Ask the Experts: How Can I Weave In My Yarn Ends So They Don’t Pop Out?

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Sharon has a problem with her recently-finished sweater. She’ll notice a little bit of fuzz and try to brush it away, only to find it’s the end where a new ball of yarn was joined. After a couple of wearings, the yarn ends she so diligently wove in are popping out on the right side of the sweater.

Above: Image source – Getty Images

Why is this happening and how can Sharon prevent this in the future? I’m happy to explain.

Many knitting references will tell you to join a new ball of yarn only at the beginning of a row, so the ends can be woven into the seam. That’s all well and good, but what if you’re knitting in the round? There is no “beginning of the row”, and certainly no seams to bury your yarn tails. Or maybe you’re happily knitting along while watching the latest season of your favorite British detective drama (just me?), and you don’t notice your yarn is running out until the end appears in your hand. You could un-knit back to the beginning the row, but who wants to do that? You need to join the new yarn in an unobtrusive way. And then you need to weave in the ends.

Joining Your New Yarn

Whenever possible, I join yarn using a spit splice (known in polite company as a felted join). But that only works well on yarns that will felt. For today’s sample, I’m knitting with a superwash wool. Here is how I join a new ball of yarn when a spit splice is not appropriate.

In this swatch, I’ve deliberately broken the yarn in two spots (Photo 1). I don’t tie a knot or work a stitch with the two ends held together—I simply drop the old yarn and start knitting with the new yarn, leaving several inches of tail (Photo 2).

As you can see, since the ends are not yet secured, the stitches on either side of the breaks get loose. So, I start by taking a moment to snug up the loose stitches to match the tension of the surrounding knitting.

Weaving In Ends

Now it’s time to close the gaps. I thread one tail onto my tapestry needle and draw it though the stitch where the partner tail is coming out (Photo 3). Then I repeat the process with the other tail (Photo 4). We’re bringing both tails across the gap to complete the row where the yarn was broken. The only place the yarn is doubled is in that one purl bump at the bottom of the gap, so we’re not creating a thick spot in the fabric.

The tension of the stitches has been adjusted at both breaks, the gaps have been closed, and we’re ready to weave in the ends (Photo 5). Of course, I’d usually deal with each break separately, closing the gap and weaving in the ends before moving on to the next break.

For the top break, I’ve woven the ends in two of the most common ways: vertically up a column of stitches weaving under every other purl bump, and horizontally across a row of stitches weaving under every purl bump (Photo 6).

Here is the better way: I’m weaving the end in diagonally (Photo 7). I’m also splitting the yarn with my needle as I weave instead of working under the purl bumps. When you split the yarn, you’re weaving the tail through a smaller space, so it is gripped tighter. I’ll do the same thing with the other end, heading off on the diagonal in a different direction (Photo 8).

Trimming the Ends

The ends have been trimmed (Photo 9). On the top break, I’ve trimmed the ends flush with the fabric. On the bottom break, I’ve left the ends just a quarter of an inch longer. From the right side, both breaks look fine (Photo 10). The orange pins mark the last stitch into which the ends are woven (Photo 11).

Now for the test. I stretched the swatch, both vertically and horizontally. I didn’t get overly aggressive—I simply stretched it as you might when you pull a sweater over your head or pull it down over your hips. The ends from the bottom break haven’t moved much, if at all (Photo 12). The ends from the top break have both pulled away from the stitch where they were last anchored. The orange bars show how much those ends have moved.

Why Do Ends Pop Out?

What happened here? When the fabric stretched, the yarn tails did not stretch with it. The ends woven in the direction of the stretch (vertical and horizontal) pulled free.

And on the right side? One of the ends from the top break popped out (Photo 13)! The stretching pulled it loose from it’s anchor. Because it was trimmed flush with the fabric, there was no extra length to keep the end on the wrong side.

The 3 Big Takeaways

In order to keep your ends where you want them, do these three things:

1. Weave your ends in on a diagonal.
2. Split the yarn with your needle when weaving in your ends; do not weave under the purl bumps.
3. Leave about a quarter of an inch when you trim your ends; do not trim them flush with the fabric. If you’re going to be blocking your project aggressively (a lace shawl, for example) don’t trim the ends until after the blocking is done.

Do You Have a Nagging Problem with Your Knitting or Crochet?

I may be able to help you solve it. Send an email to knitting[@]goldenpeakmedia.com and put “Ask the Experts” in the subject line. You might see your question answered in an upcoming newsletter!

Sandi Rosner
Technical Content Editor, Yarn

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Hat patterns to practice weaving in tails: