How to Join a New Ball of Yarn in Single Crochet.

Chain eight with the first yarn. Work a single crochet into the second chain from the hook and each remaining chain. Count seven stitches.

Chain one and turn. For this exercise, the turning chain does not count. Have a second yarn supply of the same type ready. You may use a contrasting colour to see the transition clearly, but recognise that the finished practice row will then change colour as well as yarn supply.

Leave enough of the old yarn to complete the stitch and secure its tail later. Do not work until only a tiny, unmanageable end remains.

Work two ordinary single crochets. Begin the third stitch with the old yarn:

1. Insert the hook under both top loops of the third stitch.
2. Yarn over with the old yarn and draw up a loop.
3. Stop with two working loops on the hook.

You have started the third stitch but not completed it. Do not fasten off the old yarn or add a chain at this point.

Lay the new yarn over the hook, leaving its free tail long enough to weave in later. The strand leading to the new ball will become the working yarn.

Draw that new strand through the two loops already on the hook. The third single crochet is now complete, and one active loop of the new yarn remains.

Gently hold the old strand and the new yarn tail so the join stays close to the fabric while you make the next stitch. Do not pull so hard that the third stitch becomes smaller than its neighbours.

Work ordinary single crochet into the remaining four stitches using the new working yarn. Avoid catching the new tail instead of the strand leading to the ball. Once the new stitches hold the join in place, cut the old working yarn, leaving enough tail to thread your needle and weave in comfortably.

You should still have seven stitches: two before the yarn change, the third finished with the new yarn, and four after it.

The yarn change did not create an extra stitch or chain. If you used contrasting colours, notice that the third stitch's body and its final top can show different colours because of where the transition happened. This is why colour placement must follow the pattern's instructions.

If you see a loose loop, identify which tail controls it before tightening anything. A strong tug on both strands can distort the surrounding row without resolving the correct loop.

The middle-of-row exercise makes the movement visible. A real pattern may place new-ball joins at an edge, seam or less visible section. Look ahead before cutting or finishing the old supply.

For a colour boundary, the final pull-through of the preceding stitch is commonly where the new colour enters. For a same-colour new ball, the placement decision is about the project and finish rather than a visible colour shape.

Do not apply a material-dependent joining method, such as felting yarn ends together, to a yarn that has not been checked for that purpose. This lesson keeps the tails separate and accessible instead.

The new stitches hold the yarn in place while you work, but the tails still need an appropriate finishing route. Simply hiding a tail under a few stitches is not a universal guarantee that it will stay secure through use and washing.

Check both sides, leave the join relaxed and secure each tail in a way that suits your yarn and fabric. Do not cut them flush before the row and finish have been checked.

Review single crochet if the two-loop pause is unfamiliar. The finishing lesson provides related context, while the stitch counter can help you keep track of the seven stitches.