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Monday, October 14, 2013

How To Weave In Your Ends in Crochet

Weaving Ends Tutorial


One of the things I get asked about a lot is how to finish your project when you are done crocheting.
So I have decided to put together a photo tutorial for you here.

The worst thing that can happen to anyone's hard work is to have it fall apart because your ends were not woven in securely. Just crocheting over the yarn or using your hook to pull back through your work is not enough. Your ends will work loose or come undone when you wash the items or use them.

When you weave in your ends, it is always best to use a tapestry needle & not a crochet hook because you can get a much more secure weave with the needle.

I always leave at least a 4-6" yarn tail whenever I add new yarn or whenever I cut my yarn so that I have plenty to work with & that I can make sure all my ends are securely woven in when I finish my project.

I have found that the most secure method of weaving my ends in is an over & under type method. If you go Over & under then back over & under you will find that this creates a locking type method securing the yarn or thread in between the stitches of your work. You can use this method for all of your crochet projects when weaving in your ends.

The above photo shows weaving for a Magic Circle or adjustable ring. If you have used one of these you know that they slide around & allow you to pull your stitches around the piece of yarn to pull it closed. In the same manner though, they can slide around & come undone. If your ends are not woven in correctly though, your ring will come loose & your project can unravel from the middle out. EEEEEEK! No one wants that!

So the best way I have found to secure the Magic Circle is to weave over & under all the way around the circle in one direction with the tapestry needle. Then to weave back the other way all the way around the circle doing the same method.
Weave over & under back the other direction
This will make the center more secure & your yarn will not come undone.

I also take it a step or two further when I weave these Magic Circles because I definitely don't want my work to come undone! I weave in both directions as well as through the center in both directions of my work.

Weave back around all the way around the ring again
Catch the stitch after where you pulled your needle out when
you change directions




Be sure to weave around & around & back through the center of the Magic Circle in order to get everything nice & secure.










You always want to catch the next stitch in your work from where you stopped & pulled your yarn needle through so that it makes a sort of little lock down to hold the yarn in place when you weave back the other direction.

This will help to secure the yarn from both sides & keep those tails in nice & tight!





Weave through the back loops of the Stitches so your
weaving will not show through on the front of your piece

Remember Crochet stitches are sort of like hollow little tubes & if you catch the back loops of the stitches while you are weaving, your weaving will not show through on the front side of your work.
Be sure not to push too hard or poke your yarn needle through the front side of your work when you are weaving in as you want the front to stay pretty.





Pull yarn tail through to secure all Stitches when done
weaving in your ends.

When you get done weaving in your work, be sure to pull your yarn tail through with the needle to secure all the ends & cut the excess yarn from your needle as close to the fabric as possible.









Finished project with ends woven in securely
When you are done weaving in your ends your finished project should be nice & neat on the back & the front & all of your ends should be tucked down nice & securely so that your finished project will not come undone. :)








I hope you find this tutorial helpful!

Thank you for stopping by The Perfect Knot Crochet and More!

Have a great day!

Michelle K
The Perfect Knot