Weaving in Ends
Taming the squiggles
We’ve all been there. You finish a project and you just can’t WAIT to wear it! But…… before you do, you need to weave in all those yarn ends. If your project just so happens to be made in multiple colors, you may have A LOT of those little squiggles hanging off every which way. How many of us sometimes just say, “I’ll do it later” and toss the project somewhere, where it sits…. and sits…. and sits?
Sometimes weaving in ends seems like such an insurmountable task. Today I’m going to show you how I do it, in hopes that maybe I can offer some help.
Joining a New Strand
I always try to use the 1-2-3 method of weaving in ends. This means having the yarn end go underneath the stitches first forward, then backward, then finally forward again before cutting. When joining a new strand of yarn, I can actually work the 1 in when the joining happens, so I only have to do the 2-3 when the project is done! Let me explain.
This picture is taken from the back side, and shows you the blue strand of yarn, which is the new strand just joined. After I joined it in the last stitch, I crocheted OVER TOP of it for about 6 stitches, holding the strand against the back. This secured the end for about 2 inches.
Once I have finished the project and am ready to weave in the ends, I got back to where my ends are. I thread the end through a tapestry needle, skip one “strand” or “leg” of the last stitch that secured it, and run back the other way, under all stitches for about an inch.
Don’t pull too tightly here! Just pull enough so that you don’t have a big loop hanging out. We’re going to snug everything up in our very final step, so if you pull too tightly during this step, you may have puckering in your fabric at the end.
Finally, we finish up with step 3 and a tug.
Going forward once again, I skip one “strand” or “leg” just like in step 2, and slide the needle underneath four or five strands, giving a slight tug (but again, not too much!) Time to cut!
Cut the yarn close to the fabric, being careful not to cut the fabric itself! Now take it in your hands and, with one hand on either side of the area you’ve woven into, pull. Just give the whole a good tug. This will simultaneously pull ALL of the back-and-forths at the same time, securing everything very well.
Bulky
Bulky yarn, however, is usually a whole ‘nother story. Whether single ply or multi-plies, it is a rare occurrence that a great big strand of bulky-weight yarn can be woven in one whole piece without making a lump in the fabric.
When weaving in bulky weight yarns, I will split the plies (assuming it’s a multi-ply) and weave them in opposite directions. This alleviates the risk of lumping up the fabric. I like to use a needle threader to make it easy.
If your bulky yarn is a single ply….. well, we’re giving it to God. Just do the best you can, making sure to go in each direction even farther than you would normally go. If you only weave under two or three stitches, you will most assuredly have a lump, but if you weave under 10 stitches, then it’s much less noticeable.
Extra Help
I hope this post has been helpful to you. If so, I have other posts in the “Tricks of the Trade” category that may also help you when it comes to blocking your finished items, choosing the right hook, how to get started spinning yarn, and so much more. Furthermore, if you’ve found value in this post, please consider sharing, giving it a like, or leaving a comment. Everything you do for Rows and Roses is so appreciated ♥