And I’m not talking about the exercise. Not that you’d catch me doing anything that strenuous anyway. I can walk and knit, but I can’t jog and knit.

No, I’m talking about avoiding the shift in color that happens when you work stripes in the round. You know the one I’m talking about, at the end of the round when you switch from one color to the next.

It happens because you are actually working a spiral and the rows are different heights.

Lift the stich of the previous color on the second row of the new color.

It bothers some people, but not others. On some projects it might not matter as much. For instance if you are working a sweater and the color change is up the side you might ignore it because you’re arm will cover it.

On the Simple Striped Arm Warmers I knit using Mirasol Tuhu yarn the jog was apparent because I accidentally worked two right hand mitts so the seam is on the top. (By the time I realized I didn’t want to rip back to adjust it.)

To smooth the color transition you’ll actually work the magic on the second row of the new color.

Work the first row of the new color as you normally would.

On the second row of the new color reach down and grab the right-hand leg of the last stitch of the old color. (The stitch where the colors change.)

Work it together with first stitch of the row.

This creates an elongated stitch. It’s really an optical illusion that makes the stripes appear even.

Bind Off Jog

Another jog to worry about when working in the round is on the bind-off.

Eeew, who wants that?

Doesn’t that look loose and sloppy?

As you bind off you add just a little bit of height to the project causing the last bound off stitch to be just a little higher than the first.

You can work some magic with your darning needle to tighten things up. This is one of those techniques that takes longer to explain in writing than it does to execute.

Usually when I bind off I pull the tail through the last stitch and pull in tight. In this case, after all stitches are bound off pull the last stitch open so you have a good length of yarn and clip it in half.

Pull the working yarn free and turn your attention to the length of yarn attached to the project.

Go under both bars of the first bound-off stitch

Thread your darning needle and pass it under the top two bars of the first stitch you bound off. (Or the first stitch that looks nice.)

Go into the center of the last bound off stitch

Pull the yarn through, then go into the center of the last stitch you bound off. This should be the same stitch your yarn is coming out of. Pull the yarn tight and weave in the end.

Do you see what you did? You’re following the path of the knitting. You basically created a new stitch.

Now that's more like it.

You’ll end up with a neat, clean edge.

This method is good for most any project worked in the round. Top down hats. Toe up socks. Sweater collars, cuffs, and hems.

Test it out and see what you think.

Arm Warmer Weather

Fall is a great time for arm warmers.

The weather was beautiful today! Sunny and in the mid to high 60s. It was even nicer after the cold, rainy weather we’ve been having lately.

It was a great day for wearing my arm warmers. I didn’t want to be weighed down with a coat, but the weather was a little too warm for a jacket.

They added just enough warmth to keep me comfortable.

You can find the free pattern for these Simple Striped Arm Warmers here. There is a free crocheted version as well.