I Found a Knot in My Yarn: Is It a Defect?

If you’re new to knitting, it can happen:
you open a cone of yarn—especially a nice, thick one—and you notice one or two knots.
Your first thought might be:
👉 “Is something wrong with this yarn?”

The short answer is: no, it’s not a defect.
Let’s explain why, clearly and without technical jargon.

Yarn is not an “endless thread”

Yarn is not made like an electric cable.
It comes from natural fibers that are:

• processed

• spun

• wound

During this process, the yarn can occasionally break.
When that happens, the thread is joined again.

And that’s where a knot comes in.

Why knots can’t always be avoided

With many thinner yarns, a machine called a splicer is used.
This tool joins two yarn ends without making a knot, so the join is almost invisible.

👉 But with very thick yarns, this is not possible.

In chunky yarns (the kind used with large needles):

• the thread is too bulky

• the structure is different

• the join would not be strong enough

In these cases, a small knot is the safest and most reliable solution.

It’s a technical necessity, not a shortcut.

“I’ll just buy the yarn directly from the manufacturer”

It sounds like a good idea, but in reality:

• spinning mills usually sell only to professionals

• prices would be much higher

• and you could still find knots

Why?
Because knots are part of yarn itself, not a mistake made by the shop.

The knot is not the problem — how you handle it is

Anyone who knits regularly knows this:
a knot does not ruin your project, if you know what to do.

What to do when you find a knot while knitting

Don’t worry—just follow these simple steps 👇

1. Pause for a moment

Don’t knit the knot into a stitch.

2. Untie it

Most knots can be gently undone.

3. Overlap the two yarn ends

• lay the two strands together for a few centimeters

• knit normally, working with both strands at once

• after a few rows, trim the extra ends

The result will be:

• secure

• neat

• invisible

👉 This is a technique used by experienced knitters everywhere.

A “knot-free” yarn is not always better

A yarn with absolutely no knots is often:

• heavily processed

• chemically stabilized

• less natural

A real, natural, thick yarn has its own character.
And sometimes, that includes a small knot.

Finding a knot in a thick yarn:

• ❌ does not mean poor quality

• ❌ is not a mistake

• ❌ will not ruin your work

✔️ it is normal
✔️ it is expected
✔️ it is easy to manage

If you love knitting, you are choosing real materials—not artificial perfection.
And real materials sometimes come with a knot.