Russian join question

Ladybug Lady · 07-14-2007, 01:33 PM

Will a Russian join work well with 100% cotton yarn?

I'm knitting a market bag with Sugar and Cream. When it's time to start a new skein, I usually just knit with both strands for a bit. That won't work since this is such an open, mesh-like stitch.

Would a Russian join work with cotton? I REALLY don't want to knot the two strands together, but I'm afraid I may have to.

07-14-2007, 08:29 PM

In theory it seems like a great idea! I'm curious to see what others post here because joining any yarn that isn't wool really gives me problems, even if I'm only knitting stockinette.

Ladybug Lady · 07-14-2007, 11:36 PM

I'm curious too.

I actually DID join yarns and start a new skein last night. I really hate the join, though. I broke down and knotted it, but the loose tails raise their little heads and snicker at me each time I pass them in the round. Evil little buggers.

Then today I dropped a stitch and have futilely tried to pick it back up and keep my pattern and stitch count correct.

So, I'm going to frog back to the join, only a few rounds, rejoin and try again.

I'm curious how some of the more seasoned knitters have joined cotton yarns, though.

Ladybug Lady · 07-15-2007, 01:57 PM

bump ~~~

Suggestions, anyone?

Braden · 07-15-2007, 05:56 PM

I've found it to be a weaker join, and it didn't really hold up to much wear and tear when I knit my swatch. Plus, it's not really that invisible.

Jan in CA · 07-15-2007, 05:56 PM

Since no one seems to know how about making a swatch with a Russian join and your pattern stitch and then submit it to washing and some abuse and see how it holds up.

I haven't knit much with cotton, but I usually just use the weaving in method like this.
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall04/FEATfall04TT.html

With the openness of the market bag that probably wouldn't work. Maybe very long Russian joins would work.

Ladybug Lady · 07-20-2007, 12:23 AM

Well, I finally did frog back to the knot and redid it as a Russian join.

What a PITA!!!! The cotton would not pull through at ALL if I left it at normal thickness. So I unwound a bit and cut away two plies, leaving two to work with. STILL a major pain to pull the plies back through themselves. The "thick" parts don't actually look too bad, but the actual join looks a bit like a slub. Can't get all of the plies to pull through evenly, so a bit of a loop was left on each end.

All in all, not the prettiest, but not very noticeable on this project. I will never try this method with cotton yarn again, though.

Next market bag, I'm buying a monster skein so there's no joins at all!! lol

Thanks again everyone for your suggestions!