The 1924, Number 3 edition of Home Earnings Magazine, published by The Gearhart Knitting Machine
Company of Clearfield, PA provided the text of this article, the pictures were added for illustration.
In joining new yarn to knitting on the machine, it is the natural impulse of the beginner to
tie the new yarn to the end of the old in a hard knot. Did you ever wear a hose with a knot in the foot? Did you find one with a knot offered for sale as a first" in a high-grade store? Of course not!
It is far better to splice in the new yarn than it is to knot it in. Several -good methods of
splicing have been suggested. Here are two of them:
First Method.
For good knitters in fast work: Insert the end of the new yarn through
the carrier holes and under the hooks of the needles for an inch or so, leaving a half inch or so
hanging inside the Cylinder. Trim the old yarn off just outside of the carrier hole and continue
knitting. The small loose end left inside can be trimmed flush to the hose after finishing, and no
knot or rough joint will be noticeable. This is even faster than knotting, and much more satisfactory,
but the beginner should use care to see that both the new yarn and the old are knitting into stitches
during the first few stitches after starting. If not done carefully dropped and irregular stitches
might occur here.
Second Method.
A much safer plan, one that produces a beautiful join that is
impossible to detect, was suggested by Mrs. J. E. Naylor, who says: "In knitting I never did
tie a knot in the yarn. I always splice it as follows: Take a small darning needle,
thread the needle with the new yarn, run it through the center of the old yarn for two inches,
beginning two inches up from the end. Then thread up the short end of the old yarn, and in the
same manner draw it through the new yarn in opposite direction from the same starting point.
A beautiful smooth, even splice will result, with no possibility of pulling out in starting to knit."
This method should be used on all exceptionally fine and valuable work. Beginners are urged to
use this splice at all times until they are thoroughly skilled in knitting.
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