Break off? HELP!

[boo1]

I'm about to start a chevron striped scarf and I'm confused about something. Under "Color Sequence", it says:

 

Stripe 1: Break off yarn A, join in yarn B, and repeat rows 1 and 2. What do they mean by "break off"?

 

I suppose I could just make this in a multicolored yarn, but I'd still like to know what they mean.

 

Thanks in advance!

[Shell]

break off simply means end and cut colour A, join colour B and take off where B colour starts. thats how you get the striped colours

[Granny Square]

Hope this isn't obvious, but complete your last color A stitch up to the last yarn over; the last yo and pulling through the last 2 loops on the hook should be with color B.

 

This will make the color transition look better. Also, don't forget to leave about 5-6" to weave in your ends.

 

Check out this site http://www.crochetcabana.com/tutorials/index.htm

Scroll down the pesky ends and changing color section.

 

Good luck on your scarf!

[misssmaggie]

It means you are going to change colors .

[darski]

I have been thinking about this since I read this yesterday. I actually remember a time when we did "break off" the yarn. at a time when fibers were natural, you could pull on the yarn or thread and it would break. I don't remember people using scissors at all to finish a yarn colour.

 

Now that we have synthetics everywhere, they don't break so scissors are now the norm. Just an interesting bit of fiber history.

[CLLinda]

I have been thinking about this since I read this yesterday. I actually remember a time when we did "break off" the yarn. at a time when fibers were natural, you could pull on the yarn or thread and it would break. I don't remember people using scissors at all to finish a yarn colour.

 

Now that we have synthetics everywhere, they don't break so scissors are now the norm. Just an interesting bit of fiber history.

 

My grandma always "Broke off" when finishing with one color. I don't remember scissors in her crochet stuff. She always just wrapped it around her hands and pulled until it broke. She used a lot of wool.

 

Now, it really hurts if you try to break synthetic fibers. So that's why we use scissors or thread cutters.

 

[papersmiles]

Hey, thanks Darski. I had completely forgotten about "breaking off" yarn. I can remember seeing my mom untwist the yarn a bit and then pull it to break it off. What a nice memory.

[boo1]

Hope this isn't obvious, but complete your last color A stitch up to the last yarn over; the last yo and pulling through the last 2 loops on the hook should be with color B.

 

This will make the color transition look better. Also, don't forget to leave about 5-6" to weave in your ends.

 

Check out this site http://www.crochetcabana.com/tutorials/index.htm

Scroll down the pesky ends and changing color section.

 

Good luck on your scarf!

 

Well, that's what I thought it meant, but I wish they would just say join the next color. "Break off" seems misleading to my advanced beginner brain.

[darski]

Well, that's what I thought it meant, but I wish they would just say join the next color. "Break off" seems misleading to my advanced beginner brain.

 

There is a different connotation if they don't say to break off. Break off specifically says to get rid of the colour as you don't want it in the way. and you change to a new colour.

 

Sometimes you just Drop colour A in which case you keep it attached and deal with that yarn dangling and change to another colour.

 

As you continue to grow in your skills, you will appreciate the many nuances to the crochet vocabulary. They tell us a great deal as we become accustomed to how they are used.