{"id":279,"date":"2015-04-06T18:46:12","date_gmt":"2015-04-06T22:46:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jeanfarishneedleworks.com\/wordpress\/?p=279"},"modified":"2015-11-06T13:46:33","modified_gmt":"2015-11-06T18:46:33","slug":"tangles-and-knots-no-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jeanfarishneedleworks.com\/wordpress\/tangles-and-knots-no-more\/","title":{"rendered":"Tangles and Knots No More!"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

This is the easiest, cheapest, and safest way to just about eliminate tangles and knots as you stitch.<\/p>\n

Whether you store your floss on bobbins or carefully pull a length from a skein, the fiber\u00a0will have bends and creases and this is the root cause of tangles and knots.<\/p>\n

The secret is a bit of water.<\/p>\n

Here it is in pictures …<\/p>\n

\"Six<\/a>

Six strands of floss from a bobbin.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"A<\/a>

A single strand of floss from the six strands taken from the bobbin.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"The<\/a>

The same single strand after the “water treatment.”<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Six<\/a>

Six strands of floss pulled from a skein.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"A<\/a>

A single strand of floss pulled from the six strands which was pulled from the skein.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"The<\/a>

The same single strand after the “water treatment.”<\/p><\/div>\n

\"I<\/a>

I use a 35mm film canister stuffed with a sponge and filled with water. Any water-tight container will work.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"I<\/a>

I simply press lightly on the strand of floss as I run it under my thumb on the top of the sponge.<\/p><\/div>\n

Two\u00a0tips from my many mistakes over the years:<\/p>\n

1. Even if you are SURE the container is water-tight, put it in a separate plastic bag before you store it near your needlework or chart. Just in case it leaks. Like mine did when it was in a tote bag with a cardboard portfolio holding my working chart-in-progress … an orange cardboard portfolio. Which of course left an orange spot on my linen. Not near the edge. Crying did not help. But I did eventually get the stain out. That’s another story.<\/p>\n

2. At some point the sponge may develop some mold. Not good. So let it dry out every once in a while or swap out the sponge.<\/p>\n

And one other thing … the floss does not have to be wet when you stitch with it. If it dries out but is still straight, go with it.<\/p>\n

Oh, and another thing … I have used this method of preventing tangles on over-dyed floss and silk. Call me crazy but I did. No problems with dye running or fibers shrinking or any other nightmare. With that said, follow my tip at your own risk!<\/p>\n

Now go take just one more stitch!<\/strong><\/p>\n

When you’re not busy stitching,\u00a0please\u00a0“like” the\u00a0Jean Farish Needleworks<\/a>\u00a0Facebook page, too!\u00a0This is the best place to make comments about this blog as I get way too many spammers if I allow comments here.<\/em><\/p>\n

Want to shop for\u00a0JFN designs? Go to\u00a0my Etsy shop<\/a>!<\/p>\n