Weaving in loose ends, the final step in completing a project! My least favorite part of the process. Some knitters work in tails as they go - me, I put it off until I absolutely have to do it.
I am not too particular with this part of the process, but others are. Look around, and you will see many different ways knitters weave in their tails. For instance, Purl Bee has some excellent weave in methods - I am just usually too lazy to be so particular.
Here is how I do mine - usually with a crochet hook, I just weave in and out along the cast on and bind off edges. If I am feeling ambitious, I will break out the yarn needle and carefully weave along the stitch pattern. Other times, I will just weave along the edge as I would with a crochet hook. Sometimes, I work right under the edge. Any way you do it, if it looks good to you, then don't worry about it. There is no wrong way to do it :0)
If you have never knit from a chart, or are afraid of charts - I encourage you to at least give it a try! It really isn't hard at all. When I first started knitting, I stayed far away from anything with a chart. However, one day I decided to try, because I really wanted to knit a shawl, but the pattern was only charted. Turns out, there was nothing to be afraid of, and I found that I actually like knitting from charts.
In this video, I will go over two charts - what they look like, symbols, and how to decipher them. This is just a guideline which can be used for lace charts, color charts, flat knitting, and just about any knitting chart out there. I do want to say that it is important to read all of the information that comes with your pattern, so you know how to interpret the chart and especially what the symbols in your chart mean. Not every designer will use the same symbols to mean the same thing. This video will show you how most charts are typically set up to work - but again, make sure you read through your pattern completely since there could be a particular way the designer intends the chart to be read.
I will also knit a small piece of lace in the video using the first chart. You can get the chart below if you would like to try working from a chart. I promise, it is really easy, even if you have never knit from a chart before.
The sample in the chart is for Fern Leaf Lace. You will need to know how to make the following stitches:
knit
purl
sk2po (slip a stitch knitwise, knit 2 together, pass the slipped stitch over the k2tog)
skpo (slip a stitch knitwise, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over the knit stitch)
k2tog (knit next 2 stitches together as if they were one)
yo (yarn over)
If you don't know how to do any of the above, I have videos for all of them on my YouTube Channel. Check the Knitting Basics and Beyond the Basics Playlists for these videos.
