How To Change Colors

Changing colors in crochet is easiest to do at the end of the last stitch in the old color. This helps the color change look cleaner and more natural.

Below we have the last stitch on a row in dark green. The goal is to start a new row in a lighter green. In this last stitch, we will insert the hook as usual and pull out a loop. But this is where we will stop and not finish the stitch in the dark green. 

To work in the lighter green, you can take the light green yarn and fold it to create a fake loop, basically. Put the hook into this loop while holding both ends of this new yarn since it is not secured in any way. Pull the light green loop through both dark green loops on the hook. 

After the color change, gently pull both the dark green and light green yarn tails to tighten the stitch neatly.

 Next, we will continue to make the first stitch in the new color. This process will secure the new yarn. The light green yarn attached to the yarn ball becomes your working yarn at this point. You will keep the other yarn tail of the new color and the old working yarn behind the next stitch. Insert the hook in the next stitch and the 2 yarn tails from the old and the new yarn. You will end up seeing 4 yarn lines on the hook on top of the original 1 loop.  

From this point, yarn over and pull the yarn through the 4 yarn lines from the tip of the hook. Now, yarn over again and pull the new yarn through both loops on the hook. At this point, you have secured the new yarn and have 1 loop on the hook in the new color. 

After a few stitches, you can let the small end tail of the new color stick towards the inside of the amigurumi. If you plan to switch back to the old color, you can keep that yarn in the design; otherwise, you can cut it as well. 

If you are working in amigurumi, color changes often look best when done slowly and with even tension, since the stitches are very visible. In flat pieces, the same method works well and keeps the transition smooth.