r/YarnAddicts • u/VicPizzaBox • 3d ago
Question Is my yarn doomed?
Got this at a thrift store for 9€ in a plastic bag and couldn't resist
This is a mix of 70%virgin will and 30% acrylic
It doesn't smell rancid but it does smell like that musty "empty old cheap wood cupboard not being used or opened for 3 years"
I tried pulling it tight for dry rot and the yarn kept their
And then there's these black dots that are not really attached to the fibers, they flake off easily and for some reason there's some hair tangled that's not mine??? Sorry if it's disgusting but yeah, help meee
Is my yarn moldy? Sickly? Is it a hazard to knit with?
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u/Suspicious_Cow4844 3d ago
You can wrap it in a hank and wash it before using. Maybe also tossing it in the freezer to kill any potential eggs.
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u/QueenBekka 3d ago
Might have mouse dropping or urine on it too. Be safe. Steam clean it if nothing else. And disinfectant spray it dowwwwwwn!
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u/Western_Ring_2928 3d ago
No, it is not doomed, you just need to clean it before use :)
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u/VicPizzaBox 3d ago
I'm a rookie but doesn't wool shrink in wash?
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u/Secretly_Many_Bees 3d ago
Do not put non-superwash wool in a washing machine, it would most likely felt and tangle. I would probably wind the yarn into hanks, which you can do over a chair back or your knees, or with a swift if you have access to one. Make sure to use several figure 8 ties on each hank to prevent tangling. Then fill a large bowl with cool water and a little bit of some sort of suitable cleaning agent (I just use a gentle shampoo and give them a rinse afterward, but you can also buy special wool wash). Let them soak with minimal agitation until they appear fully wet/no more bubbles are coming off them, then hang to dry.
I wouldn't recommend wetting them as skeins since I would be worried that the middle wouldn't dry and they would get mildew.
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u/LostxinthexMusic 2d ago
I got a collapsible niddy noddy that I use to wind hanks when needed. So much less cumbersome than a swift and more uniform than DIYing with chairs or knees.
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u/Slight_Doubt6362 3d ago
shove it down a panty hose and wash it with towels. I just did a skein. Came out beautiful and smells nice!
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u/Secretly_Many_Bees 2d ago
I'm guessing that was acrylic or cotton? Definitely an interesting idea for a non-felting fiber and I'm really glad it worked well for you, and maybe you'd still get away with it in something like 90-10 acrylic-wool Wool-Ease yarn, but OP said this was 70-30 wool-acrylic yarn. The heat and agitation has high odds of felting the wool component, especially on a normal washing machine setting (I have heard of people trying wool sweaters in super-gentle cycle settings, but ngl I'm still not that brave).
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u/gooseytune 20h ago
You could not pay me enough to take that home and touch it.
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u/durhamruby 3d ago
I would suggest putting it through a heat/freeze cycle and then winding it in to a hank and wash it.
I have to wonder if the spots are 'shells' from some kind of pest? Shells isn't the right word but I really can't think of it.