Thursday, May 13, 2010

My Creative Space - Help!


Playing along with Kirsty's My Creative Space today. Visit Kootoyoo to see other spaces or to play along too.

Help! Can anyone please tell me what I'm meant to do with all of these loose ends at the back of my crocheted hexagon blanket? I read varying takes on 'sew them into the seams' but I just don't get it. I've tried crocheting them in as I go but that has been an abject failure too... I feel there's a simple answer here that I'm missing completely.
I've been mostly working at the shop this week, so not a lot of crafting has been happening... hanging out with this little guy below and I've been trying to make my shop-life as creative as possible, but Doc really can't help me with my crochet... Can anyone help? No probs if you can't :)



27 comments:

Kate said...

Ooh that looks tricky... Could you try to weave them back in to their respective colour hex? I'm sure you've tried that! I guess cutting them would prompt a rug and mental unravelling?!

Jennie said...

Sorry Kylie, I am no help at all!
I'm sure you'll get an answer from some clever person on here!!x

mel @ loved handmade said...

I'm not sure about your loose ends, but there are so many clever people who will be able to help you I'm sure of it! I do love how it looks all together though, nice work...

Cindy said...

I'm useless, sorry. It'll all work out I'm sure.

Cathie said...

i definitely can not help..but I love your Doc :)
goodluck Kylie

michelle said...

love the hexxie rug and doc looks like a thoughful work companion. i always just darn my ends in, i use a wide eyed darning needle and sew them into the seam and then go back along the original darn line to double up before snipping and stretching to pull the endy bit into place if that makes sense. I think i remember pip at meet me at mikes going into some detail over this very subject not so long ago. good luck. you want it to be finished perfectly when you have put so much work into it.

june at noon said...

I leave a long enough end to weave it back into the surrounding stitches. So you'd use a wide-eyed yarn needle and just take the end in and out of the same-colored stitches until the end disappears.

I usually try to go one direction for half the length, then go back in the opposite direction. This makes it less likely to pull out.

And definitely, definitely make sure you leave a good-sized tail (6 inches or so) for this tucking. I made the mistake of piecing together a very complicated quilt pattern crochet blanket and left only short ends, which invariably unraveled and began to fray with use. Eek!

Sally said...

I use a big eyed needle... the one that is your best shot squeezing a camel through ... and then I just sew the ends back into the squares or seams... just wear it fits but so that it is hidden. Then snip!
Looking at your photo most of the ends are near green hexagons so you should be right - and the one that isn't just sew that one under the green stitches of the seam.
It is looking fantastic... can't wait to see the final finished product.

Liesl said...

I can't help with what to do with the loose ends ... but I can admire your hexs! They look fabulous.

teddybearswednesday said...

When I have loose end on my guys, I take a weeny little stitch and then thread the end with a needle back through a couple of rows for a bit and maybe do a another weeny stitch or two. Don't know if that's any help, or the proper way.
It's look utterly beautiful in the mean time!!x

Kirsty said...

I just weave one way & then back the other. It's going to be ace.

Unknown said...

Sorry, I'm of no help but it looks fabulous! xo m.

small forest said...

Ummm, I shove the needle in first before I thread it. My nanna taught me this for small thread ends that if you cut them off they would surely unravel.
So.. Right where the cotton is you stick the needle in at that point and weave it back through where you want the thread to travel. Now thread the needle and pull through.
Hope that helps?

Anna Bartlett said...

I know nothing about crochet, but it's coming along so nicely! Glad you've still got the creative thing happening while at work.

Mitsy / ArtMind said...

I wish that I had the advise June at noone gave here - some stitches are coming loose on my babette too and it is really annoying to sew 'em back! It looks great so far, Kylie - sewing in the ends is a pain, isn't it? :)

belinda marshall said...

mmm, i might need the sound advice given here!
all my 'woven in' ends come loose, knitting and crochet . . .
it's looking really beautiful :)

Kickcan & Conkers said...

soory Kylie, no idea... looks lovely though!

Karen Lewis Textiles said...

When I'm sewing together knitted pieces I hold the loose ends across the 2 pieces and sew over as I'm sewing the 2 pieces together, so the loose end gets between the pieces and the sewing together thread. Does that make sense??? Prob not! Or else I use the lose ends to sew the pieces together. Or else can you stitch them through some of the back of the existing stitches??

If I can find a tutorial I'll ping it over...looks beautiful anyway! xx

Tania said...

Ai yai yai! Don't talk to me about loose ends! I have a bazillion of them and am considering turning a granny blanket into a shag pile carpet. Everything those experts before me said is true. And boring. Way boring...

posie blogs Jennie McClelland said...

I was enjoying the pictures until the gnome, sorry, they scare me. Plus i don't crochet so useless comment this time, sorry, love Posie

at swim-two-birds said...

I agree with Michelle, check your mail Kylie,I've send you a photo so you can see what is the best spot to end.
xx

Clair said...

I love the colour combinations you've used, but I'm so useless with crochet. I hope you manage to find a fix x

our little love nest said...

oooh I have no clue when it comes to crocheting but I do passionately love your turquoise in the photos. I missed coming here. I have been so absent minded lately.

BusyBsewBiz said...

I came across this website the other day. It might help, but I guess you'd have to do it in advance of each time you change over
http://www.knittinganyway.com/freethings/russianjoin.htm

alessandra said...

I usually do it before I joined them together, said so i do have a little grannies blanket that is full of ends on the back, so in that case with the help of a crochet hook I hide them where the joint seam is and try to fix them going up and then down...oh it is so complicate to explain but easy to do...and english is not my first language so I hope you'll find your way.
PS in knitting and crochet always find your own way! that a lesson I learnt a while ago ;)

Ingrid Mida said...

Hi Kylie,
I cannot offer any help but it looks like you have plenty of experts who've offered their advice already. Just wanted to wish you a happy weekend!

ELK said...

wild applause for your beautiful space today !!