Change colour in crochet, spelled the UK way, describes exactly the same technique as the US spelling: switching your working yarn to a new colour mid-project, timed on the final yarn-over of a stitch for the cleanest possible transition. I get this exact question phrased with UK spelling from readers outside North America regularly. This guide covers the steps, timing, and the most common mistakes that leave a visible jump.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Work your last stitch in the current colour until two loops remain on the hook.
- Drop the current colour and pick up the new colour instead.
- Yarn over with the new colour and pull through both loops, completing the stitch in the new colour.
- Continue in the new colour for the rest of the row or round, leaving tails on both colours to weave in later.
Timing Is Everything
The single most important detail is switching on the very last yarn-over, never a stitch earlier, since switching too soon leaves a stray loop of the old colour visible in the new stitch. Planning the switch to fall at a row’s edge or a round’s seam, rather than mid-row, hides the transition even further.
Common Mistakes
- Switching a stitch too early: Leaves a visible loop of the wrong colour in the new stitch.
- Mid-row switches in single crochet: Show more clearly than a switch placed at a row’s start or end, since single crochet’s shorter stitch height gives less room to hide the transition.
- Bulky joins from weaving both tails in the same spot: Spread the two tails to different nearby stitches rather than stacking them in one location.
Joined Rounds vs. Continuous Spirals
A joined round lets you plan your colour change right at the seam, which naturally disguises the switch inside the join itself. A continuous spiral has no natural seam, so I stagger my colour starting points to different locations around the piece each round, avoiding a visible diagonal line building up over several rounds of the same repeated switch point.
Weaving in Tails After a Colour Change
Once your piece is finished, weave each colour’s tail in separately along stitches of the matching colour, rather than trying to weave both tails through the same small area, which can create a visible bulge or shadow through thinner fabric. I weave in the direction of the stitches themselves rather than diagonally across them, since a diagonal path is more likely to show as a faint line on the right side.
Frequently asked questions
Does colour spelling change the technique itself?
No, colour and color describe the exact same technique. Only the spelling convention differs between UK and US writing, with no difference in the actual stitch mechanics.
Can I change colour mid-row if my pattern requires it?
Yes, some stitch patterns and intarsia-style designs require a mid-row change. Use a separate small bobbin of yarn for each colour section to avoid dragging strands across the back of the work.
Want the full color-changing walkthrough?
See variations by stitch and additional troubleshooting tips.
Read the full color-changing guide