I read about this once...
I finally read the Yarn Harlot's first book last week and cried with her when she tried to block her friend's superwash wool sweater, only to have it come out of the water twice as wide.
Well..... This has just happened to me and I'm devastated. I have been working on the Nantucket Jacket for a month or so now and finally put the buttons on yesterday. I tried it on and it was lovely, but I thought it could use a good blocking. So, I threw it in the washing machine as per the ball band instructions, but when I pulled it out to lay it flat, it was GIGANTIC. It grew far more width wise than it did length wise. I remembered that people had suggested to the yarn harlot that she should put it in the dryer, so I did that. It still looks bad...
I'm going to try to block it again today and stretch it down, but I don't have high hopes. If that doesn't work, I think I may just have to frog it. I know that I won't wear it this way.
I suppose it's all my fault, since I did do a gauge swatch, but I didn't wash it. If I had washed it like they say to, I would have known that it would stretch. I wonder if the designer had bothered to wash their swatch either. I already went down a size in needles to get gauge, but in order to adjust for the growth, I'm going to have to go down a lot of sizes. I love this yarn, and it took a lot of courage to buy the yarn. This is the most I have ever spent on a project, ever. *sigh*
Any one else had this problem?!
Well..... This has just happened to me and I'm devastated. I have been working on the Nantucket Jacket for a month or so now and finally put the buttons on yesterday. I tried it on and it was lovely, but I thought it could use a good blocking. So, I threw it in the washing machine as per the ball band instructions, but when I pulled it out to lay it flat, it was GIGANTIC. It grew far more width wise than it did length wise. I remembered that people had suggested to the yarn harlot that she should put it in the dryer, so I did that. It still looks bad...
I'm going to try to block it again today and stretch it down, but I don't have high hopes. If that doesn't work, I think I may just have to frog it. I know that I won't wear it this way.I suppose it's all my fault, since I did do a gauge swatch, but I didn't wash it. If I had washed it like they say to, I would have known that it would stretch. I wonder if the designer had bothered to wash their swatch either. I already went down a size in needles to get gauge, but in order to adjust for the growth, I'm going to have to go down a lot of sizes. I love this yarn, and it took a lot of courage to buy the yarn. This is the most I have ever spent on a project, ever. *sigh*
Any one else had this problem?!
Labels: knitting, Nantucket Jacket
posted by Dawn | 8:04 AM
5 Comments:
Oh no! That is the one of the most grossly unfair thing I've ever heard, at least where yarn and sweaters are concerned.
Why is it always the yarn we splurge on that gives us the most trouble?
when its partly dry---- hang it to finish? should certainly lengthen it.
I just posted this on the Nantucket KAL:
My swatch of Berroco Pure merino did the exact same thing -- but dried down to its original size. I'd suggest smooshing your sweater into the final dimensions that you're shooting for, then seeing what you have once it's completely dry.
Thanks for the heads-up!
That is really gorgeous cabling, and I love the color!
I once bought a cone of leftover yarn in close to that color, that had come from Calvin Klein's factory, marked "Cashwool," an extremely fine merino lambswool, softer than many cashmeres. Nice stuff! It was thin as thread, and I plied it on my spinning wheel to make a knitting yarn. I made an intricately cabled vest out of it--and as soon as I washed it the first time, it stretched out sideways enormously. I finally decided if it was superwash (it had not been labelled such), then I would have to put it through the dryer to shrink it back. Which I did. It shrank--but I'd plied and knitted it densely enough that the end result--well, let's just say I'm waiting to be a grandma-to-be, so I can give my daughter or future daughter-in-law a maternity sweater they can wear the whole nine months.
Dawn - I am so sorry about your plight. That sweater is gorgeous and the cabling is gorgeous. For your sake and for all the patient hours and loving care you put into that jacket I truly hope you will manage to get her back down to size.
On the other hand, if the worst happens and you can't block her back down, then please contact me: I'm a size 2X-3X and (if I may be so brazen as to suggest this) I will be more than happy to buy her from you and give her a good loving home.
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