yarn?

[Jean Marie]

Have you ever bought yarn and were crocheting and came up to a knot where 2 strands of yarn are tied together? Do you think it will hold and not come apart? I've come across this before and I have decided to cut on both sides of the yarn and just continued crocheting just like adding a new piece of yarn but now that I've come across it again I'm not sure what I'm going to do - if I'm going to cut on both sides of the knot or just keep crocheting and hope the knot will hold. Has this happened to you before?

This is a blanket for my niece and I want the yarn to hold and not come apart. I went ahead and crocheted the stitch with the knot to see what it looked like but I took it back out because I didn't like the way it looked. I think I would rather cut on both sides of the knot. I don't like knots in my yarn when crocheting.

[CrochetSuzieQ]

Now that you mention it, Jean Marie, I've come across this, too. I think for a blanket, I'd follow your gut instinct and cut that knot out. I recently saw some threads coming out of a sweater I made for my grandson and decided I needed to be more careful. Have you ever used a Russian join? I found that on youtube and it is really a great way to join yarn. Just a thought.

[Jean Marie]

yes I have.

[Nova55]

If you don't like how the knot looks, by all means cut it out. Otherwise you have two choices. Leave the knot in and put a couple drops of fray-check / liquid stitch on the knot, or take a needle and thread and sew the knot together. I too have used the Russian join and like it, but I don't have any experience at how well it holds up through washing.

[Jean Marie]

I already have cut the knot out and continued crocheting. Thank you for your input but do you mean sewing the knot together with needle and thread?

[dwilhelm]

I think the yarn industry should be able to gage their machinery so there will be no knots. This especially true for synthetic yarn. I would rather it just end and let me decide how to join I do exactly like you did, cut out the knot and treat as a new yarn. These knots are a real pet peeve and if I buy a yarn with more than one per skein, I do not buy again.

[luvacat2]

I have been crocheting for over 40 years. I have noticed through the years that knots are becoming more and more frequent. I have had as many as 5 in one skein. Makes me crazy! I will look into a Russian join. Jean Marie, thanks for putting a song in my heart this morning. Tulips are blooming in Holland, Michigan
Tulips bright colored and gay.
Dance on the scrubbed streets of Holland, Michigan
When tulips bloom in May.
Have a great day!

[Nova55]

Yes, exactly. That way you can be sure the knot won't come undone. Also, depending on the weight of the yarn and pattern, sometimes you can sew the knot so it doesn't stick out or show, either.

[dafydil]

I agree that this is becoming a more frequent occurrence. I cut out the knot and treat it as if I was joining a new skein but leave a few inches after crocheting over the ends and backtrack sewing the ends in.

[karenlatlas]

I never trust the knots found in yarn skeins, I always undo them (they come out too easy to be trusted) and join in my preferred method, usually Russian join.
Karen