Posted by Sanne January 4th 2015, 1:28pm
Weaving in ends can be challenging at first, but once you get the hang of it, it comes easy to most folks. That is until you knit or crochet lace.
Some yarn clings to itself (mostly animal fibers) which means the end generally stays put after you weave it in. You're a little less lucky when you work with smooth yarns though! I've been frustrated more than once with ends that came undone after a hand wash or simple use. Short from making noticeable knots I didn't know what to do.
Thankfully I recently stumbled upon a realization that has changed lace weaving for me forever! All you need is a (transparent) fabric glue and a toothpick.
You needn't worry about stains or hard bits if you do this right. Weave in your ends as you normally do, then undo a tiny bit of the end or snip the yarn a bit longer when you're done. Then take your toothpick and put a bit of fabric glue on the tip. Less is more!! Dab the end of your yarn with the glue and use the clean side of the toothpick to press the yarn to the knitting, making sure it follows the weaving pattern you did. If necessary keep adding tiny bits of glue until it's secure.
Give it some time to dry before washing and/or (steam) blocking it. Make sure to read the label of the glue before taking steam or the iron to your project. For best results use a glue that dries clear, otherwise you may notice some discoloration. As always with things like this, test the technique on a swatch first before you use it on the real deal.
I have used this technique with success myself! It's also useful in older knitted pieces that need a bit of reinforcement in this area.
Have you ever used fabric glue in your knitting before? Will you be trying this technique in the future?
Some yarn clings to itself (mostly animal fibers) which means the end generally stays put after you weave it in. You're a little less lucky when you work with smooth yarns though! I've been frustrated more than once with ends that came undone after a hand wash or simple use. Short from making noticeable knots I didn't know what to do.
Thankfully I recently stumbled upon a realization that has changed lace weaving for me forever! All you need is a (transparent) fabric glue and a toothpick.
You needn't worry about stains or hard bits if you do this right. Weave in your ends as you normally do, then undo a tiny bit of the end or snip the yarn a bit longer when you're done. Then take your toothpick and put a bit of fabric glue on the tip. Less is more!! Dab the end of your yarn with the glue and use the clean side of the toothpick to press the yarn to the knitting, making sure it follows the weaving pattern you did. If necessary keep adding tiny bits of glue until it's secure.
Give it some time to dry before washing and/or (steam) blocking it. Make sure to read the label of the glue before taking steam or the iron to your project. For best results use a glue that dries clear, otherwise you may notice some discoloration. As always with things like this, test the technique on a swatch first before you use it on the real deal.
I have used this technique with success myself! It's also useful in older knitted pieces that need a bit of reinforcement in this area.
Have you ever used fabric glue in your knitting before? Will you be trying this technique in the future?
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