Yarn lover's nightmare!

So I'm crocheting this shrug/sweaterlike thing for my 5 yr. old granddaughter. I decided it needed a larger collar than I had on it already. So I frogged the finishing row, and started in with another skein of the same yarn I've been using all along, Caron Simply Soft in Blue Mist. For some reason there was a knot in the middle, and I ended up with the biggest mess of yarn! I spent an hour last night trying to untangle it, and decided that I need to cut the strand in a few places, or it will take weeks to get this out. Or I could toss it and start with another skein. I haven't done that yet, though I'm very tempted. I started this thing a month or so ago, and it looks like it might be awhile before I get it done. This must happen to everyone else once in awhile, right? It's happened to me before, but never with Simply Soft. This is my favorite yarn, lately! It's makes the nicest, washable clothes for kids.