How to Minimize Weaving in Ends in Crochet
If you are like me, you hate to weave in a bunch of ends of yarn when you are done your crochet project. Normally there is at least a beginning and ending piece of yarn that you have to weave in. But there can also be other strands of yarn from when you change colors or have to cut and attach your yarn at a new position in your work. The number of ends you have to weave in can add up.
Here is a simple tip that can help you reduce the number of ends you have to weave in at the end of your project. In the example in the photos, I am changing colors, and have an end that I need to tuck into the work. This method can also be used for other situations as well!
The idea is to hold your end up to your work as shown below. (Mouse over the image for a left handed view)
Then crochet as you normally would, but over the strand of yarn. This way, you are hiding the yarn that you would normally have to tuck in later. See, you can’t even see the end that was crocheted over!
This is the same idea as carrying your yarn when you change colors in crochet. You can use this method anytime you are crochet over an area that is close to where your strand of yarn is sticking out of. Such as if you are crocheting a border, you can hold the ends of the yarn along the sides while crocheting the border over them.
I just wanted to say how much I’ve been enjoying your blog since I found it a few weeks ago.
) There don’t seem to be many crochet blogs out there right now (or maybe I just haven’t been looking hard enough), and they are such a help and inspiration to those of us who are still learning.
Thanks for all these tips!
I *love* this technique! Thanks so much for this post, I’ll be linking.
Awesome tip! Thanks so much.
It’s funny. Just this morning I was wondering if there was a way to do that and ended up doing the same. Kinda glad there’s someone out there who hates weaving in the ends as much as I do, lol.
This is a great tip! But my problem is that I’ve tried this and for some reason, when I wash the item I’ve made, I find that the ends start to stick out and I weave them back in. Is there something I’m doing wrong?? How else can I secure the end piece and keep it from peeking out after washing??
Hi Maria, this technique works best when your stitches are tight. That way the stitches can hold the loose ends tighter. You can read more about other techniques here: Finish Off and Weave in Ends in Crochet If your ends are sticking out after you wash it, you can try hand washing instead of using a machine, so it won’t be as rough on the material.
I think I have done this since the moment I can crochet!! And that is over 40 years, lol. So nothing new but still a good tip
Wow – Your tutorials are the easiest to understand I’ve found anywhere! Thank you so much for sharing with the rest of us! G.L.
I HATE HATE HATE weaving in my ends! I almost don’t want to finish my projects because I know I’ll have to do this! I tried this the other day on a project, and it was so much easier than weaving them in! One question – do you tie the 2 yarns ends together before you weave them in or not? I’m just wondering if they’re not tied together if the project will start to pull apart after time.
Hi Rachel, I don’t tie the ends. My projects seem to hold up without doing it. But if you feel you need to you can.
[...] How to Minimize the Number of Loose Ends The tips included within the pattern instruct you to carry loose ends of yarn by crocheting over them to minimize the number of ends you have to weave in when you finish. If done correctly you will have only ONE loose end to weave in. Here is a link to a more detailed explanation of the technique used in this pattern: How to Minimize Weaving in Ends in Crochet [...]