Have you ever had a project that you loved become ruined? What’s the story behind it?
Yes, and they all involved wool and a washing machine. I made two Log Cabin lap-sized blankets for my parents, in different color schemes. I can’t tell you how much I spent on the wool or the time I put into all that garter stitch. I warned my mother that they were wool, and if she absolutely HAD to wash them, she should just soak them in cold water in the sink with a bit of shampoo. Even the washer, on the delicate cycle and cold, would probably shrink them. My mother, being who she is, only heard “washer, cold,” and not a month after receiving them, washed them in the washer and put them in the dryer. Both blankets were tragically felted. She assures me that they still use them, and that hers is a wonderful cover for the cold vinyl seat of the car in the winter, but I’m still a little sad. Therefore, my family only gets acrylic. It’s not quite as warm as wool, but at least I don’t have to worry about it being accidentally ruined.
If you’ve seen my project page on Ravelry, you might notice that I have a sweater on there, called V’s 2nd V Sweater. There is no 1st sweater, you see, because the first sweater was tragically felted when my husband uncharacteristically started laundry that had not been first combed through and sorted. Both Nyte and Podling are pocket-stashers; they keep all manner of things in their pockets, and when they shed their clothes they simple peel them all off like a skin. Socks, underpants, overshirts (and with the little one, jackets or sweaters), all still nested inside each other like crispy cicada skins, still holding some of their former occupant’s shape, pockets still hiding receipts, bits of metal, stones, coins, and in one memorable instance, most of a pine cone. Sorting and combing through laundry is a very, very necessary step. A step that Nyte doesn’t do.
Now the 1st V sweater fits a teddy bear. I can’t believe it. In my own house. My second and third pairs of hand-knit socks also went through the washer unexpectedly, but those were supposed to be superwash wool. I can almost still wear them, almost.
I don’t have any photos for this. Have a kitty in a bag.
The Cranky-Faced Knitter 