Not all knots are bad
After writing my previous post, I've realized I'd been a little harsh on those poor knots. I'd been knitting some stuff with Drops yarn, which is nice and cheap and I usually use it when I'm learning something. Therefore I tend to be quite sloppy and care nothing about things like small mistakes or knots when I use it. It turns out that this yarn usually comes with quite a few yarn joins, including some very small knots, and I find the latter are neat and difficult to spot on the knitted fabric. Actually they are even more subtle than other join methods.
So, I'm writing an addendum to my previous post. Not all knots are bad, very small ones can be OK.
There is even a method of joining yarn that uses knots, it is called Magic Knot Join, and here is how to do it (image taken from here).
Or if you prefer learning from a video:
That said, I'd still recommend caution when you find a knot on your yarn. Many brands don't bother to join their yarn in ways that are discrete or secure, they expect you to cut the knots that are found in their skeins.
In addition, even the tiniest, most discrete knot can be visible in your project, depending on several factors, for example, position (right in the middle of the chest, as opposed to the underarm, of a sweater), yarn (yarns with very good stitch definition can show the smallest irregularities, but variegated and thick-and-thin yarns hide them), pattern (complex patterns hide irregularities a lot better than stockinette).
But the main reason I am wary of knots is the danger they may unravel. The magic knot is pretty secure, but it can still come undone. If it does, you'll find yourself with a hole in your project that may be impossible to fix in a discrete way.
So, I'm writing an addendum to my previous post. Not all knots are bad, very small ones can be OK.
There is even a method of joining yarn that uses knots, it is called Magic Knot Join, and here is how to do it (image taken from here).
Or if you prefer learning from a video:
That said, I'd still recommend caution when you find a knot on your yarn. Many brands don't bother to join their yarn in ways that are discrete or secure, they expect you to cut the knots that are found in their skeins.
In addition, even the tiniest, most discrete knot can be visible in your project, depending on several factors, for example, position (right in the middle of the chest, as opposed to the underarm, of a sweater), yarn (yarns with very good stitch definition can show the smallest irregularities, but variegated and thick-and-thin yarns hide them), pattern (complex patterns hide irregularities a lot better than stockinette).
But the main reason I am wary of knots is the danger they may unravel. The magic knot is pretty secure, but it can still come undone. If it does, you'll find yourself with a hole in your project that may be impossible to fix in a discrete way.
Comments
Post a Comment