Finishing Workshop: Weaving in Ends

One little thing that can trip people up when they’re finishing a knit item is how to weave in the ends. I guess that’s because there’s no universally approved right way to do it (as with so much else in knitting) and if you don’t do it well it can be a real irritant when you wear or use a garment.

Trust me on this one: I have a cowl I wear all the time that has a loose end sticking out. But do I fix it? No, I just let it annoy me every. single. time. I put it on and make sure I wear it to the back where no one will see it. I think I just added another “finishing” chore to my list!

I will admit to being a rather haphazard end-weaver. I like to hide them in seams when I can, or behind the floats in colorwork. But I can’t say I really have a style of weaving in ends.

I am trying to do more of the diagonal weave that’s explained in this piece from Knitting Daily. Basically you work diagonally in one direction, then turn and work back diagonally again. This does seem to really help to secure the ends, and it’s even better if you block the item afterward so those ends get even more locked in place.

Do you have a method for weaving in ends? I’d love to hear about it!

[Photo via Knitting Daily.]

Next Pattern:

It’s been well documented that I love a knitting pattern with a bit of whimsy, so when I saw the Mine! Pullover from Sarah L. Kelly recently I knew I had to share it with you.

I mean, who wouldn’t want to knit a sweater with a yoke full of seagulls? And another seagull at the waist? Chasing little crabs?

The story behind the sweater (and you knew there had to be one, right?) is that while Sarah was traveling around Europe there were a lot of cheeky seagulls about. They reminded her of the scene in Finding Nemo where the seagulls say “mine, mine, mine” and thus the Mine! series of patterns was born.

Oh yes, there’s a whole set. It was the sweater I saw first but there’s also a pair of socks (and the pattern says there’s a cowl, too, but I couldn’t find it as of this writing. If you see it let me know and I’ll add the link here!) so you can totally deck yourself out in pesky seabirds if you want.

But back to the sweater for now. This is worked in DK weight yarn from the top down in the round. The yoke and a section at the bottom are worked in stranded colorwork, with stripes on the body, though you could make the body a single color if you wanted. Details like the beaks and eyes are added with duplicate stitch to make the knitting a little easier.

The colorwork sections are charted. The pattern comes in 10 sizes, with a finished chest circumference ranging from 32 to 68 inches, or 80 to 170 cm.

The socks are worked in sock yarn and come in three sizes. There worked from the cuff down and change needle sizes to accommodate the less stretchy nature of stranded colorwork. You can choose from a side profile or a seagull that’s looking out from the sock. Make a matching pair or mix it up.

Both patterns are available on Ravelry: sweater and socks. If you make them I’d love to hear about it!

[Photo: Sarah L. Kelly]

Next Pattern:

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