I feel the need to confess something. I don’t believe in weaving in ends of yarn to complete a project. I believe in tying. I know – I’m a rebel. How many times have you had a crocheted or knit blanket come out of the dryer with antenna? Or multiple antennae? I know it’s proper and old school to weave in ends but let me clue you in on the history of crochet. It became very popular when cloth became mass-produced on KNITTING machines. Inspect the shirt you are wearing. Chances are it is knit. The intricate designs of crochet were often used in home decor. Doily anyone? If I weaved in the ends of my work on an doily, I would bet money it would never come out. Why? It is going to sit on a table under a vase or lampshade and only disturbed to be gently cleaned when needed. I have an Etsy shop. I make hats… mostly for children. I have three of my own kids and they each have about five hats I made for them. They have been pulled, trampled, washed and dried (on normal cycles in my machine) and in five years not one has grown antennae or unraveled. Why? Because I tie each and every end (think hippo – in which case I’m tying eyes, ears, nostrils, snout).
In another tutorial I will show you how I tie my ends so they are nearly invisible. For simplicity’s sake, I am just going to demonstrate a very simple method. It is perfect for projects like a coffee cozy where the inside will never show when in use. We will also have a tutorial for weaving in ends. It is important to know how to do it (and when to do it).
If you need assistance with other stitches, please refer to our previous tutorials (see tab above).
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After completing your last stitch, cut yarn. Normally you want to have 10″ of yarn. For this cozy I just needed about 4″.
With your hook in the last loop, pull the hook upward so the yarn slips through as shown.
Insert hook into the last stitch from back to front. (The right side of the work is facing you)
Pull the tail of yarn through the stitch.
Turn project inside out.
Insert hook into a few stitch loops between the tail and the center of project.
If you would rather weave in your ends you would do that here and dismiss the rest of the tutorial.
Draw yarn through loops. Do the same with the tail of yarn on the other side (tail created while casting on).
Tie yarn together without making your project warp.
Cut yarn near the knot.
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