How to untangle a skein of yarn!

As a hand dyer, this is an essential skill for me - so I thought I'd share the knowledge. If you purchase hanks of yarn (not in a ball/useable form), sometimes they can come a little tangled or get tangled as you have them in your "stash". Here's my trick to untangle the hanks of yarn! :) enjoy

[@Pr3ppy_lifestyle-x9l]

Oh my god. I spent 5 hours detangling a NEW skein of Madeleine Tosh yarn yesterday. It was surprisingly meditative but IF I WOULD HAVE JUST GOOGLED THIS LIFE WOULD HAVE BEEN SO MUCH EASIER

[@LittlebeanandMe]

sorry to hear that! bookmark this for next time! :)

[@cohennixon4810]

not sure if you guys gives a shit but if you guys are bored like me atm then you can watch all of the latest movies and series on InstaFlixxer. Have been streaming with my gf recently =)

[@aldojay8629]

@Cohen Nixon definitely, I've been watching on InstaFlixxer for months myself =)

[@rowansantiago202]

@Cohen Nixon definitely, have been watching on instaflixxer for years myself =)

[@maryh923]

same! Oh dear why oh why I didn't find this video before I attempted my messy and tangled method.

[@jellybelly6856]

Oh thank god. I started knitting today, already hopped into the yarn and now it's just incredibly tangled

[@Holly-days]

I just spent 3 hours detangling an expensive yarn mess that tangled the instant I took off the label! Had to cut it in two places. 😥Thankfully, it is just for a throw I'm making. Thank you for this. Next is how to manage to not tangle it all up again while trying to roll it into a ball.

[@sleuthst6955]

How I wish I'd found this video before I cut the ties on a hank of organic cotton yarn I bought recently! I've never bought yarn in a hank before; I've always been more of a Red Heart Super Saver yarn gal. Sadly, I've now spent AT LEAST six hours untangling this mess and I'm only about halfway through! Thank you SO MUCH for this easy-to-understand and wonderful video, so I know what to do in the future!

[@savani751]

I did the saaameee and cut off the ties😭😭

[@enolahopkins545]

Thank you... it did help...I am just getting started with crocheting again...I have tangled yarn ..but I don't want to throw it out. Thanks again ....your baby is so sweet ...my child is an adult ...I miss those days.

[@woeborn]

hi. i just want you to know you've improved my life tenfold and saved me about fifty million hours of anguish. you're a hero!!

[@JazzyJ0]

That's the most unbelievably amazing thing I've ever seen. Who knew??

[@pattycrazyaboutcrafting4336]

WOW, all these years I've been crocheting I never knew about the ties!!! Thank you so much!!!

[@janetthames9869]

Why I have I not found your video before, it would have saved me hours of untangling over the years?

[@stephaniethesing5359]

My problem is, it usually gets horribly tangled AFTER I take those darn ties off! 😋

[@auntpurl5325]

Bless you! New hobby dyer, and my skeins look like spaghetti. I'll give thwacking a shot :)

[@oceansoul3694]

I think your video just saved my life. God Bless YOU!

[@LexierThanYou]

Ma’am, I just need to say, no one who has a reason to search for this video is having a great week 😂😂😂 That being said, THANK YOU FOR THIS!!!!

[@sussuss]

Ah! Thank you for this!! I got in a terrible mess the other day. It took ages to untangle. I am so happy to have found this.

[@aprillamayaramadhanny7873]

Finally I found you! I've spen 3days only to untangle my skein 😢 I'll save it for later.

[@brettfranklin8756]

Eureka! Great tutorial...you've actually singlehandedly made my life easier! Thank you for posting it!

[@mbshaddix]

SO grateful for this! Magic on the ones that aren't too crazy.

[@awesomeblossomknits3751]

This is super helpful, thank you! I just dyed my first few skeins of yarn and they are on the drying rack looking like a disaster- I was starting to panic. 🙀

[@LittlebeanandMe]

happens all the time :) have fun!!!

[@dawndann]

Nice trick. I'm gonna try it because this drives me bonkers. 😊

[@shyguy929]

For people who dont know what a slip knot is...just throw some yarn on the ground and pick it up again

[@BronokEU]

Brill-i-ant! Thank you. Me and my partner spend an entire evening balling up two hanks of tangles yarn. I wish I had looked this up before that nightmare. I tried this with another hank and it worked like a dream. Thank you!

[@LittlebeanandMe]

you're welcome :)

[@redredwine1277]

Take care of yourself, definitely that’s very helpful to know. Thank you👌🏽God Bless

[@wt30001]

That is amazing. I have thrown out more than one in the beginning but I have never seen this method. Thank you

[@BerryFine74]

Wish me luck, I'm about to attempt your untangling method, which, by the way, looks like magic :)

[@psdumas]

Great! I think I just wasted a hank of Manos del Uruaguay Maxima from untangling the bas*ard! It felted! It felts if you LOOK at it! Cute little girl. I always love when they pop up in mama's videos! Thanks!

[@LittlebeanandMe]

That darned maxima!! I agree, felts even if you’re just giving it the side eye.... haha

[@psdumas]

@@LittlebeanandMe But, when it's behaving, it's luxurious to knit with after all my swearing at it!

[@CassieCrochets]

What if there arent any ties? I've been searching for 2 hours and haven't located one

[@LittlebeanandMe]

is your yarn in a hank (a big loop that you have to wind up into a ball to use)? If so, there's at least one tie that keeps the ends together. Unfortunately, if there is just one tie in the yarn this trick may not work well - just because there is nothing keeping the rest of the yarn "in-line" so to speak - nothing to prevent yarn barf (for lack of a better word). I hope you can get untangled!

[@CassieCrochets]

Littlebean and Me thank u me too....it was given to me by my friends mom bc she didnt want to untangle and i gladly accepted the challenge lol

[@LittlebeanandMe]

oh my goodness! What patience!! good luck, Cassie!

[@CassieCrochets]

Thank you....i think it must be home made cuz its a lot of yarn A LOT...but no ties

[@feliciacaruso1444]

Didn't work for me, either.

[@sandrapolichino8806]

WOW !!! What a neat trick !!!

[@ruinedart]

Well then. I'll have to give this a shot before trying to wind my next hell-hank, thank you!

[@AimeeTheGreat]

This was amazing. 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@yourzlovingshrav18.]

Omg this helped me so so much thank you so much! And ur daughter is cute :-)

[@TalymoMakes]

You just saved me a ton of time

[@michperson]

I had no idea! Thank you for sharing this.

[@Jennie_cozy]

Omg Ty I have a bunch of messy yarn at home now I can finally use it to knit I need to knit it for a school project

[@MaryAnnSweetAngel]

it took me 7 hours to detangle mine as i had removed the ties haha, but i have another skien so i will try this method

[@genmama1955]

Face palm ! This was extremely helpful. I'm not eve sure I could find my ties at this point, but I'm sure going to try thank you so much !

[@LittlebeanandMe]

good luck, Lee Ann! :)

[@brandyraciborski-rieffer8451]

This was great, made me laugh too. Thank you so much!

[@clairedjuve5327]

This is yarn magic! Thankyou!

[@asecondisahiccup]

Thank you, thank you etc. ad nauseum. I have spent countless hours untangling.

[@atrinka1]

It's like a magic trick! thanks!

[@stacyelder3595]

cute dog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@mariamckeeth9983]

How does the Bob Ross (beat the devil out of it) method work with yarns that felt if you look at them sideways? Occasionally I have a skein of laceweight go tangly and those are generally not superwash.

[@LittlebeanandMe]

You certainly can beat the devil out of it - I’d recommend in a slightly gentler fashion. Don’t want to get too much friction happening. I usually do some snaps with my hands in the skein and if needed the full on “beating the devil out of it” hahah to your own discretion, certainly!

[@nalinneha4609]

Why am I watching this after detangling my yarn for like 2hours.

[@janedsouza8774]

Oh my God. This was Super helpful 😇😇

[@LittlebeanandMe]

Glad it was helpful!

[@TC-rv6sz]

Magical!! 🥰

[@sukubo313]

I came hoping to learn how to untangle a skein, and what I got was how to untangle a _hank_. I’ll remember it the next time I’m working with a tangled hank, but it doesn’t really help me today with a skein.

[@c0ronariu5]

This is magic

[@joannasherrod985]

U r the best. I have thrown away so much yarn because I couldn’t unravel it. May God continue to bless you. I do have a question. How do you know and why do crafters rewind yarn. Meaning creating new balls.

[@jilllindfield2187]

That is absolutely brilliant thankyou so much

[@BellydancerMaliha]

This is AMAZING, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

[@akatorrax1225]

thank you very much，I bought skein yarn recently and I already mess up 2 of them until I find this video，I wonder if those 2 can be untangle or I should just give up？Love from China

[@pamelamacias2837]

Way to go mom!!

[@misty4274]

THANK YOU!

[@jeanniecarpenter6313]

thank you, that was great to watch.

[@LittlebeanandMe]

i hope it was helpful!

[@mumtazilmy9397]

Ok thanks so much,

[@maryhugley9194]

VERY very helpful😚 thank u😚

[@FaerieFenergles]

Amazing! ... and fun too lol 😅

[@pilgriminprogress6668]

Wow!

[@tiffanytrevenen7983]

Magic!

[@KathyPurdywriting4Him]

This is amazing!

[@lorraineblackwell930]

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[@lanienell]

Cute and helpful video. Thank you

[@lxlly4806]

I'm litterty crying while untangle this yarn I should have search this up first but it's too late I tangled it too much already

[@paige37914]

HOLY CRAP -- THANK YOU!!!!!!

[@bikrgran]

WOW! Thanks!

[@medicationinmotion]

Thank you so much🙏🙏🌺🌺

[@MorriganShay]

any tips on detangling skeins of yarn that has accidentally felted a bit? (first time dyeing and here I am)

[@simonelinton2031]

This woman is Houdini

[@LittlebeanandMe]

i try!

[@WildScreamingBit]

THANK YOU!!

[@83sathya]

excellent ..excellent..

[@JenniferRodriguez-oy1uf]

Ok, great if the ties are still on the hank, but what do you do if you've taken the ties off and the yarn if tangled? I just went through days of untangling a hank of Berroco Vintage and finally got it wound around a cardboard roll and bought a winder to wind the next hank. I unraveled the hank around a chair back and took off the ties, thinking it was fine, but when I started to wind it I felt resistance as this yarn was also tangled. So frustrating! I had bought wool in hanks before and didn't have this issue, but it seems the Berroco Vintage is particularly prone to tangles. .

[@SomeGirlsRandom]

You're amazing

[@carolyn_r]

that was VERY helpful! Do you add more ties before you dye your yarn to prevent tangling? thanks!

[@LittlebeanandMe]

+Carolyn Robbin I don't. The skeins I dye up typically have 3 ties and that's more than enough. I actually prefer to cut one out if I can! Another cool trick I've learned since this video is to use a strand of twine or a plastic ring clipped around the skein - placed before I dye. That way when it is dyed i can more easily untangle.

[@carolyn_r]

yikes I just saw your response now...it's hard keeping up with all social media! Yes, I'm using twine also and I stopped putting additional ties in as well. In addition to the twine, if I want to keep skeins organized at any stage of dyeing, I use reusable zip ties to keep groups of skeins together. Your video has been so helpful! Thanks for your reply!

[@SristiBardewa]

So i am not the only one

[@christineeschbach7559]

Thanks for ur video

[@amymanoharan284]

I'm dying my own yarn but how do I go from purchase shape into a skein, tie the skein, then wrapped it back in in a skein to sell.

[@rebekahfernandes7991]

I only have 1 tie though 😭 not sure there's hope

[@deletedaccount3369]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!

[@lolainma3218]

Me too x2

[@plasticreplica]

i wish i had seen this before i untangled my warn with my husband for 4 hours ; - ;

[@cynthianobara4153]

I have the biggest yarn mess ever! About 8 aliens all tangled up together. I don’t want to do it but I must. I can’t bring myself to waste yarn!

[@LittlebeanandMe]

i'm very familiar with that scenario.Take your time, and try to detangle the skeins gently - that's the best advice i have.

[@sanjana123]

I did not find any "ties" in my yarn so I think you are untangling a Hank

[@lorinewton1]

I already cut the small string and started to roll it but it was crazily tangled. Is there hope?

[@LittlebeanandMe]

Ahhh! Oh no! I hope you were able to get it sorted. In the future a bit of tension (like knees or the back of the chair) can help! Hope you’re well :)

[@lpe3259]

Help I’ve been stuck for two hours and I still don’t know how to do this! I keep trying to find the loop where it seems it’s hooked on but that isn’t working! Ugh I feel like I should just throw it awayyyy

[@LittlebeanandMe]

i hope that you were able to get your yarn untangled!

[@rowan_thetree1986]

please ive been trying to detangle a new skein for more than 5 hours that I impulsively cut the ties of t-t

[@elonmust7470]

Skein? That's what we call the eggs of a salmon. A skein of roe.

[@christineeschbach7559]

Yea. I spent big money and I wasn't able to use mine. I gave up. Threw it away. Lol

[@IBEMOM2]

I have 3 huge skeins of yarn that are wound weird , so Ive had these 4 along time and get mad and quit ,on how to just wind into a ball ,any1 know about these skeins of yarn that spouse got 4 me on sale in cali? advise is imortant here! ty debby

[@LorisCrochetCorner]

Hi I stopped by from Triple C's to visit you're Lovely channel. I hit all the buttons and bell I hope you do too Tyfs ❤ I'm Looking forward to seeing more videos!! Have a wonderful day much love to you 🥰

[@cubawto7387]

Hey....I don't have even a single tie.....but great

[@LittlebeanandMe]

oh no! I hope you were able to untangle!~

[@beckyenyart8260]

Is this for hanks only? Or will it work for skeins as well? TIA 🙂

[@MdAlAmin-gl6nj]

How to change,colors yarn to white yarn,

[@valkyrie8828]

I had so much trouble! 😩😩😩

[@kelonmio224]

i now realized my yarn is way worse

[@zaleel6419]

kelon mio ahh I finally did it

[@DeirdreJ_AutomationArchitect]

🤯🤯

[@iksha6750]

what if the knot is not there

[@janicemurphy-ingram7624]

Wish I had looked at this 30 minutes ago 😑

[@suNRze]

This is exactly what I have going on. I wish I had this prior to having three huge messes!! 😞😞😞😞

[@sandygrogg1203]

A-making!

[@LittlebeanandMe]

Thanks, Sandy!

[@thirtysomething4532]

Why why would anyone wind yarn like this. This is the second hank of yarn that I have ruined because I can't undo all the tangled mess!!!!

[@stacyelder3595]

cute kid!!!!!!!!!!!!####

[@monabiehl6213]

Yours isn't nearly as tangled as mine.

[@LittlebeanandMe]

And I’ve had many more tangled than this! I hope this was helpful for you in some way - it’s not exactly applicable in all scenarios! I hope you’re doing well!