Knots in Yarn: Options

Often, a skein of yarn comes from the mill packing a surprise: knots with the ends trimmed too close. The occasional mill-tied knot is a necessary evil of the yarn spinning process, and can really cause problems while crocheting or knitting, especially if the yarn is slippery or the stitches are lacy or loose.

Good News! I've published Ennis, with a chart too.

I encountered this most recently with the silkiest bamboo yarn I've ever used, called SWTC Bamboo. [UPDATE: I've since published the pattern in both this yarn and DesigningVashti Lotus yarn—which by the way has zero-to-1 knots per ball.] 

The silky ends I wove in have stayed put so far.

Yarn Knot Best Practices

My first choice for a project like this would be to rip out the existing row to the start of it, cut the yarn, and reattach it without the mill-tied knot in it. that way the new knot is at the edge. 


A possible alternative to ripping out the partial row is to cut the knot out of the yarn, then re-knot it a bit loosely, leaving yarn ends about 5 inches long each. 


I've had good luck separating the plies of the yarn and weaving in each ply separately using a sharp needle so that one ply is threaded through the center core of nearby strands. I'd thread a different ply through different nearby strands, so that a thickened area is not created. 

About the yarns shown: Far left is DesigningVashti Lotus (colors Satin Grey and Lavender Ice). The aqua blue one is Interweave Crochet Magazine's choice for their version of this pattern. The orange was from my own yarn stash; both are SWTC Bamboo.

This works fine for Lotus. For SWTC Bamboo, though, it's a fine-knit tube, not twisted plies to be separated. What's working instead is to use a sharper yarn needle to pierce through to the center of a strand and hide a yarn end in it.


If the yarn can be felted here's another option. Yarn that is at least 50% wool, cashmere, or alpaca,  and is not superwash, will likely felt. This makes felt-joining possible. (I don't have much experience with this.) It could leave a thickened area like the Russian join does sometimes. If it's felted together really well, it could be trimmed thinner, but might be a bit stiffer than the rest of the stitches. Depends on the particular project.


So far, weaving in the separated plies of the yarn ends with a sharp needle has worked well for me, especially with silkier yarns that would otherwise work themselves loose over time. 
A special thank you to Anne!

Plying and Spinning Cotton Crochet Thread

2018 Update: For issue #91 of my crochet newsletter I distilled a lot of my thinking, experiences, and other information about the twist of yarn. Twist—the amount of it and the direction of it—is one of the things that makes crochet thread feel and behave so differently from yarn. Even from lace weight yarn.

An image from Issue 91: Crocheting a Yarn's Twist Energy

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[from 2010] I'm collecting here the notes I've written on this over the years and will eventually polish it up into a real post. For now, it serves as a place to help crocheters choose the best yarns or threads for my crochet patterns. It's also a way to appreciate the key differences between what we call "yarn" vs "thread."

Cotton crochet thread of the same thickness as a yarn is often fundamentally different in its behavior when crocheted. One big reason (among others) for this is its direction of twist. Most crochet thread is "z-twisted" while most yarns are "s-twisted." (There aren't many exceptions!)

I find that this factor makes the biggest difference for most crochet jewelry I design, and when I'm using very tall stitches because of all the yarn overs. Yarn overs either add to a yarn's twist, or subtract from it (i.e. unwind it).

I try to use triple trebles with z-twisted yarns because an s-twisted yarn, if it's not tightly plied, will come untwisted from all the yarn-overs and is unpleasant to work with and look at. Splitty yarn can really slow down working off so many loops with each stitch, and I want the stitches to end up looking good enough to be worth the effort, instead of stringy or unbalanced. (I think this matters more for right handed crocheters than left handed because of the kind of working twist we add/subtract, not sure.)

Cotton Crochet Thread Sizes & Equivalents

Here's how I explain the thread weights in my crochet jewelry patterns, in order of thick thread to thin, with US, UK and AUS terms:

Irish Pearl Cords L to R: Size #5 Lanaknits Hemp,
Size #10 Cebelia, and Size #20 Opera threads.

Size #3 crochet thread is fairly equivalent in thickness to CYCA #2 Fine or US "sport weight" yarns {UK Light DK, AUS 5 Ply}; however, yarns don't necessarily behave like a cotton crochet thread of the same thickness. Jewelry patterns often require crochet thread because of its smooth, finely twisted and plied mercerized cotton, usually “z-twisted.”

Size #5 crochet thread is fairly equivalent in thickness to CYCA #1 Super Fine or US "fingering weight' yarn {UK & AUS 3 Ply or 4 Ply}; however, not all yarns behave like a cotton crochet thread of the same thickness, so substitutions may not work well. Six-strand cotton embroidery floss falls in this size range when crocheted with all 6 strands together.

Size #10 crochet thread: some thread crocheters call this popular size “bedspread weight.”  It's lumped together with thinner thread sizes in the yarn industry’s catch-all “lace weight” category: CYCA #0 Lace weight yarn {UK & AUS ??}; and most lace weight yarns don’t behave like a cotton crochet thread of the same thickness. Most of my thread crochet jewelry is designed for use with smooth, finely twisted and plied mercerized cotton, preferably “z-twisted” (i.e. has a counterclockwise twist).

Dichroic Pendant Cords (pattern is adjusted for different thread weights)

Size #20 crochet thread: As with Size #10 & #30 crochet threads, equivalent yarn weight names are not helpful with these extra fine threads. For the best looking and lasting crochet jewelry, use a “6-cord” thread, sometimes called "cordonnet." It has recently become easier to find in more colors than the traditional white and ecru.

Size #30 crochet thread: As with Size #10 & #20 threads, equivalent yarn weight names are not helpful with these extra fine threads. For the best looking and lasting crochet jewelry, use a “6-cord” thread, although it's difficult to find it in modern colors.

Palmetto Cuffs crocheted of yarns spanning the light sport to
aran (heavy worsted) weight categories.
The yarn of the smallest cuff is equivalent to the thickest thread size #3!

Choosing Cotton Thread for Crochet Jewelry

Four Mermaid Chains, four brands of crochet thread!
Top right and bottom left corner is #10 Opera thread.
See a lovely variegated #20 Lizbeth one.

I have a handsome stash of a fine quality cotton crochet thread called Opera, ranging in sizes from #5 (approaching "fingering" weight") to #30.

The larger the number, the thinner the thread. Size #30 might look like sewing thread to some folks compared to size #10, but sewing thread is closer to a size #100 or #120.

I use Opera crochet thread mostly for crocheting jewelry. The jewelry I've made with it stays looking great longer because of its high quality cotton fiber, the higher twist, and smooth finish.

Opera is made by Coats, though regrettably I must now say WAS made by Coats. (It's discontinued.) What to do?

I've been having great luck with a crochet thread called Lizbeth. While maybe nothing can replace Opera thread for me completely, the Lizbeth color choices are great fun! Best of all Lizbeth is a six-cord thread (see below).

From the Slider Charms Trio 
pattern set.

What I Look For in a Crochet Thread

I used Lizbeth Size #10 for the green & brown
Sweet Almonds Set. 

Especially for jewelry.

1. The higher the amount of twist, the better. (Known as a hard twist.) It will stay looking new longer and will hold its shape well.
2. The number of plies matters--the more, the better. Threadies will refer to a thread as a "3-cord" or a "6-cord". Perle cotton is a "2-cord" thread. I've seen 6-cord threads referred to as "cordonnet" and heirloom-quality. Generally speaking, 6-cord is great for jewelry--at least, the kind that I like to design. Opera is an extra nice 3-cord thread, so that's why I say generally speaking.
3. The quality of the cotton used. One can't always tell by look and feel because the fibers can have finishes added that give it a smoother, denser, shinier look on the ball. After some use, a lower-quality thread will get fuzzy or hairy, indicating that cheaper, shorter fiber lengths were used.
4. Pretty colors! (Some of the best threads have traditionally been available in only white, off-white, and black.)

The best crochet threads for jewelry seem to be imported. Although your local yarn shop likely has a good selection of imported yarns, very few yarn shops carry heirloom-quality crochet thread.

Where to find great thread for jewelry? A few years ago I wrote "mainly on the internet if you live in the USA", but today it's easy to find Lizbeth thread in craft stores too. 

Learn how & why I developed this stitch pattern
to do planned color pooling with Lizbeth thread.

Occasionally I see DMC Cordonnet (an excellent thread) in a craft chain store, but only in white in a size #50 or crazier thinner (for tatting). I wonder if it's easy to tint with dyes....

Tips for Working with Jelly Yarn(tm)

Moonglow Pocket Pillow makes good use of the
glow in the dark Jelly yarn!

I first wrote these tips for a pattern called Barbed Wire Belt. You can put these tips to use right away if you already have some of this unique yarn at home. In the meantime, more crochet patterns for Jelly Yarn® are coming because I cannot resist its siren song. 

Tip #1 

If you can't make the initial slip knot tight enough to stay knotted, add a dab of superglue.

Tip #2 

Use a small amount of hand cream or something silicone-based on your crochet hook to really build up stitching speed! Also try switching to a Boye aluminum crochet hook or one with a brushed finish.

Tip #3 

Parakeet Perchswing (my birds' favorite toy!) is
now free at my new website.

The Jelly Yarn® is a "monofilament," not twisted plies. Like ribbon and tape yarns, it will acquire some twist as you work with it. I ignore it, unless it starts kinking up. Pulling more yarn from the ball helps because it postpones the twist down the line, indefinitely. Sometimes I crochet it standing up and shake the twist down the strand.

Tip #4 

Jelly Yarn® seems to stick more or resist me when I'm tired, stressed, or impatient. It's the same if I'm in a hot or stuffy room. Therefore I figure that either Jelly Yarn® has psychic powers, or when I'm stressed I become hot and stuffy too. If this happens to you, just take a break, turn up the A/C, and maybe even place your yarn in an ice chest and work that way! 

"Flying Jelly Ring, Tambourine Version"
from Jelly Yarn: 20 Cool Projects for Girls to Knit and Crochet

Tip #5 

If you have kids, guard your jelly stash carefully. If you don’t have kids, other people’s kids will find you and stare soulfully until you make something for them.