Prevent tons of ends to weave in by carrying yarn up many rows to make stripes, instead of breaking the yarn and rejoining for each stripe. Or when working stripes together with short rows, use these techniques to carry the yarns between stripes across stitches and/or up rows, keeping everything attached and neat along the back side.

A video of this technique is shown on the weaving in ends tutorial page, as weaving in ends as you knit is locking the yarn into every other stitch, so see that video for a visual and just lock into 1 stitch instead of across a row.

To carry yarn up several rows (for striping with more than a couple rows between stripes), follow instructions for locking in a strand to a stitch for whichever style of knitter you are (the technique works differently depending on whether you hold the working yarn in your right hand or left hand).

If working stripes together with short rows, you may want to use either or both of these techniques. To carry a strand forwards across stitches, use whichever of the first techniques matches your knitting style, and follow the extra instructions afterwards here for carrying across several stitches.

To carry a strand backwards across stitches, use the last technique here.

The leethal Short Stripes Trio patterns all use these techniques, and you can incorporate them into any striped project, especially if there are also short rows involved (like Junction, Gentle on My Mind, Betiko).

locking in to a stitch for throwers

here's how to lock in a strand with a knit stitch if you hold the working yarn in your right hand, or you're an english style knitter, or a thrower; hold the carried strand in your left hand

insert needle into stitch as if to knit

bring carried strand over right-hand needle, right to left

knit into stitch with working yarn, so that stitch is pulled under carried strand

work next stitch normally, with carried strand down, so that it becomes locked in

to carry a strand up several rows, do this locking technique on every right side row, carrying it up loosely enough so that it doesn't pull in fabric

locking in to a stitch for pickers

here's how to lock in a strand with a knit stitch if you hold the working yarn in your left hand, or you're a continental style knitter, or a picker; hold the carried strand in your right hand

insert needle into stitch as if to knit

wrap carried strand around needle, as if to knit

wrap working yarn around needle, as if to knit

unwrap carried strand from needle, so that it becomes twisted with working yarn

knit stitch with working yarn

to carry a strand up several rows, do this locking technique on every right side row, carrying it up loosely enough so that it doesn't pull in fabric

locking in a strand carried forwards

To carry a strand forwards across several stitches, use the above technique (for your knitting style) to lock strand into 1 stitch, then knit 1 stitch normally, and continue switching back and forth between locking/knitting normally for as many stitches as you need the yarn carried across. After you've locked it in across the stitches, pull fabric to loosen up the carried strand so it doesn't pull in (this is important!).

locking in a strand carried back

here's how to lock in a strand which is carried back to start a row, so that you'll be working in the direction towards where the yarn strand began, locking in the strand as you knit the stitches

the next row here will start with the blue yarn, carried across those 6 stitches

carry yarn extremely loosely up and over to first stitch to be knit (if it's over an inch or two of stitches, hold a finger underneath to keep it super loose, and if it's over more stitches, loosen it by several inches); do not twist it with old working yarn

knit the first stitch

insert needle through next stitch as if to knit, then lift carried strand from back onto needle and knit through that strand while knitting the stitch

repeat the last two steps, switching between knitting a stitch normally, then knitting a stitch with the strand locked it, for as many stitches as the yarn was carried across, or 1 or 2 stitches fewer than that total number

this will result in the yarn showing on the back side as being carried up the rows, but locked into the stitches across