So I have been practicing casting on and now I am starting my 'knit stitch'. How in the world do I get rid of the end of the yarn? not the working end yarn ball (or tangled yarn pile since my kids were "helping me") but the other end that I casted on with? I tried discreetly tying it off and it keeps coming undone and slipping off the top of my needles. Maybe I am using the wrong yarn for beginners? I dunno. any advice for the noob? TIA!
I don't know B.D. I have been youtubing knitting and every knitting beeznatch in the video has perfect casted on stiches with no tail present, I must have done something wrong. I have this like 4-6 inch tail and I don't think it is supposed to be there.
Hmmmm very interesting they must be professionals or very good at hiding it. I don't care the damn thing is confusing me.
Okay I am no knitting expert, but I ASSuME you're referring to the tail. Once your piece is done you can weave it into the piece with a yarn needle.
ETA: Although I've never watched any youtube videos, I always have a tail that I tuck in once the piece is complete. I can't imagine not having one. Hmmm....
The 4-6 inch "tail" stays there until you're done with your piece. When you're knitting stockinette stitch - knit on one side, purl the other side - the 'right' side of your knitting it will hang off on the bottom of your piece on the left hand side of your knitting, when the 'right' side (with the v's are facing you). When you're done and you cast off, you will also have a 4-6" tail. Then the last step will be to weave in your ends with a yarn needle. You will also have these ends if you change colors. If it is truly driving you crazy you can weave it in whenever you have A. inch or so in length. Just take a yarn needle or crochet hook and pull the tail through a few of the yarn bumps in your knitted piece. Look on you tube for a video on 'weaving in ends in knitting'.
It's been awhile, but if you're talking about the loose end, I place it while I'm working so that the stitches I'm adding cover it up. Or you can use the method I use for crochet sometimes: buy a yarn needle and weave it into the finished piece so it's hidden.
I have the perfect book for you. I own both this book and it's crochet counterpart. REALLY easy to follow/understand.
http://www.amazon.com/American-School-Learn-Knit-Just/dp/...
ETA: Okay, after reading some other responses, yes, they are right. The tail from the casting on stays there until you're done with the piece then you weave it in so it's no longer visible.
I would leave the tail visible. It tells you where you started and will help you remember where you are in the pattern.
Trust me, the you-tubers have a tail - it just gets edited out. When I knit the first few stitches, I use the tail and the working end, just to set the end. You just have to remember when you go back along the first row that the last few stitches have two threads instead of one. Leave the tail hanging until the piece is finished, then just weave it into the first few stitches next to it, tie it off against a stitch on the wrong side and snip the end close to the knot. It will only be noticeable if you're looking for it. Or you can knit the whole tail in - just mark where the tail ends so that you remember that you have two threads per stitch.
