Weaving in ends is an essential step to finishing any knitting project. Whether you've got two ends (one at the beginning of your project and one at the end) or 50 or more from a complex intarisa or stranded knitting project, each one needs to be dealt with well so they won't poke out to the front of your project.

We're usually told to leave at least six inches of yarn to make this process easier, but that doesn't always happen.

If you've cut a piece too short (or were just about to run out of yarn) or need to hide a little end that keeps popping back out, you need some options besides the "thread the needle and run it through the back of some stitches" advice we're used to.

Here are a few more options for weaving in ends that are small, bulky or just won't stay still.

Try a Crochet Hook

If your yarn end is short, or if your yarn is too bulky for the needles you have regardless of its length, you may have better luck weaving in your end with a crochet hook instead of a yarn needle.

Work the yarn end through the backs of the stitches as you normally would, just pull the yarn through with the hook instead of using a needle. You won't be able to weave as thoroughly if you have a short end -- or you may not want to go through many stitches if your yarn is very bulky and obvious on the front side of your project -- but it's better than nothing.

Place Your Needle First

Here's a trick I learned from Deborah Newton (I think it's in her book Finishing School): when your end is too short to work the needle in and out of stitches, first place the needle through the stitches where you want it to go, then thread the needle and pull through.

It's a way to do all the weaving in one pass so your yarn end goes farther. (This method is pictured above.)

Experiment with Fabric Glue

This is a little unorthodox, but if you have a yarn end that just won't stay put and it's driving you nuts, consider trying the tiniest dot of fabric glue to hold it down.

Before you do this, please, please do your homework, choose a glue that's appropriate for the fabric you're using and the cleaning method you expect to use (some are more washable than others) and test the glue on a piece of yarn for stickiness and any possible change in the color or stiffness of the fiber.

If you're OK with the results, go ahead and glue, using as little adhesive as possible.

Leave it Alone

I did just say that weaving in ends is essential, but sometimes it really might not be. If you don't mind the inside of your colorwork sweater being a mess of ends, don't worry about them. If the sweater is wool in time they'll felt down to the inside of the sweater, anyway, just from the friction of wearing it.

If there's one end in your hat or mitten that keeps peeping out, try just pulling it to the inside and leaving it there. If it doesn't bother you and that solves the problem, no one else will ever know so it's fine. The goal here is to get a project you're happy with and will use, so if it looks good from the outside and feels good on the inside, there are no wrong answers.