A Striped Cardigan in Progress, and a Request for Help

This is what I've been working on recently.

 

It's a bottom-up cardigan, using three sock yarns I've had in the stash for a long time.  I had originally planned to use all of these yarns for socks, but time in the stash changes things sometimes.  The bottom is corrugated ribbing, and I made the stripes half their height in the waist area, taking a cue from Tempest.  So far, so good.  I'm a few inches away from finishing the body.

I'm planning for this to be a cardigan, but I'm knitting it in the round and steeking it to make the cardigan.  Because of this, the jog of the stripes doesn't really matter; it will be hidden in the steek.

 

But I do seem to have a problem with striping yarns in the round.  I get a hole when I change yarns.  I'm not sure what to do about them or how to fix them.  Does anyone else get these, or know how to fix them?

I try to tighten up the yarns in the back after I have knit a few rounds, but the holes still exist and they kind of drive me crazy. Also, I'll have no reason to steek the sleeves, so it would be nice to fix this problem before I get to them!  I would appreciate any insight or advice that you could give.

Comments

[ali]

are you making sure that the old yarn is in front of the new one when changing colours, like you would if doing intarsia? That should catch the yarn and tighten up the hole when you start using the old yarn again, or weave in the ends.

[Brenda]

I was going to suggest the same thing Ali did, although I haven't done it, just heard of it. The colors look great together.

Not that you need it, but I am really enjoying Amy's series "Fit to Flatter" on her blog www.stashknitrepeat.com. I've seen sleeve length and necklines in a whole new way.

Have a great weekend!

[Meg]

I am familiar with this problem, but can't say I've found a super good way to fix it. I think it happens because the yarns are not secured at the end of the switch. It disappears if you cut the yarn and weave it in, but who wants to do that, right?

Maybe trying one of the "jogless" striping techniques out there? Eunny Jang's seems to be a favorite. On the sleeves you might also try making a fake seam with one purl stitch when you begin the rows. This might hide the loose stitch and the color jogs. It worked well when I was making a fair isle vest this winter.

[Jess]

I think it's inevitable. It can be fixed when you sew in the ends. Make sure you take the end where it would have been knit if you hadn't changed yarns. Duplicate stitch it for a stitch or two. That will get rid of it.

[Kathy]

So, I don't know if this will help or not... I've been knitting a striped scarf and I cross the two colors across the hole before weaving them in. And I always start with the top color (cross and weave) and then cross the bottom color UP and then weave in. Does that make sense?