The Perfect Crochet Color Change

September 30, 2013
In: Crochet
The PERFECT Crochet Color Change

I don’t know about you, but I dislike color changes in crochet-in-the-round intensely. I just hate (a strong word, I know, but still) the way the new color “bites” into the old color making a jagged and obvious border. I just HAD to find a solution to the problem.

So I huffed, and I puffed and I… No, wait. There was no actual huffing or puffing, I set my mind and crochet hook to the task, and figured it out.

I mean ugh... Look at that ugly front And the back is even worse...  It’s actually very simple.

First Round

Single crochet as instructed by your pattern. Change color in the last stitch of the round – final yarn over and pull through with the new color.

switch to the new color

Second Round

Slip stitch in back loops only for the entire round.

slip stitch in back loops only

This is how it looks when the slip stitch round is done:

slip stitch round - all done

Third Round

Single crochet in back loops only for the entire round.

single crochet in back loops only single crochet in back loops only looking good...

Fourth Round

Continue crocheting as your pattern indicates.

Isn’t that a nice, clean, straight color change?

Nice, huh? Final result.

Even the back looks nice. The “step” caused by the color change is barely visible. If you join at the end of the round (instead of the continuous rounds I used for this example) you won’t see it at all.

Regular color change compared to the perfect color change

Enjoy!

[This tutorial is free for commercial use. Please read the Terms & Conditions for further details.]

Comments:

  1. […] get a clean edge if you are alternating colors, I decided to use a technique similar to the perfect color change. If you’re using a single color you can skip row 1, and instead of crocheting in blo in row 2- […]

  2. […] Here is my favorite tutorial: Oomanoot: The Perfect Color Change […]

  3. Mary

    This is great! Thank you. I’m new to crochet…. so what do you mean by in your last picture; ‘if you join at the end of the round’?

  4. Beatrice

    Brilliant!

  5. […] kropka). Z kolei przy myszce prezentowej użyłam triku na zmianę koloru, który znajdziecie TUTAJ, dzięki czemu takiej kropki nie […]

  6. Fabulous! I used your technique for striped crochet mittens – please have a look: http://wp.me/p88BsG-7
    What do you think?

  7. […] What do you think? I like the clean look of the stripes. (I always like stripes). Follow this link to find the technique for these perfect color changes: klick here […]

  8. Marga

    First of all, thanks for sharing this, I’ve been using this technique for over a year, and I’m really happy with the results.

    I must confess, I do my own version of the technique, which is that in the second round, I don’t do BLO, but rather take the whole thing, this leaves only one delimiting circle (the one from the old color) but it looks good enough and it’s much less effort (doing BLO on a sl st is super frustrating for me, might be related to the yarn I use).

    My problem has been when trying to do this technique in a circle that is still growing and needs to stay flat. The BLO (be it one or both rounds) causes the inner circle to shape up, and no matter what I tried I didn’t manage to keep the circle flat. I’ve tried growing and not growing, BLO and FLO, nothing I try keeps the circle flat :(. Any ideas?

    • oomanoot

      It depends on the yarn you’re using. I’ve noticed that when I’ve tried this with T-shirt yarn it absolutely ruined the flatness of the piece but with other yarns it’s not so much of an issue. I have had projects where I had to increase during the slip-stitch BLO rounds to avoid curling, but it messes up the stitch count. So I guess you have to choose which option you’re more comfortable with…

  9. Jagadeeswari

    Thanks for sharing

  10. […] yarn eyes instead of safety eyes and a different color change. This was my first time using this color change and let me tell you, I love the result. As you can see, the color change here results in a nice […]

  11. Andrea k

    That’s for sharing this technique. I hate changing colors in the round because of the ‘step’. This works great.

  12. Misha

    Wow this is amazing. Just a quick question in regards to row counting. Would you count the slip stitch round as a row in a pattern or the sc round in the bl?

    Sorry hope I’m making sense.

    Thank you

  13. What a cool idea!

  14. Lily

    Hi, must you do the row of sc after the row of slip stitch? Or do you do the row of slip stitch and then continue the next row immediately following the pattern?

    • oomanoot

      If your pattern requires a different stitch you can use it, but make sure to work them in the back loop only or you won’t get the nice clean line.

  15. I am glad that you explained this so simply. Thank you so much!

  16. Jenny Bradford

    This is a very cleaver but simple solution to something that has annoyed me so often because I love making toys etc which often require colour changes. Thank you so much for sharing your idea. Jenny

  17. Kathi

    I just wanted to thank you! This is beautiful!

  18. An

    Thanks, this is so perfect!

  19. Kisha

    Do you just add a row of slip stitch and continue with your pattern? Or do you pause the instructions, do the slip stitch row and 1 row of single crochets then continue the pattern?

    • oomanoot

      Pause the instructions, do the slip stitch round and then continue the pattern. This works with increase/decrease rounds as well… It adds a tiny bit of height to the pattern (approx. 1/3 of the height of a single crochet), but unless the pattern requires very frequent color changes and is very precise, you won’t notice the added height.

  20. Chris Retherford

    I love the way this technique works. I am confused about how to count the rows though. As an example if I’m doing a total of 4 rows do these two steps count as 2 rows giving me a total of 6 or does it not add rows.

    • Brenda Marie

      The slip stitch rows don’t count as rows (as they are on the back side of your work…. so consider them “free rows”). Just count the next row. I hope that makes sense. Only count the rows that show on the FRONT side.

  21. Thank you for sharing, I can’t wait to try this technique!

  22. […] The Perfect Colour Change – This is perfect for when you are working a striped project in the round and a great way to avoid those staggered starts where the colour changes are. […]

  23. Nancy Wesseling

    Just….wow!!!!

    Thanks!

  24. Cindy G.

    Thanks so much for sharing this! And, I agree, the messy color change when I make amigurumi has always bugged me, too. I am definitely trying out this technique on the next one I make.

  25. I’ve never knew what a difference something so simple could make! It looks so much more professional to do a color change with the method that you shared, thank you so much for helping me to improve my crochet-game! 😀

  26. that is genius!! I love it!

  27. Very informative! Thank You!

  28. MARY

    If I slip stitch on a new color doesn’t that mean I will be adding another row to my project??

  29. Roxanne

    Very nice, thanks for sharing.

  30. […] Pattern is worked in continuous rounds, do not join or turn at the end of each round. Use stitch markers to keep track of beginning/end of each round. Colour changes are made in the last yarn over or previous stitch and for this pattern I used a great colour switch tutorial here on Oomanoot. […]

  31. Nao

    This is genius!!

  32. Isabel

    Olá 🙂

    Muito boa ideia.
    Obrigada por partilhar.

  33. […] This will create a clean border for attaching the black pieces to the white ones (similar to the perfect color change […]

  34. Thanks so much! This is a very good idea!

  35. Hanka

    Wow, that looks great! (the other colour bits can be useful sometimes too though :)) )
    Just – does it count as an extra row then? I mean the one in slip stitches?

    • oomanoot

      I don’t count the slip stitch rows as a row, but if the pattern is very precise it might be an issue (and then you should count it is a row).

  36. […] How to change colour in the round – a new method […]

  37. Fiona

    Amazing!!!! Thanks a billion for sharing! It looks great!!!!!

  38. Lynn C;hristie

    I love your idea it looks really good. Do you have something for the knitters that would be similar?

    • oomanoot

      With knitting it’s a bit different, it seems to me that the edge between colors kind of flows nicely… I’ll think about it some more and if I get an idea I’ll be happy to post it 🙂

  39. This is a superb way to do it. I haven’t seen this way yet !~!

  40. Hate is not a strong word, I feel the same way about jagged colour changes so I’m extremely glad you’ve shared this technique 😀

  41. Great work! Thank you so much for sharing! I will try this!

  42. SYLaw

    Oh! This is so useful, thanks for sharing 🙂

  43. Jackie

    Wow, can’t wait to try this, thanks for sharing!

  44. Judy

    This looks so pretty and neat! I got here through Pinterest too. 🙂

  45. […] time I change colors, I use the perfect color change, which gives the doll a cleaner finish – without jagged edges where the colors […]

  46. Leslie Goff

    Yes. I typically do a sc in bl only to change but I will try the slip next time.

  47. kathy

    THANK YOU!!!!! I came here from pinterest. I can’t stand the usual color-change way. My crocheting life is changed. 🙂

  48. Valchera

    I have to try this immediately! What a good idea. Thank you so much. I make a lot of amigurumi and this is going to make them look much neater.