Stopping back side snarls?

[cirestan]

Any tips for catching backside snarls and knots before they are beyond the point of saving?

Obviously you can flip your work every other stitch or so to visually inspect for knotted thread.
You can make a concerted effort to keep your thread from being untwisted which should limit the number of snarls.
I guess you could feel for snarls as you go, but normally one of hands is on the needle, and the other is on the scroll.

It seems like regardless how careful I am I will occasionally get a snarl and not find out about it until half a dozen stitches later.
At that time all I feel like I can do is stitch it down to the back as I pass back over it.

Tips?

[SunkistShiek]

I was watching a YouTube video for beginner cross stitchers and she had some sort of thread conditioner. When you separate two strands from the original 6, you separate the two into individual threads and run each across the conditioner (it kind of looks like a chalk cube for pool cues...say that 5 times fast!). She then put the two back together and stitched with them like normal and said it helps prevent knotting and tangles.

I've never tried it and haven't looked for it either but maybe that'll help. I've also found that if I let the needle and thread hang for a second, it'll spin for awhile and stop. Then I continue cross stitching and don't have as many problems for a while (if that makes sense).

[blackmageheart]

it kind of looks like a chalk cube for pool cues...

Sounds like Thread Heaven, which is fabulous and no stitcher should be without it.

[cirestan]

Good to know.
Normally I keep the thread shorter than I want to (especially for large areas), and let it dangle every couple minutes to let it untwist.
The "Thread Heaven" is a good tip, though.

[Eliste]

I go for the low tech option, which is that I force the thread to run between my fingernail and the hole with every stitch. I work with one hand at the back of my fabric at all times. This doesn't work if you have to hold a large frame/hoop in your hand, but with smaller ones I can still reach a finger over to do this. Also with large enough frames, I rest the frame on my arm so my hand is free to go where it needs to.

Basically, after you push the needle into the hole, put your finger on the back of the needle. When you pull the needle forward, let your hand follow it to the fabric and rest there. You'll feel the thread pull past. As soon as a snarl happens, I notice, because it hits my finger. Then I can flip over and fix it before it becomes an issue.

[SunkistShiek]

it kind of looks like a chalk cube for pool cues...

Sounds like Thread Heaven, which is fabulous and no stitcher should be without it.

Yes! That's it and because someone else said something about, I'll try it out.

The "Thread Heaven" is a good tip, though.

No problem! I'm glad I remembered and that BMH knew what it was!

[TheMainlander]

I've tried Thread Heaven, and I find it works good, but really not any better than good ol' spit...

As soon as I find that the floss starts hitching, I'll wet my thumb and forefinger, and run it along the floss. Or if it's longer, I'll actually bring the floss to my mouth and dampen it that way. Since I wash my projects at the end anyways, I see little problem with dampening the floss in this fashion, and it definitely works at reducing knots!

A reminder of common sense though... don't try this if you are eating or drinking while you're stitching! hehe

[cirestan]

I'm afraid my project would have Oreo and Cheeto crumbs imbedded all in it.

[HornyPig]

I always keep at least one finger behind the fabric on the place im working on. Its doesnt prevent the snarls but i can feel them.