Keeping thread untangled?

[bookknurd]

Does anyone have any tips or tricks for keeping thread untangled as you stitch? My thread keeps wanting to twist up and knot itself.

I saw a lot a people recommended Thread Conditioner for metallic threads, but currently I'm just working with regular floss. Is Thread Conditioner good for that too or is there an easier way to deal with standard floss?

[backafteradozenyrs]

Yes, Thread Heaven will help with stubborn cottons, too. Some colors seem to get into a twist no matter what you do. I find occassionally letting my needle dangle will keep it detangled.


edited to fix punctuation.

[MaggieM1750]

Dangle to untangle

Not sure where I first read that- but its stuck with me for many years.
I seem to notice my thread twists more in the winter with dry, staticy air.
But, just drop your needle every dozen or so stitches- your thread will untwist.
Some people just have a stitching style that turns the needle more.
And just as Diana said, some thread is just twisty, for whatever reason.

[SunnFyre]

I noticed my thread tangles and knots up less when I pull one thread at a time out of the bunch when separating them. I used to pull out two at a time because that's what I've seen in tutorials and what not and after learning to pull out one at a time and then combining them together I don't have nearly as many tangles or knots. I still have to dangle it every so many stitches but nowhere near as often as before.

[bookknurd]

Thanks for the advice everyone! I do let my thread dangle every once in a while, but I think I should probably do it more often.

[Mystonique]

All the things already said:
1) let the thread completely unwind when you initially separate it from the bundle (just by pulling it straight and holding one end until it stops moving).
2) thread heaven (I use it on everything).
3) dangle to untangle by letting your needle on the end of the thread fall free until it stops moving. I need to do this less since someone pointed out that I was twisting the needle as I passed it through the fabric (hence tangling my thread) - I worked on not doing that and voila - fewer tangles.

[Lessa54]

All of the above, but also try using a shorter length of thread too. Long lengths can be really tricky for knotting and tangling.

[NeedleAndFork]

Do you park or cross country stitch? I've found that with parking, I actually get fewer tangles because each time I unthread the needle and park a thread, I am essentially letting it dangle. I also 'comb' my parked threads from time to time, just starting at the top and running my fingers through them all to separate and straighten them Between those two things, I almost never get tangles and kinks in my thread unless I'm working a large area of a single color, in which case I keep an eye on the twist of the plies in the thread - when they start to look looser than the other threads I give my needle a twist or two, and that fixes it right up. Depending on how you stitch you might have the opposite problem, with the thread twisting up and the plies getting tighter. Just be aware of which direction you twist in and regularly give it a bit of an untwist. After a while it becomes second nature and you don't even think about it.

[bookknurd]

I do cross country. I've tried parking a couple of times and found that I really don't enjoy it. I've gotten better at being aware of my own natural twisting and now it's more of a habit to let the thread dangle more often. I've had much less of a problem with knots and tangles over the past week or so.

[thegrindre]

Being new to this hobby, this has been a real problem to me, too, but I learned that seperating my floss ONE thread at a time was a major help.
I stitch with a twist so letting it dangle was a must for me. I can now run a good 36" to 40" cross country with rarely an issue.
I also learned which way I naturally twist and will give my needle opposite twists every so aften.

[LaraAmber]

I just started using Thread Heaven and already adore it. It is making such a difference.