Date: Tue, 23 Sep 1997 08:18:37 -0400 (EDT) From: Hazel Blumberg-McKee To: knitlist Subject: KNIT: Cotton yarn problems & advice COTTON YARN PROBLEMS AND ADVICE I had written to the list to ask about a problem I was having with an all-cotton shawl I'd knitted. After I finished the shawl, here and there cotton threads would "sproing" up where I'd joined a new ball of yarn. When I noticed that someone had written to the list to ask about potential problems with knitting with cotton, I thought I'd send in a compilation of some of the advice I'd received. Various folks suggested that I carefully sew down the offending yarn with matching thread. They assured me that I didn't have to be an excellent seamstress--which, believe me, I'm not! Others suggested using Fray Check, which they said is available in all sorts of hobby stores, Walmart, K-Mart, and so forth. All who suggested Fray Check cautioned me to use the tiniest dot of it that I possibly could. Otherwise, the "join" I'd created would feel scratchy. People seemed to feel there wouldn't be any problem washing a garment on which Fray Check had been used. While some listers warned me that Fray Check might stain yarn, others said that they hadn't had this problem. No matter what, it seems a good idea to try Fray Check on a piece of yarn that's not going to be used in your project. I'm going to purchase some Fray Check as soon as I get a chance and try it on some of the cotton yarn I didn't use on the shawl. I'll wash the Fray Check'd yarn and see what happens. Many, many thanks for the advice! I hope this will be helpful to others who're knitting with cotton yarns. Hazel Hazel Blumberg-McKee (hazelcb@polaris.net), Tallahassee, Florida, USA http://www.polaris.net/~hazelcb Ineffective daily affirmation: The first step is to say nice things about myself. The second, to do nice things for myself. The third, to find someone to buy me nice things. --- Date: Wed, 24 Sep 1997 10:30:11 -0400 (EDT) From: Hazel Blumberg-McKee To: knitlist Subject: KNIT: More cotton advice MORE COTTON ADVICE One knitlister (hi, Claire!) kindly sent me another note on using Fray Check to tack down those stubborn cotton ends. She mentioned that there are now *two* types of Fray Check available: the old and the "new improved." The new improved version does *not* make fabric stiff! (I have no financial interest in Fray Check!) Hope this helps. Hazel Hazel Blumberg-McKee (hazelcb@polaris.net), Tallahassee, Florida, USA http://www.polaris.net/~hazelcb Thought for the day: They don't pay me enough to think. --- Date: Thu, 25 Sep 1997 10:42:10 -0500 (CDT) From: Jana Trent To: Knit@bolis.com Subject: KNIT: FoxFibre color changes > I recently finished a vest from a quite complex Rowan pattern using >their California Cotton, in color Sage. I didn't think the yarn looked much >like Sage -- kinda greeney yellow -- but was encouraged by the reports that >it would darken with washing. I carefully followed the washing directions >on the label (gentle suds, don't soak, don't wring) and laid the vest out on >a towel to dry. . > >Next day I checked on the vest, eager to see what had happened. To my >horror, _parts_ of the vest had changed color as it dried, but not >everywhere -- it literally looked as if I had spilled bleach or dye on it. >The slowest-drying parts (generally where there were two layers of knit >fabric as it lay on the towel) changed the most. The fastest-drying had >changed not at all. The new color was very nice (much more what I think of >as Sage), but overall -- ack! To all who are working with green FoxFibre-this color is sensitive to light. If you leave pieces of your knitting exposed to light before washing (and "setting" the color), you could be in for a rude surprise. I learned this the hard way. Green FoxFibre TANS when exposed to light before washing. Keep it covered. Also, do NOT wash parts of a FoxFibre sweater in different washloads before assembly. That sounds like a given to most people, but you DO want to wash before assembly for anything with sleeves, to achieve length shrinkage BEFORE seaming width to length. The problem with not doing it all at once is that, even in the city, water supply differs slightly in mineral content from day to day. This may cause a color difference that you can see. Water temperature is another variable to consider. Hot water will cause the greatest color change. If you plan to use FoxFibre yarn or fabric the following article may be of interest: COLOUR CAHNGES IN NATURALLY COLOURED COTTON DUE TO LAUNDERING AND PRETREATMENTS by Dr. Barbara L. Williams & Dr. Patricia Horridge. You may get this from Dan Hardy at Bureau of Business Research, PO Box 7459, Austin, TX 78713-7459. Enclose SASE. (The research and resulting article did NOT address the tanning issue with green FoxFibre, though. It's briefly mentioned in Vreseis' sample packet.) The FoxFibre yarns andfabrics I've worked with are a joy to use. I'm currently knitting a Wallaby in Coyote. I've also used Rowan Denim patterns since the amount of shrinkage planned in these garments is the same for FoxFibre. Don't let the color changes and variations scare you off. Check out the Vreseis web site at http://www.foxfibre.com/cotton/vreseis.html Jana Trent jtrent@cyberramp.net --- Date: Fri, 26 Sep 1997 13:47:13 -0400 From: LueKnits To: knit@bolis.com Subject: KNIT: Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece Dear Mary, and the list, The following text is an OPINION and should not be taken as a final word on anything. I have had some experience with cotton, and have seldom met one I didn't despise. I have worked with Rowan (all their cotton is like working with cord wood, the colors run, and then fade), Classic Ellite (stretches after the first wear), Cleckheaton (sp?) (ages ago, fibers separated and faded), Reynolds (my hands haven't recovered yet, and it was ten years ago), and Bernat in several of their varieties through the years, (all grew and then disintegtrated rapidly): the latter two companies I think have gone under. The yarns I stick to are Anny Blatt's Coton d'Egypte; I have lots of it, but I don't know if they carry it any more, or indeed if they are still in business. Fiesta's Sparks, which is a cotton/rayon blend with a beautiful hand, and hand painted varugateds you wouldn't believe. It's a heavy sport weight, and not breezy enough for a day in Atlanta in August, but the design possibilities are endless. I have tried Brown Sheep's offerings, and, for what it's worth, enjoyed them. They have some "give" to them, because they are mixed fibers, and work up very well to gauge. When working with cotton, I always look for at least a 20% blend with another fiber, rayon or wool, preferably the latter, as it gives the yarn more elasticity and helps hold the finished garment in shape. Brown Sheep has several weights of cotton blends, I have only tried the sport. The fingering weight is probably wonderful, but I haven't done anything in #0 and #2 needles in a long time. I think they gear that weight to machine knitting anyway. Thanks for hearing an opinion. Cheers, Lucy --- Date: Thu, 25 Sep 1997 23:22:06 -0400 (EDT) From: "Roberta L. Dougherty" To: Knit@bolis.com Subject: Re: KNIT: Fox Fibre, Sweet Dreams Blanket (fwd) Resent-Date: Fri, 26 Sep 1997 17:02:02 -0400 (EDT) Resent-From: Emily Way Resent-To: emily@woolworks.org Dear knitlisters, This message is 5 screens long; delete now if you aren't interested in this topic. FOX FIBRE A summary of the responses I got to my query about the care and feeding of Fox Fibre: The care instructions on the skein say "Dry clean or handwash in soapflakes; do not soak; cool rinse; do not wring; short spin; do not leave wet; reshape and dry flat away from direct sunlight, color intensifies with washing." All my respondents confirmed that the color changes with repeated washings. Some reported that a single washing or few washings left the knitted material blotchy, but this usually evened out over time. Others reported a pleasant darkening or intensifying of the color. Still others mentioned that sunlight causes the color to lighten again, particularly in the case of the green-colored yarn, so it seems that items made from this yarn can be expected to change color over time. Finally, one respondent mentioned that the only way to really fix the color was to boil the fiber! In spite of the rather elaborate care instructions, most respondents mentioned that simple machine washing with regular detergent and machine drying until damp was satisfactory. Some reported a little shrinkage in the length but not in the width. Jana Trent sent me quite a good technical explanation of the workings of the fiber: I do have experience with FoxFibre. It will continue to darken for up to 20 launderings. Color will be affected by water temperature (hot water causes it to darken faster), pH (detergent-darker, lemon juice or vinegar-lighter), and chemical composition of the minerals in your water supply (wash pieces of a project all at once-I learned the hard way). Also, green will "tan" if exposed to light before washing. Keep it covered until you set the color by washing. Knitted FoxFibre will shrink in length, not in width--up to 15%. It's essential to swatch, wash the swatch and plan for this! Jana posted even more useful, technical advice to the knitlist yesterday, which is now archived and so I won't reproduce it here. Others who pointed out the tendency of the fiber (particularly the green color) to darken or develop color with washing were Donna J. Williamson, Allison Weaver, Bev Hearn, C.J. Aberte, C.A. Wingate, Elizabeth M. Ioannou, Peggy in Fair Oaks (Ca.), H. Rosita, Dianne (MsSheep), Ms. Mikel, and Karen Walter. If anyone responded whose name I didn't mention, I apologize. You are all wonderful. [...] I hope that the information contained in this post is useful to somebody else. --robin -- Roberta L. Dougherty Middle East Bibliographer & Head, Middle East Technical Services University of Pennsylvania Libraries 3420 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104 telephone: (215) 898-3795 fax: (215) 898-0559 e-mail: rld@pobox.upenn.edu URL: http://pobox.upenn.edu/~rld