When I started my pumpkin tapestry, I cut the yarn at the color changes and saved the ends to weave in later. As I worked, I switched to another approach: carrying the color I wasn't using underneath my working stitches.

It's a really useful option for a two-color pattern, and it can leave you with far fewer ends to weave in.

What does carrying yarn mean?

Instead of cutting the inactive color, lay that strand along the tops of the stitches you're working into. Crochet your HDC stitches over it so the unused strand is enclosed inside the fabric. When the graph calls for that color again, it's waiting for you.

How to carry yarn through HDC

  1. Make the planned color change at the end of the previous stitch so the new color is ready for the next stitch.
  2. Position the unused yarn along the top of the previous row, where your next HDC stitches will cover it.
  3. Work your HDC stitches around that inactive strand without pulling it tight.
  4. When it's time to change again, pick up the resting color and continue with the chart.
Optional advanced technique: Carrying your unused yarn beneath your working stitches can mean much less finishing work. It's entirely up to you as the fiber artist how you want to make your tapestry! Personally, I switch back and forth depending on the project. When I'm using just two colors, I often prefer carrying my yarn.

When I might cut the yarn instead

Carrying isn't always the best choice. Long stretches of a light shade can show a dark carried strand underneath, especially if the stitches are loose or the yarn colors have strong contrast. Carrying can also increase yarn usage and fabric thickness a little, and the strand must not be pulled so tight that it puckers.

If a carry would travel a long distance, if it shows through, or if a project has many separate colors, cutting and rejoining may make more sense. You can even use both techniques within one tapestry.

Which one should you use?

Try a few inches of each method before committing. Both approaches work with the same chart and color-count guide; the chart describes which stitches use which color, not the only way to manage the yarn between color changes.

Try it with Pumpkin Tapestry 1

See the original progress photographs and jump to the exact color-run counts in the interactive flipbook. You can return to the row you were working on whenever you're ready.

Open the interactive pattern →

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