PurlsAndPixels

At the base of your mitten thumb, you will probably have a yarn tail to weave in. When you use a stitch holder to separate and join a thumb, this will leave both a loose end and a hole at the base of the thumb. You can use the yarn tail to duplicate the knitting pattern by sewing it through the stitches with a darning needle. This will allow you to invisibly close the gap, as well as hide the loose end. After weaving in the yarn tails, I always add a small, nearly invisible knot to anchor the loose end inside the glove.

Weave in Thumb Base Tail, Step 1:

Thread the loose end through the eye of a darning needle.

Weave in Thumb Base Tail, Step 2:

Pick up the work so you can see the gap at the base of the thumb. Point the thumb away from you and the top of the glove toward you. The hole will appear to be almost diamond-shaped when held in this manner.

Weave in Thumb Base Tail, Step 3:

Locate the stitch directly across the gap from where the yarn tail leaves your knitting. Insert the tip of your darning needle upward (toward the thumb tip) and through that stitch.

Weave in Thumb Base Tail, Step 4:

Pull the needle and the yarn tail through the stitch.

Weave in Thumb Base Tail, Step 5:

Following the left leg of the next stitch upwards, locate the top of the first stitch to the right of the gap. Begin to trace this stitch with your yarn by inserting the tip of the darning needle under the two legs of the next stitch up.

Weave in Thumb Base Tail, Step 6:

Pull the needle and the yarn tail through the stitch only tightly enough to match the pattern of the work.

Weave in Thumb Base Tail, Step 7:

Follow the right leg of the stitch down, toward the hand. Insert your darning needle tip under the loop at the base of the stitch leg. Then, insert the needle tip under the stitch directly on the other side of the thumb gap.

Weave in Thumb Base Tail, Step 8:

Pull the needle and the yarn tail through the stitches.

Weave in Thumb Base Tail, Step 9:

Locate the top of the stitch just above your yarn tail. Trace this stitch with your yarn by inserting the tip of the darning needle under the two legs of the next stitch up.

Weave in Thumb Base Tail, Step 10:

Pull the needle and the yarn tail through the stitches. The loose end should now be coming from the space just at the tip of the hand-side of the diamond-shaped gap.

Weave in Thumb Base Tail, Step 11:

Follow the leg of the stitch at the bottom right of the diamond shape upward, toward the thumb. Insert your darning needle tip under the loop at the base of the stitch leg. Then, insert the needle tip under the stitch directly on the other side of the thumb gap.

Weave in Thumb Base Tail, Step 12:

Pull the needle and the yarn tail through the stitches.

Weave in Thumb Base Tail, Step 13:

Insert your darning needle tip down and through the center of the stitch directly on the other side of the gap. Do not pull the yarn tail through just yet.

Weave in Thumb Base Tail, Step 14:

Insert your darning needle tip down and through the center of the stitch located at the left corner of the diamond-shaped gap.

Weave in Thumb Base Tail, Step 15:

Pull the needle and the yarn tail through the stitches.

Weave in Thumb Base Tail, Step 16:

Locate the loop at the bottom corner of the diamond-shape, just below your yarn tail. Insert the tip of the darning needle down and through that loop, then up and under the next stitch leg to the left.

Weave in Thumb Base Tail, Step 17:

Pull the needle and the yarn tail through the stitches.

Weave in Thumb Base Tail, Step 18:

Insert the darning needle tip down and through the center of the stitch just above the yarn tail.

Weave in Thumb Base Tail, Step 19:

Pull the needle and the yarn tail through the stitch and into the inside of the glove.

Weave in Thumb Base Tail, Step 20:

Turn the glove inside-out and locate a purl stitch that is near your yarn tail. Insert the darning needle tip under that stitch.

Weave in Thumb Base Tail, Step 21:

Pull the needle and the yarn tail through the stitch.

Weave in Thumb Base Tail, Step 22:

Remove the tail from the darning needle. Inspect your yarn tail by untwisting it a bit, near your work. Identify the individual yarn plies and count them. Use the tip of your darning needle to help you split the plies into two equal sections. With the four-ply yarn shown, the plies should be split so there are two on each side. Gently separate the two halves of the yarn with your darning needle by sliding it out toward the end of the tail. Take care not to break the strands by pulling too quickly or roughly.

Weave in Thumb Base Tail, Step 23:

Once the tail is split in two, set one half aside and thread the other half through the eye of your darning needle.

Weave in Thumb Base Tail, Step 24:

With the darning needle, sew this half of the tail around the stitch that it is coming out from under. Do this by bringing your needle tip under and through the other side of the stitch.

Weave in Thumb Base Tail, Step 25:

Remove the tail from the darning needle. Lay the halves of the yarn tail out in opposite directions. One side should point right, the other should point left.

Weave in Thumb Base Tail, Step 26:

Tie two small interlocking knots. (See this link for more specific instructions.)  

Weave in Thumb Base Tail, Step 27:

Using the sharpest scissors you have available, clip off both halves of the yarn tail, one at a time, as closely as possible to the knot, without cutting the knot itself.

Weave in Thumb Base Tail, Step 28:

Turn your glove right-side out.

In the next lesson, I’ll show you how to switch from knitting in the round on Double Point Needles (DPNs) to knitting in the Magic Loop with long Circular Needles.