave in – about 4″ – 6″.

Place the loop onto your crochet hook. This loop will count as our last yarn over.

Pull through the remaining two loops to complete the double crochet.

Lightly pull on the original tail end and new tail end…

… to bring the stitch to normal tension, then drop the tail ends to the back.

With the working yarn from the new ball in your left hand, continue crocheting as normal.

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