How to Hide Knitting
Knitting is a fascinating craft. You take simple yarn and a couple of needles to do magic. With flicks of your wrists, yarn becomes a scarf, a sweater or a bag. True, the first few garments may be a little ragged around the edges and not something that you're willing to wear in public, but practice and learning flawless finishing tips will lead to projects that rival the experts. Use proven techniques to hide knitting seams, yarn ends and flaws as described or tweak them to provide a customize finish to a specific project.
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Ends
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Yarn ends can make an garment look unfinished, and you may be tempted to snip them off close to the garment construction. If you snip the ends too short, the ends could work lose and your knitting will unravel. A better solution is to leave a liberal tail and use a darning needle to weave the yarn end in and out of the knitted fabric on the underside of the fabric. Run the needle through the loops in the fabric and doesn't split the yarn. When the ends are near the edge of the fabric, weave the ends close to where the seam will be to achieve the most unnoticeable finish. In the middle of the fabric, follow the pattern of the stitches and try to weave in like colors.
Curled Edges
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Knitted fabric may curl at the unfinished edges. The easiest way to resolve curling is to single crochet a row around the finished edge. Don't concern yourself with curled edges that will be hidden by seams. Once the crocheted edge is completed, block the project. Different fabrics have different blocking requirements, but steaming or laying the project flat to dry are two common methods. Read the care instructions on the yarn to find out the recommended method.
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Seams
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The key to creating a professional finish to any garment is to properly seam the edges together so the seams are hidden. Line up the pieces you plan to sew together side by side. Make sure that the rows line up so that purl rows match with purl rows and knits with knits. Use a tapestry needle to weave a strand of yarn through the two sides beginning at the cast-on edge and going back and forth between the two pieces. You should insert the needle into the yarn loops and avoid splitting the yarn to prevent the seams from looking worn. Keep the tension in the yarn even to prevent the seam from puckering.
Dropped Stitches
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When a knit garment is in construction, you can easily take out a row or two to pick up a dropped stitch, but finding a dropped stitch after all the pieces are in the assembly phase or are fully assembled can feel like a major defeat. A missed stitch can ruin the finished look of a garment by creating a hole. Use a crochet hook to weave the dropped loop up through the fabric to the seam, then secure the dropped stitch into the seam. To weave the loop up the fabric, use the crochet hook to pick up the stitch above the dropped stitch and pull it through the dropped stitch. Repeat with the the next row. Follow the pattern of the fabric and weave the stitch into a purl pattern on the purl rows and a knit pattern on the knit rows.
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References
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