How to Change Colors in Crochet (Last Yarn-Over Method)

The whole technique rests on one rule: never finish the stitch in the old color. Work your last stitch until you have two loops left on the hook. For a UK dc (US sc) that means insert, yarn over, pull through, and stop. For a treble (US dc) you keep going until only two loops remain. That final yarn-over is what locks the next stitch in place, so whatever color sits on the hook at that moment is the color you'll see going forward.

With two loops left on the hook, drop the old strand and pick up the new color. Leave a three to four inch tail, fold the new yarn over the hook, and pull that loop through both loops on the hook to close the stitch. The old color is now sitting behind your work and the new color is live on the hook. Don't tie a knot. The tension of the next row holds everything in place.

Those first couple of stitches will look loose, and that's normal. Snip the old color leaving a matching three to four inch tail. Now tug down gently on both tails, alternating between the old and new color, until the join sits flush with the rest of the row. This is the moment that makes or breaks how clean the color change looks, so take a second to settle the tension before you move on.

Chain one for your turning chain, then turn the work. Lay both tails flat along the top of the previous row so they sit between you and the working yarn. The trick Bella Coco uses here is pulling the tails up between the hook and the working strand on that first chain, which tucks them in tight. From here you'll crochet over them as you work back across, no sewing in ends later.

Insert your hook into the first stitch and work it normally, catching both loose tails inside the stitch alongside the top loops. Keep going stitch after stitch for at least an inch or two. Once the tails feel locked in, drop them behind the work and snip the excess flush. The ends are now invisibly woven into the fabric. Give the piece a gentle stretch and the join disappears into the row.

Mid-row changes follow the same last-yarn-over rule, but timing matters. If the pattern wants the fifth stitch in a new color, you start the change on the fourth. Work stitches one through three normally, then on stitch four leave the final two loops on the hook. Drop the working color, loop the new color over with a three to four inch tail, and pull through to close the fourth stitch. Stitch five lands cleanly in the new color.

To swap back, treat the last stitch of the new-color block the same way: stop at two loops, drop the new color, and pick up the original strand you left hanging at the back. Yarn over with the old color, pull through both loops, and the next stitch picks up where you left off. Lay every strand across the top of the work as you go so each color gets caught and hidden inside the next few stitches.