Weaving in ends in garter stitch

[damned_colonial]

Hey, how do you all weave in your ends when working in garter stitch, when there's no right or wrong side? In stocking stitch, I just work on the bumpy side, and nothing shows on the smooth side. In garter stitch, I'm not so sure what to do.

ETA: while we're at it, how about lace?

Comments

[rainkatt]

I just choose a side and designate it as the "wrong" side. At least, that's what I used to do. Haven't done garter stitch lately.

Can't help with lace. I think I'd just knit with both yarns together for a few, but I've not tried it. I know that's what I did when I crocheted a shell stitch shawl back when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

[theraveledskein]

I agree with rainkatt - in garter stitch, I just pick my wrong side and weave in as usual.

When knitting lace (or anything, for that matter), if I'm working in an animal fiber, I usually just spit-splice (a great tutorial, if you've never tried it). So much easier and neater than weaving in ends - and I find it feels sturdier, too. When working with silk or superwash wool or something non-spliceable in lace, I just weave in along the wrong side of a somewhat-solid area of the lace pattern, and just try my best to avoid running the end being woven across a lot of yarn-overs.

[marginalia]

agree (1)

also, if it's a non-animal fiber, but plied, i split the end in two and weave them in different directions.

[fourzoas]

This is pretty much what I do too; spit-splicing is the best thing ever.

[quiara]

I use a Russian join when I can't spit splice. Achieves the same basic effect, just a little more complicated to perform. Really keeps the ends from hanging out all over, though, and gives a neater finish, imo.

[greenwitch]

I learned how to do the Russian join... right after I finished 75% of a Doctor Who scarf. That was a real kicker :(

It doesn't look 100% camouflaged, but it's better than weaving ends in.

[twistedchick]

I also use a Russian join (or whatever variant I can get to work depending on the yarn) and trim off the ends afterward.

[tazlet]

And where do I find this Russian join of which you speak?

[twistedchick]

Here -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oCmosL-Ggc -- and here -- http://www.geocities.com/mama_bear_007/Russian_Join.html. I generally make the section of joined yarn (yarn inside itself) much longer than shown here, so it goes through several stitches and is not as noticeable.

[ironed_orchid]

I try to make all my ends finish on an edge, and then weave them up the side of the edge. Obviously this doesn't work for things knitted in the round, but they usually have an inside anyhow.

[hivesofactivity]

Same here - anticipate when the yarn is going to finish, then end a couple of stitches in, and weave it into the side. (I find my edges go extra wobbly if I end on an actual edge, though.)

[neotoma]

I'm a terribly lazy knitter and often just tie a sheet bend/weaver's knot if I know that it won't show on the right side.

[malka]

In some yarns, I'll knit with both yarns for a little bit, or achieve the same effect after-the-fact with darning. With some yarns it feels too lumpy, though.

[tazlet]

Thanks for asking this question -- I'm just finishing my very first piece and about to deal with this problem (It's a washcloth all in garter stitch but a great first since I had to increase, decrease and keep the border pattern).

[strangesequitur]

With the exception of some variegated yarns -- which can be annoyingly difficult to camouflage -- and things like lacework, I tend to run duplicate stitch into the project with my tails.

I start at the beginning of the tail and follow along as best I can, with the duplicate work tending to wander from row to row -- and from one side of the work to the other -- at random, when I'm unable to stick to a single row, or when the wandering helps hide what I'm doing better.

...

This is probably entirely unhelpful without photo illustrations. I had a migraine today, and the happy headache pills tend to interfere with the bit of my brain that allows me to communicate my insanity through the art of Wordifying. :D

Just... follow the thread. Up behind one bump, over and down behind the bump next to it, sew through to the other side of the work between the two, and go down behind one bump, over and up behind the next, through and to the first side again...

There has to be a photo/video tutorial for this out there somewhere, right? If not... I know what I'm doing, tomorrow. :D

With lace, I just wing it, and hope for the best. Or go up the sides, when possible.