Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Washing Yarn

Remember the yarn I won on eBay that smelled like an ashtray?

It was beautiful yarn, and I got it for a great price:
Plymouth Wildflower DK - 61

Plymouth Wildflower DK Fancy - 857

When I first got it, I noticed that it smelled like cigarettes. Very much!
So, I put it out in the sun for several hours.
Yarn in the Sunshine

This usually works wonders. But not this time. The yarn still smelled AWFUL.

So, I started unwinding it with my yarn swift, and let it rest in the storage room to air out....hopefully.
Stinky Yarn

No such luck there. This yarn needed SERIOUS help.


This weekend, I finished unwinding it all with my swift, and it all ended up in nice hanks like this:
Plymouth Wildflower DK unwound & washed - 61

They still smelled to high heaven, so I washed each hank by hand in some laundry detergent and warm water. Then, I rinsed each hank with cold water, and hung them outside on tree branches to dry. I'm sure my neighbors thought I was crazy.

(I would have taken a photo of the drying hanks, but then I might have been committed.)

Of course, as soon as I got them all out on the tree branches, it started to rain. HARD.
:P

When the rain finally subsided, I went back out again, and squeezed out as much rainwater as I could handle. MAN!!! This was WORK!

I was almost brought to the point of using a few choice words, but I persevered. It smelled nice outside after the rain, and there were kids out playing in the streets, so that helped my mood a bit.

The skeins were left outside for several hours, and then brought back in when the sun was starting to set. They were still a little damp, so I had to hang them all over the house on every doorknob available. There were 11 hanks of yarn, but not that many doors in my house, so I improvised by using the knobs on the kitchen cabinets as well.

Now, three days later, I have dry hanks of yarn. They do smell better, THANK GOD!!!

2 comments:

Kelly said...

I came across your blod the other day. I am new to the knitting world. I was looking at your pictures on flickr. I saw the pattern for the Cushy Baby Blanket. It looks beautiful!! I have been on the internet seaching for size 19 circular needles in a 36 inch length and I can't seem to find them. I was wondering if you could tell me where I might can get some. Thanks so much.

Shandeh said...

I think I got mine at Michaels or Hobby Lobby. I might have gotten them in an eBay auction.

If nothing else fails, you can order them from a yarn company online. (Lion Brand, Bernat, Knit Picks, etc.)

Good luck!

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I'm a forum moderator and blogger for Spinrite Yarns (www.yarnspirations.com), and I spend WAY too much time there. :D You can also find me on the Knitting Help Forum occasionally