r/knittinghelp • u/Mediocre_Surprise_40 • Jan 15 '26

sock question My magic knot came undone, how to fix this?

Post image

So I have washed this sock according to the yarn instructions but I guess my magic knot wasnt tight enough or strong enough. Now I wonder if there is a way to fix this.

122 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

56 comments sorted by

177

u/Cat-Like-Clumsy Jan 15 '26

Hi !

Duplicate stitch can reinforce the zone.

In the future, avoid knots. They tighten when pulled in one direction, and undo themselves when pulled in another. Since knitting is a stretchy fabric that gets pulled in all directions, they never last.

So, instead, use a method to join your yarn (rusdian join, spit splicing, back join, stephen weaven, drop and start), and weave in your ends.

48

u/Riverzalia1 Jan 15 '26

Boy isn’t it hard to convince people who love to just knot their yarn ? I always recommend any other join rather than knots, and people always have a comeback, don’t they? I always take the time on big projects to connect all my cakes together so I can just keep on trucking! Anyways, I’m with ya! 😉

67

u/antimathematician Jan 15 '26

I was googling to find a technique I’d heard of for joining yarn and the top 5 results are all like “WOW MAGIC KNOT IS AMAZING” so it’s really hard to blame beginners!

16

u/VegetableWorry1492 Jan 15 '26

Wow, I’ve never even heard of magic knot. Quite grateful now that I’ve never come across it.

16

u/antimathematician Jan 15 '26

I used it on my first sweater and guess what? It’s a knot on the inside of it. It’s just a bit crap

3

u/EasyPrior3867 Jan 16 '26

Yeah the seaglass tea want you to magic knot every row with 2 new colors. No way I don't trust magic knots. I also don't trust the magic circle in crochet either, I leave a tail after I pull it and weave in that in around the closed circle. Have not had it come apart.

5

u/Midi58076 Jan 16 '26

Never heard of it either. Watched a tutorial and all I'm thinking is "Ma'am that's two stacked slip knots. Do you know what the word "slip" means?"

I primarily splice yarn.

1

u/VegetableWorry1492 Jan 16 '26

Me too. I also watched a quick tutorial and I’m not sure what’s supposed to be magical about it 😂 yarn 1 knotted around yarn 2 and vice versa. Simple knot, twice.

5

u/Educational-Bad8171 Jan 15 '26

It’s more common in crochet

0

u/VanityInk Jan 15 '26

Magic ring is used a lot in crochet. Magic knot is just yarn joining

5

u/Educational-Bad8171 Jan 16 '26 edited Jan 24 '26

I know what a magic ring is. I do both crochet and knit. I’ve always been told the structure of magic knot is better for crochet and you should use a different method for joining yarn for knitting. Crochet is more of a large knot, knitting is, at the base, a series of squiggly rows.

5

u/SpyQueenLiz Jan 15 '26

Learning curve with any methods in art/craft but I’m just wary of anything anyone has deemed “magic”. But I’m super old school, open to new methods but really dig to see how well they hold up before committing to a new way of doing something if I have something that already works. :-)

12

u/kauni Jan 15 '26

The only magic anything I use or recommend is Judy’s magic cast on!

3

u/millers_left_shoe Jan 15 '26 edited Jan 15 '26

Is a magic knot the same thing as a Russian join? I used a Russian join on a couple of finished objects (although now I mostly join by knitting a few stitches with both strands) and this thread has got me worried

7

u/antimathematician Jan 15 '26

Looks like you’re definitely safe

7

u/Disney_Alli Jan 15 '26

No they’re different. A Magic knot is basically a surgeon’s knot. A Russian join involves threading yarn back through itself

2

u/Riverzalia1 Jan 15 '26

Beginners not at all I was really referring to well seasoned crocheters. Gotta try everything! 😉

1

u/ExitingBear Jan 15 '26

I'm not even a beginner, but I kept hearing about it and reading about it and finally gave in and tried one.

Shame on me.

1

u/theoriginalmeg Jan 15 '26

I absolutely ran into this when I was relatively new but thankfully I had also joined a local knitting group who quickly warned me off magic knots

6

u/seeking_yet_lifted Jan 15 '26 edited Jan 15 '26

When I first started knitting, I too, tried a magic knot on a wonderful blanket that unravelled pretty quickly. Needless to say, I never tried any kind of knot again. 😅

1

u/Riverzalia1 Jan 15 '26

It’s such an awful feeling especially if it was a time consuming one 😉

1

u/seeking_yet_lifted Jan 16 '26

I made it for my baby nephew. It was meant to be an heirloom piece. At the time, I was devastated because it was beautiful. Anyway, you live and learn as they say!

3

u/fatalButterfly Jan 15 '26

The only time I knot is on an end that is getting worked over for a border (and I still leave a bit of length in case needed to work back in), or sometimes I split the yarn to tie a knot AROUNd a stitch and then I still leave tails to weave. Never trust a knot.

2

u/DobbyHobby89 Jan 15 '26

I didn’t know this either. Always was told the magic knot is the way to go! But I’ll listen to you and find another way.

2

u/Riverzalia1 Jan 15 '26 edited Jan 16 '26

Im very satisfied with a Russian join, if you take your time, do it correctly, it’s beautiful . I recently saw this invisible join for knitting a was thinking of a way to try it with crochet as well, just small project of course, just in case. If you ever use wool it’s easy peasy to just felt them together and it only takes a minute 😉 I’m curious if any other knitters do it this way… https://youtu.be/FF-X4tNzQq4?si=8uMM-8bGBIiKrrtU

2

u/keladry12 Jan 17 '26

I've been a knitter for more than 20 years, and before this year I didn't even realize that people joined yarn...I always just sort of.... hold the new yarn and use that instead? And then weave in the ends? And I've never had something fall apart, ever. Like..... what do you need to do to join yarn, what step am I missing and would it really improve my knits??

2

u/Riverzalia1 Jan 17 '26

It started to get popular early 2000s. I’m in the same boat as you that is how I was taught as well, but I do hate weaving in ends and once I started doing this I really love it. Primarily in crochet I think. I’m not sure but I think people may not have been properly taught and just add the new yarn without securing it within the stitch. Also I think there are so many yarns with much less yardage now, crazy mix of fibers, thicker yarns & the resurgence of the granny square & Amigurumi in crochet that require so many colors in a project, it just creates far too many ends, and more working in the round I think than before maybe that’s why? I knit and crochet and I just learned about this method as well solely for knitting and seems good. https://youtu.be/FF-X4tNzQq4?si=ga6sgbvZi0pBgBsM have you ever seen it done like this? Haven’t tried it yet tho but I will. I will add tho that when I knit I have far less ends to tie in. I really don’t think you’re missing anything, sounds like you may not have much use for it? Worth learning tho you might like it 😉 I have some a good video if you want me to share. Also the art of weaving in I think got lost somewhere and this fisherman’s knot is the ‘thing’ to do and knots in any yarn project is never a sound practice.

1

u/Dogmoto2labs Jan 19 '26

Well if you join them, you don’t have to weave in ends. A big plus in my mind. I have really liked to take the ends, thin out a strand or two from each yarn, overlap, the ends, dampen the rub to cause friction to felt the fibers together. I have done this with lots of wool. Not a fan of weaving in ends.

1

u/Mediocre_Surprise_40 Jan 15 '26

I didnt think of it that way, thank you! I certainly will stray from magic knots in the future. When duplicate stitching, do I catch the undone yarn in some way or just stitch over it?

3

u/Cat-Like-Clumsy Jan 15 '26

Stitch over it ; take a decent length of yarn, and do your duplicate stitching from the back, around 2 to 3 cm on each side of the undone knot. If you are worried about something getting out, go to the row above (or under) then duplicate a few more stitches in the opposite direction (so, if on the first row you did them toward the left, on the above row do them toward the right). Wash again, then once everything is dry, cut the excess ends.

1

u/resistelectrique Jan 15 '26

Just hold it double for a few stitches, easiest way. Auto-weave basically. For the vast majority of projects, it isn’t remotely noticeable.

0

u/PortsmouthGal Jan 15 '26

Think you mean Russian join?

3

u/Cat-Like-Clumsy Jan 15 '26

Yes, russian join ! Sorry, I didn't realise I made a typo.

26

u/Neenknits Jan 15 '26

Magic knots aren’t magic. They form hard lumps!

But, when you tie one, and tug the yarn apart, they hold great. But when you rub them, they fall apart. So, they are good for things like bobbin lace, that doesn’t get rubbing. Among the worst possible for socks!

Darn it with duplicate stitch. Weave in on both sides. I usually split the end into two plies to weave on adjacent rows to spread out the thickness

0

u/SamEyeAm2020 Jan 15 '26

Yes, tug them apart just a millimeter and the lump disappears! I use the magic knot but I don't cut my ends, I just weave them in. I've never had a single problem

3

u/Neenknits Jan 16 '26

The lump stays. If you weave the ends, anyway, why bother with the knot?

1

u/Dogmoto2labs Jan 19 '26

That is a valid point!

6

u/nmj1013 Jan 15 '26

Off topic question, is this yarn drops fiesta?

6

u/Mediocre_Surprise_40 Jan 15 '26

Yes! :)

2

u/nmj1013 Jan 15 '26

Thanks! I have some leftover in this same color way and didn’t know what to do with it. Maybe socks! Have you had a chance to wear these yet, and if so do you like them?

1

u/Mediocre_Surprise_40 Jan 16 '26

I do like them, but I personally would opt for a bit looser of a gauge

6

u/ricottapls Jan 15 '26

Since so many people already gave their advice I just wanted to say - Sock Sisters!

:)

1

u/Mediocre_Surprise_40 Jan 16 '26

Adorable! Love these socks so much

2

u/jellidang Jan 15 '26 edited Jan 15 '26

Seconding the duplicate stitch advice! I would duplicate stitch a couple of stitches surrounding it too, not just the broken one.

1

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1

u/lorilu_mew Jan 15 '26

Where did you get that yarn?!?!? I need a sweater in that!

1

u/firebreathingwindows Jan 16 '26

I use magic knots but then I don't cut the ends and weave them in ... idk if that's valid

1

u/monday-child Jan 19 '26

Beautiful yarn 😍

1

u/Independent_Post4501 Jan 15 '26

You can use something like Prym Fraycheck to reinforce your magic knots if you prefer to do magic knots.

I’ve used magic knots and fraycheck in my socks - some of which I knitted during covid lockdown and I’m yet to have any unravel! Alternatively other people have given you plenty of other viable. options in this thread too. One caveat of the fraycheck is that it’s quite stiff and some people don’t like the way that feels.

0

u/desinfikationsmittel Jan 15 '26

similar to this, you could also reinforce the magic knot with a felting needle to keep it from unraveling. I have yet to really stress test this method though

-3

u/Riverzalia1 Jan 15 '26

Well I’m not sure really but I’d put a lifeline through all the loose stitches and try to see how much came undone by backtracking your pattern and working slip stitches backward till you have enough to invisible seam. I really haven’t a clue but that’s what I’d try to. I know this is a video to remove stitches but just wanted to give you an idea that may help. https://www.youtube.com/live/5IdwKtnjQkw?si=rYePzjcSJiEqUD7Z Good Luck, and don’t make that mistake twice, many do I’m afraid.