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:

I’ve shared a lot of Christmas stocking knitting patterns over the years (see posts 1, 2, 3 for example) but what if you want to knit a stocking for a non-human member of your family. If you’re looking for Christmas stocking knitting patterns for your cats or dogs, this is the post for you.

These large paw print stockings are perfect for either dogs or cats, so they’re great to knit if you have both. They are worked in the round using DK weight yarn, and the stocking measures about 17 inches/43 cm from the top to the heel. You can get the pattern from nicolaluke.

The K4 Project has a super cute Kitty Christmas stocking pattern, which is worked in worsted weight yarn. They also have a dog version, or you can buy both and get a discount if you have both dogs and cats to knit for. Both projects have two patterns, showing how to work the stockings flat or in the round.

Put your dog into a Christmas scene with this stocking pattern from ifanhourChild. It shows a dog in a dog house in the snow, and has room for the dog’s name at the top. It’s worked flat using worsted weight yarn and the pattern includes charts for many small and medium dog breeds (there’s a separate listing for bigger dogs) so you can stitch a dog that looks like yours.

Annie’s Woolens has both dog and cat stocking knitting patterns that are worked in worsted weight yarn in the round. You can change up the colors to suit your pet if you want, and they come with an alphabet chart for personalization. Or you can stick with holiday colors and buy a kit to make the dog or cat stocking.

Waiting for Santa Paws is a pattern from Kate Agner on Ravelry that would be cute for a dog or a cat. It looks like a leg with a paw print on the bottom part of the foot and more paw prints running around the top of the leg. This is a great option if you don’t want to mess with a heel turn because it doesn’t have a heel, because dogs and cats don’t have heels so why would their stockings?

Book Review – 20 to Knit: Tiny Christmas Toys to Knit

Book Review – Knit Christmas Stockings

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