Hello, y’all! Recently I have had a few requests to know how I weave in my ends for a project that has so many color changes. Since I handle my yarn ends differently depending on their stitch situation, I’ll give all of my darning advice here in one post. A guide to weaving ends! This is just how I do it… Of course there are many ways, and doing a YouTube search will prove very fruitful.

So let’s get started! I’m using the Textured Circles square for this demonstration because the stitches are so varied that it has all of my end-weaving technique possibilities.

Below is Round 1 completed of my TC pattern. It is basically the first round of any motif, could be a square or a circle; it doesn’t matter.

You have 2 yarn ends to think about at any given color round. That center tail is hanging, and the working yarn end tail is about to be cut a little shorter. When I work with one strand worsted, I make my tails about 6″ long. When I double up the yarn with a size 10mm hook, I make them closer to 8-9 inches long. Also note: I am right-handed, so make any adjustments necessary for left-handed approach.

Trap the center tail up when you join the round. See below how both tails are now together? MANY tail weaving tutorials have you darning two tails at once… the end of one color and the beginning of the next color… I rarely darn two ends together because it creates unnecessary bulk, but in this very first tail situation, I do. Another option is to leave that center tail hanging out and at the end of your motif, just take a smaller hook and guide that tail around and around the center until it’s all used up. I just don’t have the patience for that! 🙂

Okay, here’s where the magic happens. This is how I take care of alllllll of my cut working yarn tail ends. When I cut a tail to end a round, here’s how I weave it in:

Your yarn tail (tails in this case) should be hanging out like in the photo below. Right now, we’re going to focus on your working yarn end tail. Take your hook and insert it through both loops of the stitch TO THE LEFT of your joining stitch. In the photo, my hook is there, and the working yarn end is wrapped around, ready to be pulled to the back of the work.

Pull that yarn to the back of the work, and you have the photo below. Both tails are at the back. Remember, this is the only time I work with two tails at once – at the beginning of a motif.

Now, insert your hook in the BACK LOOP ONLY of the stitch TO THE RIGHT of the joining stitch. Below, my hook is there with the two yarn tails wrapped ready to pull through.

Keep inserting your hook through back loop of each consecutive stitch to the right and pulling through the yarn tail until it disappears into the work. On the next round, you will be working over that tail, so it will not only be encased in these back loop stitches, but in your next round stitches as well. In the photo below, my shorter tail is used up, and I only have the longer tail left, which is why only one tail is showing.

So that’s how I always weave in my final cut tail of each round. Let’s have a look at how I weave in my beginning tail that is created when we join a new color. This is the yarn tail that I bury differently depending on the stitch situation. Many tutorials have you simply “work over” the tail. I only work over the tail if my next round is pure solid stitches like SC or DC. If I have an SC round, I just hold that tail in place with my regular stitches, and encase that tail with the SC stitches so that it becomes covered within.

BUT, if that round is a lacy chain round, and you try to work over it, you will end up seeing the tail and it will not be held very securely. Here’s how I bury that initial tail in this situation.

In the photo below, I have joined the turquoise color for an *SC, Chain 2, skip 1 stitch* round. If you peeked at this TC free pattern, then this is round 6. I worked all of round 6 and joined to the beginning stitch, ready to work another round of the same color in solid SC/DC/TR stitches.

Here, I show the back of the work where you can see that big ol’ yarn tail just barely held in place.

Okay, so what you want to do is, on the next round, when you make your very first stitch, hook in that yarn tail, too. See in the photo below how my hook is under the yarn tail, ready to lump it in with the stitch.

By the time I’m at the point of the photo below, my yarn tail is well exhausted.

And here’s that backside form before, with no yarn tail in sight this time, because it’s tucked into that next round. Note: let’s say your next round isn’t solid stitches to bury the tail, but more chain lace… in that case I just leave the tail hanging and weave it in more carefully with a smaller hook size. It’s very important to take extra care when darning ends in lace stitching.

Now, I’ll show you again how I take care of that cut tail end. In the next photo, I am ready to cut my yarn, since I’m all joined up.

As before, insert hook through both loops of the stitch to the left of the joining stitch, from the back to the front, as in the photo below.

Pull that tail to the back of the work.

Insert your hook through the back loop only of the stitch to the right of the joining stitch as pictured, and pull the tail through.

Continue inserting the hook through the back loop of each consecutive right side stitch, pulling the tail through until it is used up.

That’s it! I work the final rounds of this motif all at once, joining new yarn in the corner and advancing each row little by little because I find it increases my speed. When a round is approaching the beginning, I join, cut, and weave as normal, then advance the other rounds in the same way.

I hope this was helpful! I know some of you don’t want to start this project because of all the tail ends, but it’s worth it, and as long as you make your tails long enough, you shouldn’t have any issue with them wiggling themselves out 🙂

Either way, allow me to waft some creative luck in your direction! Happy hooking!