Let’s Get Together
Anyone noticing a trend with my post titles? 😉(Maybe you’re already humming this classic tune in your head.) Well, even though the subject of twins has been a hot topic in my family lately (special shout out to my nephew and his girlfriend who are expecting a set of twin girls!), this month’s blog is not about twins. Knitters reading this, are you like me and hate weaving in your ends at the end of a project? “Yeah, yeah, yeah!”
Weaving ends is definitely my least favorite part of the project. It’s a tedious task, and whenever you think you did them all, one little end pops up out of nowhere. Makes you feel like how this pup looks…
I wish they would magically weave themselves in, like something you might see in a Disney movie…all the cute little strays tucking themselves in at the wave of a wand or on my command. But, sadly, life is not a cute Disney movie. And at the end of every project, there are tails of yarn to be woven in before you can say, “done!” Ultimately, the goal is to reduce how many ends are leftover by joining as many ends as possible together during the course of the project.
Where do the ends come from? Well, each piece of a project has a cast on and a bind off (or cast off) end (that’s already at least two right there). Then each ball (or skein) of yarn has an end—so add another two ends for however many skeins your project has. Then, don’t forget if you have to do colorwork (e.g., intarsia) knitting, where a pattern changes colors…the potential to have ends galore.
Example of intarsia knitting on a children’s cape
Because my mom really only taught me the basics of knitting, it’s been up to me to learn the rest. I’m constantly on the hunt for new tips, tricks, and techniques to help me improve my skills and bolster my repertoire. I learn new things all the time—whether from other blogs, YouTube videos, social media posts, or from an Aunty watching over my shoulder and lending her seasoned advice. So, over time, I’ve been collecting ways to avoid falling into the dreaded “trap” of weaving in a thousand ends! (Okay, okay…I’m exaggerating…a bit…)
So, let’s talk about getting ends together…
These are by no means all of the techniques there are that can be used to join yarn ends together. The “knitaverse” is full of many more. These are just a few of the ones I’ve tried in some of my projects.
This is probably the simplest method I know. It’s great because it’s quick, doesn’t require much effort or skill and is something you’ve probably known how to do most of your life. Also called the fisherman’s knot, my Sailor Dad would not be so thrilled that this is the only knot I remember how to tie. But it gets the job done. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.
Pros: It’s great for yarns that have good fiber grip or lots of texture.
Cons: Might add an unwanted bump in your project.
2. The Fade
It’s really called the double stitch method, but let’s go with “The Fade” because it sounds cool and fades into the background like your favorite superhero. It is one of my go-to joining methods that involves using the near-end of one strand of yarn and the beginning of a new strand to work a few stitches together.
Pros: It creates a virtually invisible join and is super easy to do, as well.
Cons: It can add a little bulk where the stitches are doubled. Doesn’t work as nicely with bulkier/chunky yarns.
As the name suggests, things are about to get wet…but not wild…I promise. This method requires frayed ends to be joined with a little moisture and then rubbing the ends together back and forth between your palms until the two ends have become one. Et voila! Some people may use spit (yep) as their source of moisture. I prefer to keep a little dish of water nearby.
Pros: It’s pretty much invisible. Works well with natural fibers.
Cons: Spitting is gross, folks.
Not to be confused with the Russian Twist, this technique will not get you rock hard abs, but it will get you a pretty seamless join. It’s not difficult, but it’s not one of the easier methods either. Once you get it, though, you’ll love it. Two ends form loops that essentially work back into themselves using the help of a sewing needle so that your yarn ends become one. This has easily become one of my favorite methods for joining.
Pros: It’s nearly undetectable!
Cons: Takes a little longer to learn initially.
As I learn more, I’ll keep sharing some of my favorite things with you. In the meantime…
Do you remember that knitalong (KAL) from a few blog posts back? Well, I finally did start working on that pattern. Take a look these progress pics. Can you spot where the yarn is joined? Do you know what joining technique(s) I may have used? If you think you know, take a screenshot and tag us @i.am.fortuknit on Socials with your guess!
