How to Unkink Yarn

Co-authored by Sophia Latorre

Last Updated: March 29, 2019 References

Rather than tossing out your crimped and kinked yarn, or using it as is―which can create an uneven surface in your knitting project―you can unkink and reuse it. Try using steam from your clothes iron to remove kinks from your yarn. Alternatively, you can dip crimped yarn in lukewarm water to remove the kinks, then simply let it dry.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using Steam

1
Heat an iron with a steam setting. You can use a regular clothes iron with a steam setting, or a clothes steamer to get the kinks out of the yarn. Plug in the iron or steamer, turn it to the highest setting, and allow it to heat up.^{[1]
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- Always be cautious around hot irons. Take care not to burn yourself or any of the surfaces in your home. Never leave a hot iron unattended.
2
Place your kinked yarn on an ironing board. To ensure you don’t damage any surfaces in your home, you should place your yarn on an ironing board or other heatproof surface before using your iron to shoot steam at it.^{[2]
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- If you’re using a steamer, you can hang your yarn from the hook included for hanging garments.
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3
Steam the yarn. Hold the iron or steamer so that it is just above or barely touching the yarn. Press the button on your iron or steamer to steam the yarn. Be sure to do this repeatedly over the entire length of kinked yarn, and flip it over to steam the other side as well.^{[3]
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- If you’re using acrylic rather than wool yarn, hold the iron or steamer further away from the yarn so as not to melt it.^{[4]
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4
Continue steaming until the kinks fall out of the yarn. The steam will make the kinks simply disappear! You’ll be able to see them falling out of the yarn as it absorbs the steam. Continue steaming until you don’t see any more kinks in the yarn.^{[5]
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5
Use your yarn for knitting or other projects. You don’t need to wait before you can use your yarn again. It shouldn’t have gotten hot enough to be painful to handle, or damp enough to need to dry out. Simply turn off and unplug the iron or steamer, pick up your yarn from the ironing board or hook, and use it for whatever project you wish.^{[6]
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- If you have a low heat tolerance or high heat sensitivity, be extra cautious when steaming your yarn. Allow the yarn to cool for a while before handling it so you don’t hurt yourself.
- Be careful around the steamer or iron until is has cooled. Don’t forget to unplug it after turning it off, and don’t store it until it has completely cooled down.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using Lukewarm Water

1
Wind the entire length of yarn around your arm. Bend your elbow at a ninety degree angle so that your forearm and your upper arm are perpendicular to each other. Hold one end of the kinked yarn in your hand and wrap the yarn around your elbow and back up to your hand. Repeat until all the yarn is wrapped around your arm.^{[7]
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2
Loop the ends to hold the yarn in place. Remove the yarn from your arm so that you have a neat length of yarn. Hold both ends of the yarn in one hand. Tie them in a loop around the rest of the threads to keep the yarn together.^{[8]
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3
Dip the yarn in lukewarm water. Fill a container or your sink with lukewarm water, then place the yarn in the container or sink. You’ll be able to see the kinks straightening out within a matter of seconds.^{[9]
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Research source} If your yarn is extremely kinked, allow it to soak for up to 30 minutes.^{[10]
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- Use lukewarm, rather than hot water, to prevent the yarn from felting.
- If your yarn has not been pre-treated for washing, it may shrink in warm water!
- You can add a bit of wool soap to the water, if desired.^{[11]
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4
Remove the yarn and squeeze out the water. Take the yarn out of the container or sink. Squeeze the water out of it by clamping your fingers over the top of the loop of yarn and sliding them to the bottom. Repeat if needed.^{[12]
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- You could also roll up the yarn in a towel and squish the water out, if desired.^{[13]
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5
Hang it up to dry. Once you’ve squeezed out the water from the yarn, hang it up. You can choose to hang it anywhere you’d like, such as from a kitchen cabinet handle, a shower rod, or even on a clothesline. Allow the yarn to dry completely before using it for a project.^{[14]
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- If needed, you can hang weights from the bottom of the yarn in order to further straighten it. A can of soup works well, but don’t use a weight over 2 pounds (0.91 kg) or you risk damaging the elasticity of the yarn.^{[15]
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