ugh, finishing

Just 2-1/2 more pattern repeats to finish my Renee Baby Blanket. Or to put it another way, a couple more hours of knitting. And, as exciting as that is, my excitement is tempered by facing the hours of weaving in ends. I've never met a knitter who enjoys the tasks of finishing. In fact, it's so hated that some LYS offer finishing services for those who can't bring themselves to do it. To me, it's not as bad as all that but it is tedious. And in some cases, where the woven ends disrupt the pattern or texture of the fabric, or where the ends work themselves back out of the fabric, it can be very frustrating. Needed: tips for a more satisfactory result.

This first tip comes a little too late for me. Knitty.com recommends that at the end of one ball of yarn when starting the next, hold both strands together and work one stitch using both old and new, leaving 5-6 inch tails dangling at the back of the work. It sounds like a good idea - I'm going to try this when I get around to knitting the body of my Taiga sweater.

Several Ravelry knitters suggest splitting the plys and weaving them in separately with cotton, bamboo or other non-fuzzy yarns. The more slippery and less fuzzy a yarn, the more likely it is to work itself back out of the fabric. Alot more work, but may be worth it. And then from Knitty.com - weave in the end using a duplicate stitch on the wrong side of the knitted fabric. That way the yarn travels alongside the finished stitches and stays put. Okay, I'm on it!