Knitting Needles etc.

A lot of my nice soft knit garments now have little balls on them after a few washes. How do I make these look nice and new again? Is there a way to prevent them from getting all balled up?

To remove them, go to somewhere like Big Lots and purchase a sweater shaver for 5 bucks. You can also find them at some discounters and fabric stores. My friend uses an old used up disposable razor to "shave" them off but you have to be really careful doing that because you can get snags and create holes on some fabrics and knits.

To prevent them, launder them with like weighted items, on the gentlest cycle for the shortest cycle turned inside out. Same goes for the dryer, but I usually only let them toss in the dryer on low heat long enough to loosen the wrinkles and then lay them flat on top of the dryer while drying other loads so the heat dries them the rest of the way. The pills are created by the fibers rubbing up against other garments that are usually of a heavier weight.

A lot of my nice soft knit garments now have little balls on them after a few washes. How do I make these look nice and new again? Is there a way to prevent them from getting all balled up?

To remove them, go to somewhere like Big Lots and purchase a sweater shaver for 5 bucks. You can also find them at some discounters and fabric stores. My friend uses an old used up disposable razor to "shave" them off but you have to be really careful doing that because you can get snags and create holes on some fabrics and knits.

To prevent them, launder them with like weighted items, on the gentlest cycle for the shortest cycle turned inside out. Same goes for the dryer, but I usually only let them toss in the dryer on low heat long enough to loosen the wrinkles and then lay them flat on top of the dryer while drying other loads so the heat dries them the rest of the way. The pills are created by the fibers rubbing up against other garments that are usually of a heavier weight.

Can’t say i.ve ever made boxer shorts but if you are knitting socks you would have to be really good to not concentrate on them.

Can’t say i.ve ever made boxer shorts but if you are knitting socks you would have to be really good to not concentrate on them.

What is a good soft yarn that is good for crocheting blankets and hats? I have been using the yarn from Wal Mart. But, it is coarse and itchy. Where could I find better suited yarn to use? And what is a good brand to use?
The yarn I have been using is Red Heart. I am fine when I use it to crochet, just when it comes to wearing it does it itch me like crazy. Which totally sucks because my aunt makes me all kinds of cute beanies that I can’t wear if it touches my skin.

It isn’t necessarily the brand of yarn I would be concerned with. It looks like you are sensitive to certain fibers. Look on the yarn label and try to avoid acrylic and wool. Some nylon can make you itch as well, but not as bad and it is very soft.

Both my sons and I are "yarn sensitive". This is why I usually stick to cotton only on items which will touch our skin, including garments and afghans.

There are lots of different cotton yarns in all different price ranges. Some less expensive types are Lily – Sugar ‘n Cream, Peaches & Cream, and Kitchen Cotton by Lionbrand. All of these are worsted weight (same as the Red heart you have been using) and are usually available at Wal-Mart, Michaels Crafts Stores and Joann Fabrics. These yarns work up nicely.

If you would like a higher quality yarn for a finer hat or sweater, I really like Plymouth Fantasy Naturale Yarn. You can buy it online here:

http://www.herrschners.com/Product/Plymouth+Fantasy+Naturale+Yarn.aspx

It is a little more expensive, but it has more yards / ounces per skein than most cotton worsted yarns. I like it very much. It is cabled so it doesn’t shred, pill and split as easily as your lower end worsteds. Also, it has a slight sheen which is lovely.

Tahki Stacy Charles makes a good yarn called Cotton Classic. It comes in two weights – worsted and DK "double knitting" weights. DK is between worsted and sport. It is quite a bit more expensive, but, for hats you wouldn’t need a lot.

If you would like to try an even thinner choice, say a sportweight yarn, one I really recommend is Grace by Paton Yarns.

http://www.herrschners.com/Product/Patons+Grace+Yarn+1.aspx

Again, it is more expensive than your lower end cotton or acrylic yarns. But it is worth it if you want a garment which will turn out lovely with a fine hand. Cotton yarns which kind of shimmer are mercerized.

My very favorite cotton yarn is by Bernat and is called Cottontots. It is a larger worsted weight. The skeins are large in yardage as well. It is so soft, really nice to the touch. It is a baby yarn and comes in many pastels. But there are also some brighter colors as well, some varigateds, and some new country colors. I really like it and use it all the time.

http://www.bernat.com/product.php?LGC=cottontots&SPP=999

Make sure you don’t use too small of a hook when working with cotton. If you want garments to drape beautifully, use a slightly larger hook than called for on the label. Cotton shrinks a bit also. You might consider making it in one size larger to account for shrinkage.

Also, please allow me to give you another word of advice. Do NOT trust the knots that the manufacturer uses to join two ends in the skein. These knots are tiny and do NOT hold. If you are crocheting along and come upon a knot where two ends have been tied together, cut the yarn and join the new end just as if you are beginning a new skein of yarn. Leave at least an 8 inch tail and later weave it in with a darning needle, zigzagging back and forth on the back of the work. I took the easy way out a couple of times and learned my lesson the hard way! The baby afghan I had given as a gift had a big gaping hole in it after it was washed. How embarassing! I was able to fix it for her enough to use, but it never looked "perfect" after that.

Good luck!

What is a good soft yarn that is good for crocheting blankets and hats? I have been using the yarn from Wal Mart. But, it is coarse and itchy. Where could I find better suited yarn to use? And what is a good brand to use?
The yarn I have been using is Red Heart. I am fine when I use it to crochet, just when it comes to wearing it does it itch me like crazy. Which totally sucks because my aunt makes me all kinds of cute beanies that I can’t wear if it touches my skin.

It isn’t necessarily the brand of yarn I would be concerned with. It looks like you are sensitive to certain fibers. Look on the yarn label and try to avoid acrylic and wool. Some nylon can make you itch as well, but not as bad and it is very soft.

Both my sons and I are "yarn sensitive". This is why I usually stick to cotton only on items which will touch our skin, including garments and afghans.

There are lots of different cotton yarns in all different price ranges. Some less expensive types are Lily – Sugar ‘n Cream, Peaches & Cream, and Kitchen Cotton by Lionbrand. All of these are worsted weight (same as the Red heart you have been using) and are usually available at Wal-Mart, Michaels Crafts Stores and Joann Fabrics. These yarns work up nicely.

If you would like a higher quality yarn for a finer hat or sweater, I really like Plymouth Fantasy Naturale Yarn. You can buy it online here:

http://www.herrschners.com/Product/Plymouth+Fantasy+Naturale+Yarn.aspx

It is a little more expensive, but it has more yards / ounces per skein than most cotton worsted yarns. I like it very much. It is cabled so it doesn’t shred, pill and split as easily as your lower end worsteds. Also, it has a slight sheen which is lovely.

Tahki Stacy Charles makes a good yarn called Cotton Classic. It comes in two weights – worsted and DK "double knitting" weights. DK is between worsted and sport. It is quite a bit more expensive, but, for hats you wouldn’t need a lot.

If you would like to try an even thinner choice, say a sportweight yarn, one I really recommend is Grace by Paton Yarns.

http://www.herrschners.com/Product/Patons+Grace+Yarn+1.aspx

Again, it is more expensive than your lower end cotton or acrylic yarns. But it is worth it if you want a garment which will turn out lovely with a fine hand. Cotton yarns which kind of shimmer are mercerized.

My very favorite cotton yarn is by Bernat and is called Cottontots. It is a larger worsted weight. The skeins are large in yardage as well. It is so soft, really nice to the touch. It is a baby yarn and comes in many pastels. But there are also some brighter colors as well, some varigateds, and some new country colors. I really like it and use it all the time.

http://www.bernat.com/product.php?LGC=cottontots&SPP=999

Make sure you don’t use too small of a hook when working with cotton. If you want garments to drape beautifully, use a slightly larger hook than called for on the label. Cotton shrinks a bit also. You might consider making it in one size larger to account for shrinkage.

Also, please allow me to give you another word of advice. Do NOT trust the knots that the manufacturer uses to join two ends in the skein. These knots are tiny and do NOT hold. If you are crocheting along and come upon a knot where two ends have been tied together, cut the yarn and join the new end just as if you are beginning a new skein of yarn. Leave at least an 8 inch tail and later weave it in with a darning needle, zigzagging back and forth on the back of the work. I took the easy way out a couple of times and learned my lesson the hard way! The baby afghan I had given as a gift had a big gaping hole in it after it was washed. How embarassing! I was able to fix it for her enough to use, but it never looked "perfect" after that.

Good luck!

I want to make an eternity scarf for the winter but I do not know how to knit. How long did it take you to get the hang of knitting when you first learned? What level of experience do you need to make a scarf that is attached at both ends?
I don’t have ANY experience in Knitting. Do you have a book or website that you’d suggest for me to learn by?

It all depends on how dedicated you are. It took me about 20 minutes before my mum was able to stop watching me. This little rhyme might help once you get the basics "In through the front door, once ’round the back, Peek through the window, and out pops Jack." I learnt this about a year after I started knitting, and I can tell you it would have helped heaps! Get pretty much any knitting book you can find, they all have the basic how to knit somewhere in there. But the one I would recommend is Stitch ‘n Itch. (Obviosly I had to miss the B in itch, but it’s the title of the book.) Debbie Stoller is the mother of knitting in America, her instructions and patterns are fantastic. I hope this helps, and Good Luck!! Oh, and to knit a simple scarf all you need to know is the basic knit stitch. I’d learn that one first, then after you’ve mastered it you can move on to the purl stitch, then try something a bit more complicated and you’re off!

I want to make an eternity scarf for the winter but I do not know how to knit. How long did it take you to get the hang of knitting when you first learned? What level of experience do you need to make a scarf that is attached at both ends?
I don’t have ANY experience in Knitting. Do you have a book or website that you’d suggest for me to learn by?

It all depends on how dedicated you are. It took me about 20 minutes before my mum was able to stop watching me. This little rhyme might help once you get the basics "In through the front door, once ’round the back, Peek through the window, and out pops Jack." I learnt this about a year after I started knitting, and I can tell you it would have helped heaps! Get pretty much any knitting book you can find, they all have the basic how to knit somewhere in there. But the one I would recommend is Stitch ‘n Itch. (Obviosly I had to miss the B in itch, but it’s the title of the book.) Debbie Stoller is the mother of knitting in America, her instructions and patterns are fantastic. I hope this helps, and Good Luck!! Oh, and to knit a simple scarf all you need to know is the basic knit stitch. I’d learn that one first, then after you’ve mastered it you can move on to the purl stitch, then try something a bit more complicated and you’re off!

Long as in a bit longer then average.

It’s one of these yarns: http://www.craftshopsupply.co.uk/products/sirdar-escape-wool-rich-dk/395/

Each 50g ball is 110m which sounds like loooads although I’m sure it’s used up quickly…

Sorry if this is a bit of stupid question but I’ve only knitted a scarf once and that was from a kit.

If you do 8feet vs the typical 6feet, then at 120 yards a ball:
go with 4 balls. Then it should be almost exactly 8ft long.

I was driving at dusk. I was either holding one knitting needle between my feet or holding one in each hand. There was no wool though and I wasn’t trying to knit. Weird! Any ideas?

The dream indicates the need to multitask. You feel uncomfortable or ill at ease, if you are not making the most of your time, and try to do a lot of things at once. You can overdo this and get into trouble. Meditate/pray, exercise, and eat healthy, to get stronger spiritually, so that you can better juggle what you need to, but will not lose your sense of vigilance when it comes too over doing things.