Aaaaaaaagghhh!! Slippery yarn rant...
 

Well, I knew it would be understood here...

Since about 6:30 p.m, I've been d'loading pix from my favorite clip-art
newsgroup, to keep myself occupied during the boring part of a project.

Said project is skeining some yarn for over-dyeing. (not that it isn't a
perfectly lovely fuschia color already; it's just that I need some dark purple
rayon, and this was lying around in stash, the perfect yarn for dyeing purple.)
Anyway, skeining is never what you'd call the most *interesting* of jobs, so
makes sense to combine it with something else. g And hey, skeining ain't that
difficult... I've got my niddy-noddy, which I can handle easily while sitting
at the computer; the yarn's put-up is about 100 yds., in those figure-8-wound
'balls', so usually easy to handle; and there's only 7 of them. It's just
slogging away at it until I get it done. No problem, right? Simple! Usually a
1-hour job for only 7 of 'em, or less, even.

It is now almost 10 p.m. as I start this post. I have three - count 'em, *3* -
balls skeined ready for washing and dyeing. Why so long, you ask??

This has *got* to be some of the most *slippery* dratted yarn I've ever laid
hands on!! ::muted scream:: You wanna talk tangles? I feel like I've been
trapped in a spider-web factory! Ohhhhh, man... LOL.

It's not that it's vintage yarn from the early 80's. It's not that it's about
fingering weight. It's that it's 100% pure *rayon*, and it's a corkscrew yarn.
(think a fine version of Lion Brand's Homespun, for those of you not spinners.
fawncier yarn mfrs. are now calling type this 'seed' yarn, sometimes, although
that's usually a little more stable than most corkscrew yarns.) This stuff is
slicker than the traditional greased hog on ice - make that a *drunken* greased
hog on ice - and *evil*, too!

The 2 plies slide freely along each other. (leading to knots and tangles.) It
take malicious glee in slipping off the niddy-noddy at every opportunity, since
of course, you don't wanna wind it on there *too* tight. You'd never get the
skein off if you did - or you'd break the niddy-noddy. (leading to knots and
tangles.) Any loose strands that come within an inch of another immediately try
to twist around each other even more in a big, spontaneous "let's all ply
together" love-in, despite all my efforts to the contrary. (leading to knots
and tangles.) Trying to pull from the center of the skein was a *big* mistake,
too. (that led to *major* knots and tangles.) Unwinding it from the outside of
the figure-8 ball works better, but excess loops of the stuff still escape and
dangle freely. (leading to knots and tangles.) If I don't keep a firm grip on
it, bigger chunks of yarn, knotted together like a bunch of snakes, slither out
of the skein further on in from where I'm unwinding. (leading to knots and
tangles.) And, of course, when I hit one of those, I've gotta put everything
down and untangle it. This means whatever's already wound onto the niddy-noddy
sneakily tries to make a break for freedom, *again*, no matter what I've done
to outwit it. I mean, I'm reluctant to use tape or SuperGlue, y'know? (leading
to knots and tangles.)

Of course, it's gonna look absolutely gorgeous when over-dyed; my test bits
came out a beautiful deep, glowing purple, like the best dark amethyst.
Incredible. It's just-- Well, you know how it is when washing/dyeing skeins. No
matter how careful you are, and how well you've tied them, they still tangle up
some.

Now imagine after I've dyed and dried these skeins. I'm gonna have to wind them
into center-pull balls. Seven of 'em. And there's no doubt, they're going to be
even *more* tangled - it's inevitable. This stuff belongs to the Dark Side of
the Force. I'm going to be stopping every few feet of yarn to (im)patiently
pick apart practically impervious snarls. I'm gonna go nuts!
Nnnnnnnnnnnnghghgghhhhhhhhh!!!!!

On the other hand - it *will* be luscious. vbg But I wonder what it's gonna
be like *knitting* with it, even stranded with cotton, as I plan to. Thank god
I'm not trying to weave it; I can just imagine the mess warping a loom would
be. I'd be beyond ready for the local Home for the Seriously Bewildered!

Although I have downloaded about 50 new pix in between snarling at snarls, so
I've accomplished more than it feels like. On the computer, at least. ;))

Ok, now that I've vented my feelings to a sympathetic audience, I'm gonna take
a break and go do something simple, like maybe quantum physics, about which I
know nothing at all. ::giggling::

Monica (tongue firmly in cheek)

---------
"No, that isn't me you saw - I'm not here, I'm incognito!" (Me, Myself & I)
Support our Troops!!
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"CMM PDX2" wrote
snip
LOL Sorry for laughing, Coggie, but you know how it is. g
Katherine

I held my breath reading the lively desciption
and forgive me too, I had to laugh a bit !
BUT... in the END it will be marvellous,
and you sure will love it, because of the work and frustration !LOL!!!
AUD ;-))

--


"CMM PDX2" skrev i melding
...
Well, I knew it would be understood here...

Since about 6:30 p.m, I've been d'loading pix from my favorite clip-art
newsgroup, to keep myself occupied during the boring part of a project.

Said project is skeining some yarn for over-dyeing. (not that it isn't a
perfectly lovely fuschia color already; it's just that I need some dark
purple
rayon, and this was lying around in stash, the perfect yarn for dyeing
purple.)
Anyway, skeining is never what you'd call the most *interesting* of jobs,
so
makes sense to combine it with something else. g And hey, skeining ain't
that
difficult... I've got my niddy-noddy, which I can handle easily while
sitting
at the computer; the yarn's put-up is about 100 yds., in those
figure-8-wound
'balls', so usually easy to handle; and there's only 7 of them. It's just
slogging away at it until I get it done. No problem, right? Simple!
Usually a
1-hour job for only 7 of 'em, or less, even.

It is now almost 10 p.m. as I start this post. I have three - count 'em,
*3* -
balls skeined ready for washing and dyeing. Why so long, you ask??

This has *got* to be some of the most *slippery* dratted yarn I've ever
laid
hands on!! ::muted scream:: You wanna talk tangles? I feel like I've been
trapped in a spider-web factory! Ohhhhh, man... LOL.

It's not that it's vintage yarn from the early 80's. It's not that it's
about
fingering weight. It's that it's 100% pure *rayon*, and it's a corkscrew
yarn.
(think a fine version of Lion Brand's Homespun, for those of you not
spinners.
fawncier yarn mfrs. are now calling type this 'seed' yarn, sometimes,
although
that's usually a little more stable than most corkscrew yarns.) This stuff
is
slicker than the traditional greased hog on ice - make that a *drunken*
greased
hog on ice - and *evil*, too!

The 2 plies slide freely along each other. (leading to knots and tangles.)
It
take malicious glee in slipping off the niddy-noddy at every opportunity,
since
of course, you don't wanna wind it on there *too* tight. You'd never get
the
skein off if you did - or you'd break the niddy-noddy. (leading to knots
and
tangles.) Any loose strands that come within an inch of another
immediately try
to twist around each other even more in a big, spontaneous "let's all ply
together" love-in, despite all my efforts to the contrary. (leading to
knots
and tangles.) Trying to pull from the center of the skein was a *big*
mistake,
too. (that led to *major* knots and tangles.) Unwinding it from the
outside of
the figure-8 ball works better, but excess loops of the stuff still escape
and
dangle freely. (leading to knots and tangles.) If I don't keep a firm grip
on
it, bigger chunks of yarn, knotted together like a bunch of snakes,
slither out
of the skein further on in from where I'm unwinding. (leading to knots and
tangles.) And, of course, when I hit one of those, I've gotta put
everything
down and untangle it. This means whatever's already wound onto the
niddy-noddy
sneakily tries to make a break for freedom, *again*, no matter what I've
done
to outwit it. I mean, I'm reluctant to use tape or SuperGlue, y'know?
(leading
to knots and tangles.)

Of course, it's gonna look absolutely gorgeous when over-dyed; my test
bits
came out a beautiful deep, glowing purple, like the best dark amethyst.
Incredible. It's just-- Well, you know how it is when washing/dyeing
skeins. No
matter how careful you are, and how well you've tied them, they still
tangle up
some.

Now imagine after I've dyed and dried these skeins. I'm gonna have to wind
them
into center-pull balls. Seven of 'em. And there's no doubt, they're going
to be
even *more* tangled - it's inevitable. This stuff belongs to the Dark Side
of
the Force. I'm going to be stopping every few feet of yarn to
(im)patiently
pick apart practically impervious snarls. I'm gonna go nuts!
Nnnnnnnnnnnnghghgghhhhhhhhh!!!!!

On the other hand - it *will* be luscious. vbg But I wonder what it's
gonna
be like *knitting* with it, even stranded with cotton, as I plan to. Thank
god
I'm not trying to weave it; I can just imagine the mess warping a loom
would
be. I'd be beyond ready for the local Home for the Seriously Bewildered!

Although I have downloaded about 50 new pix in between snarling at snarls,
so
I've accomplished more than it feels like. On the computer, at least. ;))

Ok, now that I've vented my feelings to a sympathetic audience, I'm gonna
take
a break and go do something simple, like maybe quantum physics, about
which I
know nothing at all. ::giggling::

Monica (tongue firmly in cheek)

---------
"No, that isn't me you saw - I'm not here, I'm incognito!" (Me, Myself &
I)
Support our Troops!!
http://www.wtv-zone.com/kjsb/bataan.html
ShipSupport Mailing List
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ShipSupport/

"Cheryl Isaak" wrote in message
...


Monica,
If you can cope with that yarn, you can do quantum physics! Both just
require being able to think in N-dimensions.
Trust me on this - I did do quantum physics once a upon a time.
Cheryl

Went to google and ready Monica's "rant". All I can say is - you have my
sympathy. I've been knitting with a very slippery yarn in the "sweater from
hell", and have finally given up on it. Grrrrrrr.

Shelagh

Monica,

I'm laughing so hard tears are running down my face. You can make something
hard to do sound so funny. Glad it's you and not me, now what are you going to
make with it?

Hugs,

Nora

Katherine,

Hey, where did Coggie come into this?

Hugs,

Nora

Whoops! g
Katherine

"NoraBalcer" wrote in message
...
Katherine,

Hey, where did Coggie come into this?

Hugs,

Nora

On 8/31/03 7:19 PM, in article ,
"CMM PDX2" wrote:

To everyone... ;))

Don't worry about laughing, I was laughing myself while writing the original
post. Not so much at my own humor - oh, ok, a little bit, all right, I
confess!
::snerk:: I *was* trying to be funny about it, and it's nice to know others
did
get a laugh. I tend to work frustration out with humor when I can.

It's just such a ridiculous situation; argh'ing in defeat over something
usually so simple! LOL. Anyway, I knew you guys would be sharing the funny
parts, *and* wincing at the PITA factor.

Cheryl, you got me *really* giggling with your comment:

Monica,
If you can cope with that yarn, you can do quantum physics!
Both just require being able to think in N-dimensions.
Trust me on this - I did do quantum physics once a upon a
time.
Cheryl

You mean even someone who has to surreptitiously resort to fingers for simple
addition at times, and who has *totally* forgotten everything she ever knew
about fractions? ::boggle:: Good grief; I coulda been a physicist! I coulda
got
gov't grants 'n stuff! I coulda screwed up even *more*!

Ghu help the scientific community. ;))

Well, you do need a certain aptitude for math.... But I found the rhythms of
untangling yarn a great way to let my mind wander the paths it needed to for
that sticky problem or concept. Lots of little "aha" moments.

Cheryl

Monica,

Your top sounds like it will be lovely. I know what you mean by wearing longer
tops, I do all the time as I'm a 2X on top. I didn't get a chance to browze the
new Family Circle Fall Easy Knitting, but on the cover it says Plus Size
fashions. I'll have to check the website to see what they have there.

Hugs,

Nora where fall has arrived.