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How to Undo a Skein of Yarn

It is important to find the exact center of a skein of yarn before untying it for unwinding. Skeins of yarn are carefully wound and twisted, and the strands are organized. You need to find the beginning and ending points to facilitate proper unwinding without any tangles. Yarn should come off the skein smoothly with only small temporary snags. There is no need to pass the yarn over and under itself when undoing a skein. This only happens if you do not find the middle of the strands before you undo the tied threads.

Things You'll Need

Straight backed chair

Instructions

- 1
  Untwist the skein to form a large circular hank of yarn with ties holding the fibers in place at intervals.
- 2
  Place your hands in the middle of this yarn circle and slightly stretch the yarn apart to untangle any out of place strands.
- 3
  Put the skein of yarn over the back of a chair or over another person's hands. It needs to be extended but not held taut.
- 4
  Untie the yarn ties that are holding the skein together. Check to see which ties are holding the ends and undo these last.
- 5
  As the starting point, unwind the yarn using the end that is on the outside of the skein. Twist the skein a bit if you need to get this strand to the outside to begin this process.

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