How Do I Keep My Yarn From Tangling While Knitting?

If you are a hobbyist knitter, you probably know the frustration that comes with tangled yarn while you work on gifts or personal projects. However, if you are a business owner enjoying an online business selling crafts, tangled yarn can actually get in the way of productivity and profits.

How To Keep Yarn From Tangling? There are a varieties of techniques from using clothespins, other containers, creating yarn balls, and mastering your pulling technique. Test out which method works best for you but the key is to keep practicing!!

Additionally, the type of project you knit will lend itself to tangling. Consequently, it is in your interest to fix a problem that might actually be getting in the way of complex projects that could lead to higher profits. Simply put, it is time to end the tangles.

Why Does Yarn Tangle In The First Place?

Yarn tangles primarily due to the complexity of a project or the type of yarn. However, it can also tangle due to the way it is pulled or the way it loosens from the skein of yarn.

For instance, three-color stranding is the term for knitting three colors of yarn at once. It is also known as Fair Isle knitting. This technique, obviously, is very difficult, and it can end up in knotted yarn if you are unfamiliar with how to deftly maneuver your fingers and the needles.

To a lesser extent, the same problem exists for knitting with two colors. That said, knitting, in general, is not easy. For instance, you can end up with a tangle as a result of how tightly or loosely your ball of yarn was wound.

A ball of yarn that is wound tighter on the inside and looser on the outside tends to remain free of tangles. Conversely, if the outside becomes loose, causing you to wrap it up improperly, tangles can result.

Additionally, if you are knitting with a light-weight yarn, pulling from the inside of the skein can result in a tangled mess. In terms of yarn shapes, balls tangle less frequently than skeins or hanks.

To make matters worse, the process of knitting actually loosens the ball, skein, or hank. When this happens, it can make your project more prone to tangles.

Finally, if you are left-handed, you may experience an increase in tangles due to the way you pull. For instance, as a lefty, you might be pulling against the grain of the yarn, which, in turn, might increase the chances that the yarn will tangle.

Different Types Of Yarn

Another reason yarn tangles is due to the quality of the yarn. For instance, in terms of tangling, wool and alpaca behave much differently than yarns made of acrylic or silk. This happens because they have different weights and strand lengths.

Similarly, cotton will sometimes behave much differently than cashmere–even though they seem like similar materials. Cashmere, for instance, can tangle and pill due to its short length.

To make matters worse, yarn made in small batches from alpaca can actually have vegetable matter or debris in it, so you must inspect it as it can quickly catch and tangle.

In terms of habit, you might become experienced knitting with a specific type of yarn. If you switch to a lighter or heavier yarn, you can actually cause tangles because you work the yarn differently.

However, cashmere and other high-quality yarns rarely tangle if you use simple techniques. In fact, if you find the cashmere bunching or catching, it might be fake cashmere, which, unfortunately, sometimes occurs.

Five Techniques To Prevent Tangling

1. Clothespins

When you knit with more than one color of yarn, it can be very difficult to keep things organized and avoid tangles. Additionally, the more colors you use, the more challenging it gets to keep the yarn from tangling within itself or with other yarns.

Using a spring-type clothespin is an interesting solution for projects that require multiple colors. You can simply wind each individual color of yarn around a separate clothespin. Next, you can place the working end of the yarn in the part of the clothespin that closes automatically.

Using this method ensures that when you switch between colors, the yarns will not unwind and become entangled with each other.

2. Containers

Putting your yarn in a box and threading the strand of yarn through a hole will allow the yarn to unravel from the skein without tangling. Additionally, you will not have to constantly check on the location of the skein as it will stay put in the box rather than falling off the table and onto the floor.

Fortunately, there are a variety of DIY containers you can make that do not require spending a lot of money. For instance, you can use old cereal boxes to keep several different colors of yarn separated and organized. If you do not eat cereal, you can use a Ziploc bag.

When using a Ziploc bag, all you need to do is make a small hole in one side of the bag, place the yarn inside the bag, and slide the working end of the yarn through the hole. Additionally, you should make sure to close the bag to keep the yarn from falling out and ending up in a tangled mess.

Another great idea is to use a plastic coffee can. All you need to do is make a hole about the size of a quarter and tape the edges. The tape ensures the yarn will not catch.

Next, you can place the yarn inside the can, and thread the working end of the yarn through the hole. Of course, you also need to be sure to close the lid tightly.

3. Yarn balls

In general, leaving your yarn in the original skein packaging can result in yarn that is rather difficult to work with as well as yarn that tangles easily. A very easy way to avoid this is to re-wrap the yarn into the shape of a ball.

When yarn is in the shape of a ball, it is in a more compact and tighter form. This compact form helps to ensure the yarn will not tangle easily.

4. Pulling

Unfortunately, when it comes to the right way to pull the yarn from the skein to avoid tangles, there is no definitive answer. In fact, you will have to test which type of yarn does best with pulling from the center of the skein versus pulling from the piece located on the outside.

Be sure to keep a record of what works best across the different types of yarns as this will ultimately make your knitting life much easier.

5. Practice

In terms of knitting with multiple colors, you might simply need to watch some training videos and practice. For instance, when the color changes, it is important to loosen up on the technique.

In Conclusion

All knitters will experience tangling yarn, but you can mitigate this by finding a technique that works for you. Moreover, you must keep practicing regularly to get better at knitting. Tangles will naturally decrease in frequency over time. Don’t let tangles stop you from knitting!