PurlsAndPixels

Weave in Yarn Tails on Mitten Fingertips

Learn to weave in the loose ends and finish mitten fingertips in this knitting lesson with Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels.
Learn to weave in the loose ends and finish mitten fingertips in this knitting lesson with Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels.

After knitting a mitten and taking it off your needles, you will be left with loose ends at the tips of the fingers and thumb. There will also be a small hole near the loose ends. With a darning needle, you can sew the tails into the mitten in a decorative duplicate stitch. Then, you can weave in the yarn tails on your mitten fingertips and anchor them to the inside of the glove.

Below you will find both video and written guides to help you learn how to weave in the yarn tails of knit mitten fingertips.

Video Guide: How to Weave in the Yarn Tails on Mitten Fingertips

Written Guides: How to Weave in the Yarn Tails on Mitten Fingertips

Follow the step-by-step guide below to weave in the loose end at the top of the mitten fingertips. To weave in the thumb tail, you will follow the same basic steps as shown in my “Weave in the Loose End on Hat Tops” lesson, which can be found at this link.

Step 1: Weave in the yarn tail to finish mitten fingertips a knitting lesson with Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels.

Weave in Mitten Fingertip Tail, Step 1:

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

Step 2: Weave in the yarn tail to finish mitten fingertips a knitting lesson with Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels.

Weave in Mitten Fingertip Tail, Step 2:

Pick up the work so that the top edge is facing you. You will see an oval-shaped hole at the top of the mitten. Hold the mitten so the yarn tail is on the left side of the oval.

Step 3: Weave in the yarn tail to finish mitten fingertips a knitting lesson with Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels.

Weave in Mitten Fingertip Tail, Step 3:

Directly across the oval from your yarn tail, you will see “<”-shaped stitches. Insert the tip of your darning needle under both legs of the “<”-shaped stitch that is closest to the hole.

Step 4: Weave in the yarn tail to finish mitten fingertips a knitting lesson with Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels.

Weave in Mitten Fingertip Tail, Step 4:

Pull the needle and the yarn tail through the stitch. Do not pull too tightly; try to match the shape and size of the nearby stitch legs.

Step 5: Weave in the yarn tail to finish mitten fingertips a knitting lesson with Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels.

Weave in Mitten Fingertip Tail, Step 5:

Locate the stitch from which the yarn tail started. Insert the tip of the darning needle down and through the center of that stitch, toward the inside of the glove.

Weave in Mitten Fingertip Tail, Step 6:

Pull the needle and the yarn tail through to the inside of the mitten.

Step 7: Weave in the yarn tail to finish mitten fingertips a knitting lesson with Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels.

Weave in Mitten Fingertip Tail, Step 7:

Inspect the top of your mitten to see if the new decorative stitch you have just made matches the rest of the stitching. Adjust the tightness of this stitch by gently pulling on the yarn tail until the stitch matches the others.

Step 8: Weave in the yarn tail to finish mitten fingertips a knitting lesson with Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels.

Weave in Mitten Fingertip Tail, Step 8:

Turn the mitten inside-out. Hold the work so that you can see the oval at the top of the fingertips, with the yarn tail on your left.

Step 9: Weave in the yarn tail to finish mitten fingertips a knitting lesson with Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels.

Weave in Mitten Fingertip Tail, Step 9:

Insert the tip of the darning needle under and through the next two of the stitches that form the top edge of the oval closest to the yarn tail.

Step 10: Weave in the yarn tail to finish mitten fingertips a knitting lesson with Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels.

Weave in Mitten Fingertip Tail, Step 10:

Pull the needle and the yarn tail through the stitches.

Step 11: Weave in the yarn tail to finish mitten fingertips a knitting lesson with Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels.

Weave in Mitten Fingertip Tail, Step 11:

Insert the tip of the darning needle under and through the next two of the stitches that form the bottom edge of the oval closest to the yarn tail.

Step 12: Weave in the yarn tail to finish mitten fingertips a knitting lesson with Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels.

Weave in Mitten Fingertip Tail, Step 12:

Pull the needle and the yarn tail through the stitches.

Step 13: Weave in the yarn tail to finish mitten fingertips a knitting lesson with Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels.

Weave in Mitten Fingertip Tail, Step 13:

Repeat steps nine through 12, zig-zagging the yarn tail up and down, through the stitches at the edge of the oval. Take care not to pull too tightly; attempt to match the shape and size of the stitches in your pattern. Once you have reached the right side of the oval, the hole should disappear. Remove the darning needle from the tail.

Step 14: Weave in the yarn tail to finish mitten fingertips a knitting lesson with Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels.

Weave in Mitten Fingertip Tail, Step 14:

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.

Step 15: Weave in the yarn tail to finish mitten fingertips a knitting lesson with Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels.

Weave in Mitten Fingertip Tail, Step 15:

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.

Step 16: Weave in the yarn tail to finish mitten fingertips a knitting lesson with Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels.

Weave in Mitten Fingertip Tail, Step 16:

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

Step 17: Weave in the yarn tail to finish mitten fingertips a knitting lesson with Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels.

Weave in Mitten Fingertip Tail, Step 17:

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

Step 18: Weave in the yarn tail to finish mitten fingertips a knitting lesson with Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels.

Weave in Mitten Fingertip Tail, Step 18:

Pull the tail through, only tightly enough to match the pattern of your knitting. Do not pull too tightly.

Step 19: Weave in the yarn tail to finish mitten fingertips a knitting lesson with Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels.

Weave in Bind-off Tail in the Round, Step 19:

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.

Step 20: Weave in the yarn tail to finish mitten fingertips a knitting lesson with Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels.

Weave in Bind-off Tail in the Round, Step 20:

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

Step 21: Weave in the yarn tail to finish mitten fingertips a knitting lesson with Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels.

Weave in Bind-off Tail in the Round, Step 21:

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.

Step 22: Weave in the yarn tail to finish mitten fingertips a knitting lesson with Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels.

Weave in Bind-off Tail in the Round, Step 22:

Turn the mitten right-side-out and inspect the top of the glove to ensure you have closed the hole.

To weave in the thumb tail, you will follow the same basic steps as shown in my “Weave in the Loose End on Hat Tops” lesson, which can be found at this link.

Learn to weave in the loose ends on hand knit mittens in this knitting lesson mini-series with Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels.

Return to Mitten Finishing Tips to see how to to weave in your other loose ends.

Practice With My Knitting Patterns

Ready to try it?

Basic mitten knitting pattern by Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels.

In this lesson, I’ve shown you how to finish the gloves made following my Simple Mitten Knitting Pattern, which is available here.

Learn to weave in the loose ends and finish mitten fingertips in this knitting lesson with Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels.

Up Next

Learn to weave in the tail at the base of a knit mitten thumb in this knitting lesson with Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels.

In the next lesson, I’ll show you how to weave in the tail at the base of a mitten thumb.

Go Back to the Learn to Knit Index

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