Knots in yarn

BillSpace · 10-12-2006, 04:35 PM

After reading this post http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting...ic.php?t=19224, I wanted to complain about buying yarn -- expensive yarn, good yarn -- and finding a knot in it midway through the skein. This happens to me almost every project. Sometimes, I find a knot in every single ball of yarn for a project.

Why is this? Am I just unlucky? Are manufacturers unable to produce a skein of yarn without breaking it off and knotting on another? Has anyone else had this situation?

It's not fatal, but it is annoying to discover, as you're midway through a row, a knot. If you take most knitting books' advice, this means un-knitting to the beginning of the row, cutting out the offending knot, then rejoining. Not so bad in a short row with stockinette; in a long afghan with cables, though, a major pain.

CarmenIbanez · 10-12-2006, 04:42 PM

I have noticed this also. This happens in probably 60-70% of my skeins. It is infuriating.

Ingrid · 10-12-2006, 05:58 PM

It IS annoying. I can't say it happens on every skein, but enough to be a pain. If it's wool, I cut the knot out and felt it together. I don't want to unknit a row. If I try to knit with the knot in, it invariably ends up with the knot popping out to the front.

knitqueen · 10-12-2006, 06:30 PM

It happened to me, numerous times in a $18 skein of sock yarn. I had the same problem that the post you linked mentioned -- after one of the knots, the self-patterning effect started going in the opposite direction. It was VERY frustrating, especially you'd think with expensive good quality yarn you wouldn't have such a flawed item.

I'll keep you posted though, cause I talked to my LYS about it, knowing full well it wasn't their fault as they just sell the yarn but thought they needed to know - they were going to talk to their supplier about it and said they would let me know. I haven't heard from them yet so I hope they stay with their word and let me know.

Witchy Mama · 10-13-2006, 03:41 AM

I had my first knot the other day, I freaked LMAO, I was like OMG what do I do, what do I do, I'm such a ditz

Tamar Dohel · 10-13-2006, 05:30 AM

And I thought it was only the yarn I get in Israel!!! So, I never bothered to mentioned it!

Oh! I'm so relieved!

Anyway, the way I handle it is if I'm knitting a scarf which has to look smooth on both sides I tighten the knot as much as possible to make it as small as possible before knitting with it. Then I cut the ends of the knot as close as possible to it and carry on knitting normanlly. It hardly shows.

If I'm knitting a bag or something with a reverse side I leave the ends of the knot slightly longer, knit the stitch with the knot a bit looser and when I've knitted a couple of rows or so (sometimes I wait to finish the whole project) I tuck and pull the knots through to the other side.

I used to get very frustrated with this problem but I learnt to deal with it and I just accept it now. I'll be thinking of you and smilling on my next knot.

Tamar

MAmaDawn · 10-13-2006, 01:17 PM

I have this problem too. The only yarn that I have never had problem with is cotten yarn.

What I have started to do is just roll EVERY bit of yarn I buy. I do a center pull ball (thank you Amy) And it really doesn't take me long now to roll them into balls. IF I have several skiens then I will do some at the beginning and the rest later. I have had some that were so bad that returned the yarn and they have always been good about taking it back. Another reason that I do this is I have found it hard to find the center pull yarn in the skien.

I agree though it is very frustrating

boyforpele13 · 10-16-2006, 04:40 AM

I am not sure of the truth in this, but I was told by an instructor that up to 2 knots per skein were "acceptable" in the industry. I think that rots, but based on my experience, I believe it. But then you wonder, if it's like a 450-yard hank, can there be 4 or 6 per industry standard? Hmmmm. Yucky no matter what.