Invariably when you knit there comes a point when you have to “weave in” the loose ends that are left from your cast on and bind off. The one exception I’ve found to this is patterns that incorporate the loose threads into a fringe of some kind. I recently bought some wonderful Koigu linen yarn and a pattern by Churchmouse that does just that. Other than that kind of thing, though, you pretty much can count on weaving in ends.
I am not a fan of weaving in the ends. I’m capable of doing it, but it often seems that no matter how well I do it, they eventually will wiggle their way out and have to be woven back in again. I’ve tried leaving long ends, short ends, knotting them and trimming them off closely, and just leaving them hanging (I don’t recommend that last method). My latest approach, though, is to incorporate them into the design in a way that they become functional or decorative, rather than hidden… since clearly “hidden” isn’t working for me.
I recently designed a little washcloth pattern, which I’ve decided I’m pretty sure I can’t share with you due to copyright infringement (the pattern I used for the main part of it is from a swatch in the “365 Knitting Stitches a Year Perpetual Calendar”). If anyone understands differently (and would be willing to act as my lawyer and fine payer should the need arise), please let me know, because it’s really a cute pattern and super easy. See what I mean?
So, knowing that I can’t tell you the specifics of the pattern, you may wonder why I’m still showing it to you. No, I’m not just bragging about my work and the fact that I actually completed a project. I wanted to show you what I did with those pesky little ends that are especially difficult for me to get to stay hidden with the cotton yarn and it’s tendency to peek back out after I’ve woven it in. I tied off the yarn at the edge of the washcloth, then made a loop for hanging the washcloth.
Because this washcloth is just for me, I’m done at this point. If it was for someone else, I might try making it look a little more finished by crocheting a little chain and tying it back in… depends on how good a friend it’s for! 🙂
So, if you want my FREE and easy pattern, let me know if I’m wrong and can actually share this pattern without going to jail! 😉
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