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I don’t know about you, but occasionally I get to the middle of the project and then I find that I don’t like it anymore … In my early knitting career I just kept plugging in – I try to live by my father’s words: finish what you started ”. Somewhere along the way, I had a revelation and found that my time (and yours!) Was just too precious to spend knitting things I don’t like. While it is painful to break out of my hard work, I accepted these first hours as a sunk cost (see Econ 101 for more information on sunk costs!). Most of the time, I delay “ripping” as long as I can take it. When I finally got down to it, I noticed that the yarn looked like a “frog” – bumpy and winding – and not very attractive (like a frog). Last time this happened, I consulted our retail store manager Jeanne and here’s what she told me to do:
- First, put the yarn back into the skein, wrapping it loosely around the shoulder; just like a long electric wire. The ‘winding it loosely around your shoulder’ part is important.
- Carefully remove it from your shoulder and place it on the table.
- Tie it in 2-3 places (not too tight) with scrap yarn so that the threads are together.
- Place in cool water with a little mild soap for about 20 minutes.
- Rinse and wring out the water, taking care not to tangle the strands.
- Place it on a towel and roll the yarn to remove excess water from the yarn.
- Hang it on a hanger (preferably a plastic hanger, but if you don’t have a plastic hanger you can use a cloth around the neck of the hanger to keep it from rusting on your yarn) and hang it in the shower to keep it dripping. Sometimes it is helpful to hang a sinker on the bottom of the yarn – I find a heavy wooden suit hanger perfect for the job. Again, you’ll want to protect the yarn from rust by placing a cloth between the hanger and the yarn.
- Once it is dry, roll this beautiful yarn back into a ball and use it to do something else!
PS Did you know that in the “old” days, when money was limited and buying a new yarn was not on the budget, the clothes were “frozen” making the yarn available for a new and useful piece. In fact, my friend Sandy searches thrift stores a lot – looking for sweaters made of luxurious yarns … she untangles them, washes the yarns, and then uses them for one of her own creations! She loves adventures and the excitement of finding a hidden treasure!
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Source by Laura Zander