How to Fasten Off and Weave In Ends

Every crochet project ends the same way: you fasten off so the stitches can’t unravel, then hide the yarn tails. It only takes a few minutes, and doing it well is the difference between a project that lasts for years and one that slowly comes apart in the wash.

What you need

• A tapestry needle (also called a yarn needle) — a blunt needle with an eye big enough for your yarn
• Scissors
• Optionally, a smaller crochet hook for pulling tails through tight stitches

How to fasten off

1. Finish the last stitch of your project, so that one loop is left on the hook.
2. Cut the working yarn, leaving a tail of about 6 in (15 cm).
3. Yarn over with the tail and pull it all the way through the loop on your hook.
4. Tug the tail gently to close the loop into a small, firm knot.

The stitches are now secure. The tail still needs to be woven in.

How to weave in ends

The aim is to hide the tail inside stitches of the same color and send it through the fabric in more than one direction, so it can’t work its way out.

1. Thread the tail onto the tapestry needle.
2. Weave in one direction. Slide the needle through the backs of 5 or 6 stitches on the wrong side, or up through the middle of the edge stitches, and pull the yarn through without puckering the fabric.
3. Change direction. Weave back the other way through neighboring stitches for another 4 or 5 stitches.
4. Change direction once more if your yarn is slippery, like cotton or bamboo.
5. Stretch and trim. Gently stretch the fabric so the tail can relax, then cut it close to the surface.

Where to weave, depending on the project

Projects worked in rows. Weave along a side edge, through the edge stitches, or along the back of a row. Edges are sturdy and tails disappear into them.

Projects worked in rounds. Weave on the wrong side, following the curve of a round, then change direction.

Hats, headbands and other wearables. Weave on the side that sits against the body, so the right side stays smooth.

Color changes. Always hide a tail in stitches of its own color, so it doesn’t peek through. How to change colors also shows how to crochet over tails as you go.

Don’t forget the starting tail

The tail left from your slip knot needs weaving in too. Hide it along the bottom edge or in the first round, the same way.

Weaving in ends as you go

When a project has lots of tails, you can crochet over them. Lay the tail along the top of the stitches you are about to work into, and make the next 8 to 10 stitches around it. Trim what’s left later. It’s quick, and it works best with smooth yarn in a similar color.

A seamless finish for rounds

For coasters, hats and anything round, you can replace the final slip stitch join with an invisible finish:

1. Work the last stitch of the round, cut the yarn and pull the tail all the way up through that stitch.
2. Thread the tail onto a needle. Skip the first stitch of the round and pass the needle under both loops of the second stitch, from front to back.
3. Take the needle back down through the top of the last stitch, where the tail came out, and gently pull until the new loop matches the size of the other stitches.
4. Weave in the tail on the wrong side.

The new loop sits on top of the first stitch and looks just like every other stitch, so there is no visible join.

A note on blocking

Many projects look even better after blocking: pin them to shape, mist them with water and let them dry completely. Blocking also helps woven-in tails settle into the fabric, which is why it’s worth trimming them afterwards.

Practice

The easy round coaster finishes with an invisible join, and it is small enough to try the technique a few times.

Free patternEasy Round CoasterBeginner45 minutes