Another confession.
Saturday, February 16, 2013 at 2:36PM I know my last revelation shook the knitting world to its core.
A huge meteor hit the earth, even.
Can you handle another?
I like weaving in ends.
I hear people complain about this regularly. They hate it, they avoid it at all costs, they skip projects that require too much of it, and they have recurring nightmares in which they are forced, under penalty of bodily harm, to weave in ends all day and night.
I've never understood this.
What is the big deal? You just finished knitting 46,000 stitches, one at a time.
You constructed a garment out of sticks and string.
And you're complaining about having to do something by hand?
To me, weaving in ends is the best part. The hard work is over! I am almost ready to wear my garment! Look, only five more ends!
Four!
Three!
Two!
One!
I PUT THE HAT ON MY HEAD!
It's like the ball drop in Times Square. It's cause for merrymaking.
Might as well get a glass of champagne and kiss someone while you're at it.
So, explain this to me. What am I missing?
Reader Comments (18)
I love your point-of-view! It's very refreshing.
I thought about this for a long moment because I am one of those that does not enjoy weaving in ends. There was only one way I could think to describe it. I enjoy knitting as a hobby because I actually enjoy the process of knitting. Conversely, I don't think I would take up "end weaving" as a hobby. Does that make any sense?
I don't hate weaving in ends but would rather do it as I go along. When I finish knitting, I want to have a finished item. Not something that I have to do several more hours of work on. I am that way with my sewing also. I tie off threads and clip them as I go.
Me too!
And I love purling. Most of my knitter friends think I'm crazy...
Here's my issue with weaving in ends: its like sewing. I like knitting. I like spinning. And crocheting. Sewing? Not so much.
I agree -- it's too much like sewing. And I hate sewing of any kind, which is why I don't like sweaters with seams either. I don't even like sewing on buttons. I have a sweater that is been "finished" for 8 months -- except for two small seams under the sleeves. But I did at least weave in all the ends, so I guess I don't hate them as much as seams. : )
I don't get it either because I weave as I go - in both knitting and crochet - so I don't have a huge ugly mess on one side. So far we're in agreement on both positions. I'll buy you a cup of coffee, snuggle the Shamrock and let you get a few rows done - you're still aces with me, kiddo.
I like weaving in ends too. There's something earthy about the sewing that is deeply gratifying for me.
I do what a few other people on here have already said: I weave in ends as I go. Otherwise, to me, it's a bit overwhelming to have to weave in everything all at once when it feels like it should be finished (not to mention that I sometimes get the ends tangled into the rest of the work as I continue to work).
I was just watching the forecast and am seeing how cold it is in your neck of the woods. How are you doing up there? It's a good thing you work with yarn and can keep warm. I am sure the dyeing process causes a lot of pruney? skin and chapped hands - hope you have good creams to soothe that issue!
About weaving in ends - not my favorite but I don't hate it the way I used to once I discovered Chibi needles! They make the job so much easier. I agree with Jessica - sewing is not my favorite either!
Stay warm!
I like sewing in ends as I go along, but don't mind it at all, each end sewn in brings me closer to a finished project! I prefer to hand wind my yarn as well, lets me know the yarn and how it handles before it hits the hook or needles as the case may be!
For me, knitting is very different than sewing. I took up knitting without realizing I was going to need to do a lot of handsewing, and I sort of feel like I was tricked by the universe into sewing. It isn't even that I mind the process of weaving in ends so much. It's that I dislike that I didn't know this was part of the gig when I signed up to become a knitting fanatic.
I wish I enjoyed weaving in ends. I wish I knew someone who wanted to weave my ends in for me. Since I often knit just to try a pattern or just to knit, I have a tendency to wait until I have 2 or 3 items, and then have at the stack on PBS Mystery night. I think it's pretty nifty you enjoy it. I wish I had the same appreciation!
Thank you for your confessions. The last one actually got me thinking about the center pull cake, and I realized I don't really like them, either! I'd never really considered it, but I always rewind them to a ball about halfway through the skein.
I don't mind weaving in ends, but I do generally prefer to do it as I go, rather than all at the end. I find it less daunting that way. Maybe that's what people don't like - knitting those 46,000 stitches and then having to spend a few hours weaving in a hundred little ends.
I'm a weaving ends hater. I don't know why. Whenever I do it I always think 'wow that didn't take long, why did I dread it so much??"
Confession:
I have a blanket I crocheted when I was in college.. almost ten years ago.. about 6 years ago I weaved in the ends on one side. The other side still has ends hanging around. It's a striped blanket so there are a lot of ends.. I just use it and pretend the ends aren't there. Maybe one of these days I'll finish it and then wonder why I avoided it for ten years?
Love you, your yarn, and your blog!
Thank you! I totally agree! Finishing means you are almost finished! It is the period at the end of the sentence. It is the best part to any knitting project!!
Can you show those inside-out mittens right side out?? I don't like weaving in ends because I have to actually *look* at what I'm doing, which detracts from multitasking :)
Gloves very warm, very comfortable, very nice