The downside of knitting
…the steady accumulation of hand-wash-only garments.
I don’t like handwashing sweaters. It’s a pain in the ass. So I wear a sweater a bit too long, then put it aside and keep meaning to wash it. Eventually all my sweaters are in the needs-to-be-washed pile and I have to break out the Eucalen. Billy’s treatment room now smells of wet wool. A roomful of wet wool sweaters? Not pleasant. Luckily there won’t be a patient in there until Sunday, and he just happens to have no sense of smell.
The dark green pieces with orange are the parts of the machine-knit cardi. The orange is waste yarn, which will be replaced with handknit ribbing after I do the seaming. Maybe I’ll have that done at some point next week. I’ve been feeling a distinct lack of cardigans lately, so I’m looking forward to finishing this one.
I have a sweater waiting for hand washing. Of course I took the time to handwash the bf’s nasty work clothes last weekend, but that’s more urgent. I got scared with that orange 🙂
Posted by: Vicki
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who ends up with a room full of wet wool! I always put off the handwashing, too.
Posted by: chris
Those of us who have made friends with acrylic yarn are free from the bondage of hand washing :-). The way my kids treat clothes I can’t spend money on something that can’t go in the washer and dryer.
Posted by: Dani
ugh, i feel the same way and oh, i do the same thing.
Posted by: froggy
they look so pretty and knitty though…
hope there’s still a little more down time left!
Posted by: mrspilkington
Yes yes, I am in the same boat re: the hand washing. hate it.
Posted by: melanie
I have a sweater waiting for hand washing. Of course I took the time to handwash the bf’s nasty work clothes last weekend, but that’s more urgent. I got scared with that orange 🙂
Posted by: Vicki
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who ends up with a room full of wet wool! I always put off the handwashing, too.
Posted by: chris
Those of us who have made friends with acrylic yarn are free from the bondage of hand washing :-). The way my kids treat clothes I can’t spend money on something that can’t go in the washer and dryer.
Posted by: Dani
ugh, i feel the same way and oh, i do the same thing.
Posted by: froggy
they look so pretty and knitty though…
hope there’s still a little more down time left!
Posted by: mrspilkington
Yes yes, I am in the same boat re: the hand washing. hate it.
Posted by: melanie
I am so with you on the hating of hand washing sweaters. And I don’t have an extra room to spread them out in so I can only do one at a time and spread it on a rack in the bathtub. It’s pure hell.
Posted by: jackie
I try to only get machine washable yarns… I’ve got racks for drying, but I do *NOT* enjoy hand washing clothing. Many knitters & crocheters seem to think this sacrilege, but I enjoy making and wearing the items… not washing them. This doesn’t mean you have to use acrylic… there are a lot of superwash wools out there these days, and they’re *nice*. :))
Posted by: Andrea
I do the same thing, and like Jackie I don’t have the space to spread ’em all out. Ah, well. When you think about it, it really is a small price to pay.
Posted by: Em
Amen, sister! Count me in as an anti-handwash member. It’s just such an annoying pain, and it doesn’t help that, really, so few things can fit into a bathroom sink filled with water!
Posted by: Deb
This may not be the ideal place to ask, but seeing all these beautiful sweaters, I wonder…do you sell your work? If so, would you consider using acrylic yarn? Your knitting is so lovely, it inspires me to learn! 🙂
Posted by: Beth
I haven’t finished my first sweater yet, but I too am in the put-off-handwashing-as-long-as-possible club. As a matter of fact, I have a couple that need to be washed very soon.
Posted by: Faith
I hate hand-washing, too. Do you actually hand-wash all the lovely socks you’ve knit? You’re a good woman.
The thing you said you’d send me? If I’m thinking of the right thing, Em sent it. No worries.
Posted by: alison
When our last washing machine finally crapped out (yay!), my only requirement for the new one was that it have a hand washing setting. It works perfectly–no fulling whatsoever. It doesn’t solve the drying space problem, though.
Posted by: Mary
I always procrastinate when it comes to handwashing, too. It’s one of the reasons I splurged on Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran for my upcoming sweater project, which is machine washable. I intend to wear the sweater to some of my husband’s performances. Performance in jazz club + wool sweater = cigarette/cigar smoke stench in beautiful handknit sweater. Yuck!
Posted by: Madalyn
I am so with you on the hating of hand washing sweaters. And I don’t have an extra room to spread them out in so I can only do one at a time and spread it on a rack in the bathtub. It’s pure hell.
Posted by: jackie
I try to only get machine washable yarns… I’ve got racks for drying, but I do *NOT* enjoy hand washing clothing. Many knitters & crocheters seem to think this sacrilege, but I enjoy making and wearing the items… not washing them. This doesn’t mean you have to use acrylic… there are a lot of superwash wools out there these days, and they’re *nice*. :))
Posted by: Andrea
I do the same thing, and like Jackie I don’t have the space to spread ’em all out. Ah, well. When you think about it, it really is a small price to pay.
Posted by: Em
Amen, sister! Count me in as an anti-handwash member. It’s just such an annoying pain, and it doesn’t help that, really, so few things can fit into a bathroom sink filled with water!
Posted by: Deb
This may not be the ideal place to ask, but seeing all these beautiful sweaters, I wonder…do you sell your work? If so, would you consider using acrylic yarn? Your knitting is so lovely, it inspires me to learn! 🙂
Posted by: Beth
I haven’t finished my first sweater yet, but I too am in the put-off-handwashing-as-long-as-possible club. As a matter of fact, I have a couple that need to be washed very soon.
Posted by: Faith
I hate hand-washing, too. Do you actually hand-wash all the lovely socks you’ve knit? You’re a good woman.
The thing you said you’d send me? If I’m thinking of the right thing, Em sent it. No worries.
Posted by: alison
When our last washing machine finally crapped out (yay!), my only requirement for the new one was that it have a hand washing setting. It works perfectly–no fulling whatsoever. It doesn’t solve the drying space problem, though.
Posted by: Mary
I always procrastinate when it comes to handwashing, too. It’s one of the reasons I splurged on Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran for my upcoming sweater project, which is machine washable. I intend to wear the sweater to some of my husband’s performances. Performance in jazz club + wool sweater = cigarette/cigar smoke stench in beautiful handknit sweater. Yuck!
Posted by: Madalyn
man, I hate handwashing…then the cats come up and sit on the drying sweaters! WTF? I even hate blocking because it takes up so much room.
Posted by: LeAnne
I wash all my sweaters in the gentle cycle of the washer…cold water. Then lay flat to dry. You still have wet sweaters all over the house but it’s easier than hand washing.
Posted by: margene
I don’t mind the washing itself, but I hate the drying, because I just don’t have enough room or towels for more than a couple sweaters at a time. Though I’ve been finding moth holes lately, which I’m told are often due to dirty sweaters, so maybe that will encourage more sweater-washing…
Posted by: J Strizzy
Have you considered getting the stacking, hanging sweater dryer Patternworks has listed in their catalog? I don’t really mind the handwashing bit, its the putting up with them lying around drying for so long that really makes me procrastinate.
Posted by: Birdsong
Does your husband really have no sense of smell? Like, clinically? Does he know why?
Posted by: Sutton
man, I hate handwashing…then the cats come up and sit on the drying sweaters! WTF? I even hate blocking because it takes up so much room.
Posted by: LeAnne
I wash all my sweaters in the gentle cycle of the washer…cold water. Then lay flat to dry. You still have wet sweaters all over the house but it’s easier than hand washing.
Posted by: margene
I don’t mind the washing itself, but I hate the drying, because I just don’t have enough room or towels for more than a couple sweaters at a time. Though I’ve been finding moth holes lately, which I’m told are often due to dirty sweaters, so maybe that will encourage more sweater-washing…
Posted by: J Strizzy
Have you considered getting the stacking, hanging sweater dryer Patternworks has listed in their catalog? I don’t really mind the handwashing bit, its the putting up with them lying around drying for so long that really makes me procrastinate.
Posted by: Birdsong
Does your husband really have no sense of smell? Like, clinically? Does he know why?
Posted by: Sutton