# Yarn vomit.



## Damama (Oct 2, 2011)

Bought a skein of Bernat Satin. Tried to find the end so I could pull from the center, long story short, wound up pulling out a huge pile of "yarn vomit" Arrgh still haven't gotten it untangled. Oh we'll, at least my cat is sleeping so maybe I can get back to it now. Worse mess I have ever gotten from fresh skein. 
Whew, thank you for letting me vent over my little problem.


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## TravelKnit (Feb 23, 2013)

Hate it when that happens!


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## nitchik (May 30, 2011)

I feel your pain! Or at least I did, until...and that's why I always knit from the outside.


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## AmyKnits (Aug 20, 2011)

The plug of yarn that is sometimes pulled out when looking for the center pull is NOT tangled... You are tangling it by trying to find the end in the middle if the plug.

Next time this happens, simply rewind the yarn from the plug around the wrapper and come to the end naturally.

It is always recommended to knit from the center of the skein to work WITH rather than against the twist if the yarn.. The way it was manufactured to be used. This is especially important for self-striping or color changing yarns.

So.... Wrapping the yarn from the plug around the wrapper will help you from tangling your yarn the next time you yank a plug.... 

Oh, and venting is good for the soul... AND your sanity... vent away!!!


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## SweetPandora (May 9, 2013)

send it to me and I'll fix it. I LOVE untangling yarn vomit. 

Yes, I know I'm weird. It is part of my charm


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## Jaymacphe (Jan 24, 2013)

I doesn't worry me having to untangle the middle of yarn either, but thanks for the clue AmyKnit, I shall use that next time (and there is sure to be a "next time")) I mangle the inside of a ball of yarn. Jay


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## AmyKnits (Aug 20, 2011)

SweetPandora said:


> send it to me and I'll fix it. I LOVE untangling yarn vomit.
> 
> Yes, I know I'm weird. It is part of my charm


You AND my husband... he always untangles my yarn messes for me!

Unlike you, he doesn't LOVE doing it... but he LOVES me.

You BOTH have the same (weird) charm!! :thumbup:


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## kiwiannie (Jul 30, 2011)

Don't you just hate that when you get a new skein and that happens. :thumbdown: :thumbdown:


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## BobnDejasMom (Jun 2, 2011)

I dislike those balls of vomit. It takes away from the fun of jumping right into my project.


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## HandyFamily (Sep 30, 2011)

Oooaaammm... That happens sometimes. I just wind the yarn on the skein when it does - but I don't have a cat...


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## babsbarb (Dec 23, 2012)

This is what I do also, even tho I didn't post pictures.


AmyKnits said:


> The plug of yarn that is sometimes pulled out when looking for the center pull is NOT tangled... You are tangling it by trying to find the end in the middle if the plug.
> 
> Next time this happens, simply rewind the yarn from the plug around the wrapper and come to the end naturally.
> 
> ...


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## sross512004 (Mar 4, 2011)

I never knew that about the plug, thanks.


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## shel01 (Feb 23, 2013)

AmyKnits said:


> You AND my husband... he always untangles my yarn messes for me!
> 
> Unlike you, he doesn't LOVE doing it... but he LOVES me.
> 
> You BOTH have the same (weird) charm!! :thumbup:


Becareful there AmyKnits, everone will be wanting to borrow your husband lol

Shel x


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## willi66 (Aug 30, 2012)

AmyKnits said:


> You AND my husband... he always untangles my yarn messes for me!
> 
> Unlike you, he doesn't LOVE doing it... but he LOVES me.
> 
> You BOTH have the same (weird) charm!! :thumbup:


My late father used to do this for me when I was making Lopi sweaters. He was very patient. I miss him!

Thanks Amy for reminding me of this nice memory.


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## mollyannhad (Feb 1, 2011)

SweetPandora said:


> send it to me and I'll fix it. I LOVE untangling yarn vomit.
> 
> Yes, I know I'm weird. It is part of my charm


Hey I dont mind untangling mine either--its quite a challenge!


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## Di-an (Feb 18, 2013)

It's good conversation time...my friend and I have the best talks when I am "unwinding".


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## Damama (Oct 2, 2011)

SweetPandora said:


> send it to me and I'll fix it. I LOVE untangling yarn vomit.
> 
> Yes, I know I'm weird. It is part of my charm


Oh I don't mind untangling the yarn, feel likes an accomplishment when finished. On this particular skein I did find a nice loose end, about 3 feet, but it started to get hard to pull out, gave it a tug and the plug came out. It turn out that the nice long end was from the outside of the skein. Any way it is all sorted and on its way to being the face of my leprechaun. 
Vent, problem solved, all is right with my little corner of the world. 
Hugs to all, have a wonderful day.


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## MzKnitCro (May 29, 2012)

I feel your pain, my Brava yarn did that too, but it had two vomits . I hope I finally got it fixed.


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## Damama (Oct 2, 2011)

Di-an said:


> It's good conversation time...my friend and I have the best talks when I am "unwinding".


Actually, my friend had just gotten back from Phoenix the evening prior. I was at my son's house taking care of his critters and watering his yard. My friend came over and we chatted quite a while I was untangling. She heard me say darned yarn vomit, looked at me and didn't say a word. She is not a crafter and I know she wasn't sure what it meant, but guess she figured it out. cuz she didn't ask.


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## journey7 (Nov 24, 2011)

AmyKnits - thanks for the information.


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## ole chook (May 17, 2011)

I am so fortunate in that my hubby is a master untangler of yarn vomit


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## Oldies (Feb 3, 2012)

I purchased a 9.8 oz. skein of Bernat Baby Sport Yarn to make a baby blanket. The whole skein was one big yarn barf. I couldn't throw the skein away because it would have been $6 I was throwing away. It took me forever to de-tangle the skein. I wrote to Bernat about the problem and they apologized and sent me a new skein to replace the one I had. What a difference, not one tangle. There should be an email address on the label for you to write to the company to tell them of your problem. All they can do is to just apologize but they want to keep their customers. They will probably send you a new skein of yarn. All it'll cost you is your time to write to them about it. If you don't tell them they won't know about the problem. Now I have two baby blankets to donate to the pregnancy center.


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## valj46 (Jul 25, 2011)

What an awful expression yarn vomit made me fill sick as i was eating a biscuit while reading it .


Damama said:


> Bought a skein of Bernat Satin. Tried to find the end so I could pull from the center, long story short, wound up pulling out a huge pile of "yarn vomit" Arrgh still haven't gotten it untangled. Oh we'll, at least my cat is sleeping so maybe I can get back to it now. Worse mess I have ever gotten from fresh skein.
> Whew, thank you for letting me vent over my little problem.


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## RobbiD (Nov 13, 2012)

Damama said:


> Bought a skein of Bernat Satin. Tried to find the end so I could pull from the center, long story short, wound up pulling out a huge pile of "yarn vomit" Arrgh still haven't gotten it untangled. Oh we'll, at least my cat is sleeping so maybe I can get back to it now. Worse mess I have ever gotten from fresh skein.
> Whew, thank you for letting me vent over my little problem.


Damama, I just made a cardigan with Bernat Satin. I had the same problem with all but one skein. No tangles, though, just a big chunk of yarn. If you pull the yarn from the outside of the plug and wrap it around the skein as you go, until you reach the end, you shouldn't have any tangles. The finished project was worth the aggravation of the yarn vomit, though. I just love that yarn


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## Ali9407 (Jun 25, 2011)

Ah, the best idea is the simplist. My husband also feels my pain and jumps in to help.


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## irishlore (Aug 2, 2012)

I always knit from the outside...lol


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## Marylou12 (Dec 11, 2011)

I agree with Amyknits. 
Courier had a great solution on a while ago that works well for me now. Just let the "vomit" part dangle and wrap up on your skein as it unfolds naturally. DON'T try to find the end, you will only make it worse. You'll find it works much better.
Best wishes to you. I feel your pain as I always hated undoing these globs.


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## neenie (Nov 29, 2012)

Yes, haven't had one of those in ages but if you just wide the "vomit" around the skein instead of looking for the end, it will untangle and the end will come up.

Neenie


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## Gerslay (Oct 4, 2011)

AmyKnits said:


> It is always recommended to knit from the center of the skein to work WITH rather than against the twist if the yarn.. The way it was manufactured to be used. This is especially important for self-striping or color changing yarns.


Thanks Amy for your always helpful advice!


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## Sherry1 (May 14, 2011)

Someone posted yesterday that she contacted a mill about center pull vs. outside and they said no difference in nap, etc.
I wish I could find the post but the bottom line was ...depends on whether you want your yarn bouncing on the floor or not.
The explanation was really interesting.hopefully someone can find the post

Found it

http://www.knittingparadise.com/t-186694-1.html


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## mombr4 (Apr 21, 2011)

Damama said:


> Bought a skein of Bernat Satin. Tried to find the end so I could pull from the center, long story short, wound up pulling out a huge pile of "yarn vomit" Arrgh still haven't gotten it untangled. Oh we'll, at least my cat is sleeping so maybe I can get back to it now. Worse mess I have ever gotten from fresh skein.
> Whew, thank you for letting me vent over my little problem.


Glad to hear you got it untangled. I had someone on the forum send me a hank of yarn that was all tangled. I didn't realize at the time it was a lace weight yarn. When it arrived it was one big clump. She had also cut on of the strands when cutting the piece that held it together. Did a little at a time and in a few days it was untangled and mailed it back to her. I love a challenge.

I would contact them and let them know of the problem, that are great with their customer service. It sometimes takes a day or so for them to reply. I had a problem with a ball of Pipsqueak it had a lot of splits in the yarn throughout the ball.

Send them a email with the name of the yarn and color. Better then calling since they have a voice mail. I got a email reply in a day and they sent me a new ball.

Every company has a contact on their web site, some have a email address, some a phone number and some have both.

Now you can proceed with your project, happy knitting.


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## past (Apr 3, 2011)

Another tip is to make sure that the outside end is actually on the outside. I've gotten into some real messes thinking I've found the center of the yarn only to realize that I pulled the outside end all the way through the skein.
The worst yarn puke, in my opinion, is boucle.


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## Colonial Cat (Mar 4, 2013)

Had a skein was going to use and pulled it out and got the stand and just went right to using and it did work right do like it when it even yarn vomit turns out to pull right and used it up and kept crocheting with it till it was gone.


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## Ronie (Jan 21, 2011)

I wish there was a way around the yarn vomit... I used 2 skeins of knit picks Comfy... beautiful all went very well.. I bought 6 skeins and the last 3 I used are terrible.. all they have to do it let us know what side to pull from.. then at least we have a fighting chance..


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## Jackie C (Aug 13, 2012)

Love your expression "yarn vomit" I get so frustrated when that happens. Now I have a name for it. Cats! Whew. seems like most knitters have them. I used to have 3. Now I have 1. she's an outside cat she does't like to come in.


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## henhouse2011 (Feb 20, 2011)

With the twist? Draw a vertical line of slanted lines. Turn it upside down...same twist, no difference.


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## Brendij (Jul 14, 2012)

As AmyKnit says:
"The plug of yarn that is sometimes pulled out when looking for the center pull is NOT tangled... You are tangling it by trying to find the end in the middle if the plug.

Next time this happens, simply rewind the yarn from the plug around the wrapper and come to the end naturally."

This is sooo good to know!! Thank you!


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## Doubledee (May 29, 2013)

I am learning so much. Yarn vomit! Thanks for the tip, Amy. I always use the outside end, didn't know you could use the inside. Another expression I learned is frogging which I always called ripping. I love this forum, spend way too much time on it though!


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## norm13 (Jul 15, 2012)

My husband always offers to untangle my yarn for me . He also loves to do puzzles, so I suppose yarn barf is sort of like a puzzle to him


AmyKnits said:


> You AND my husband... he always untangles my yarn messes for me!
> 
> Unlike you, he doesn't LOVE doing it... but he LOVES me.
> 
> You BOTH have the same (weird) charm!! :thumbup:


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## morningstar (Mar 24, 2012)

valj46 said:


> What an awful expression yarn vomit made me fill sick as i was eating a biscuit while reading it .


Here in our little group at the Jersey Shore we call it "Yarn Barf." As Amy Knits suggested, don't struggle. Her photos are excellent as is her advice. I just shake mine out first and then start the wrap around the label. Never a problem.


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## gramadolly (Apr 26, 2012)

I am not happy when that happens but I will sit before the tv and untangle it. It's a challenge. My DIL tells me to just through it away. Have you ever heard of such a thing?


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## 3DogMom (May 7, 2013)

Thank you all, especially AmyKnits, for these solutions! I get yarn puke when I pull out the plug once in a while (don'tcha just love it, though, when you get a clean end?) and used to spend time untangling it but now just wrap it around the skein until the end comes up. Worse, for me, is getting near the end of a skein from the inside and having the yarn tangle then, but I just realized from what AmyKnits said that it's the same problem -- trying to untangle that from the wrong end!


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## Carol J. (Jan 27, 2011)

Some yarn is wound on a ball some on a skein. Usually the yarn from a ball is used from the outside and from the inside of a skein. Hold up a piece of yarn, gently run your thumb and index finger down the strand, feel it. Then turn it the other way and do the same, feel it. Notice a difference. If the yarn strand feels rough and the the other way smooth, the smooth end is what you should use.
Yarn is spun with fibers and some are short and some are long. If you have a chance watch a spinner, she keeps adding strands of fiber to the yarn she is making. The short ends are all going in the same direction and if you knit against them, your work will stretch and get out of shape. The short ends bond with each other, the smoother part of the yarn will not have any resistance and lay the way it should. 
Try feeling your yarn before you start. People who sew know that you put the loose end in a needle and knot the end you just cut for a reason. If you use the thread against the twist, you get tangles and little nuisance knots to pull apart, the same goes for knitting yarn. Check this out and let me know if you can "feel" your yarn.

Carol J.


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## JeanBlain (Mar 21, 2013)

I, too, get very angry when the inside end of a skein of yarn is not readily visible. I like to work with the inside so that I don't have to keep unwinding the skein as I knit. I usually end up pulling out what seems like half the skein just to find the inner end. Maybe it would be better, in that case, just to start winding the yarn into a ball from the outside. :x :mrgreen:


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## Arwin (Nov 16, 2011)

i actually don't like having to do it, & i do as Amyknits said, to roll the fiber from the plug, but sometimes i still do get a huge mess & have to sort out tangles, ugh!
but i think the manufacturers do this on purpose and then sit behind their desks laughing & laughing at all the men & women who have to do the tangle dance!!
:lol: :roll:


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## JeanBlain (Mar 21, 2013)

AmyKnits said:


> You AND my husband... he always untangles my yarn messes for me!
> 
> Unlike you, he doesn't LOVE doing it... but he LOVES me.
> 
> You BOTH have the same (weird) charm!! :thumbup:


My husband used to untangle mine, too, but, now that he has Parkinson's, it is hard for him. I usually untangle mine and try very hard to keep my cool while doing it.


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## EZ2 (Aug 11, 2011)

SweetPandora said:


> send it to me and I'll fix it. I LOVE untangling yarn vomit.
> 
> Yes, I know I'm weird. It is part of my charm


I love it too! You are not alone. We are weird together.


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## wyldwmn (Jun 11, 2013)

AmyKnits said:


> It is always recommended to knit from the center of the skein to work WITH rather than against the twist if the yarn.. The way it was manufactured to be used.


The same thing is true of sewing thread--it is meant to be sewn in the same direction that it comes off the spool. Sometimes people wind a bobbin and then try to use the bobbin on the top of the machine, and then experience a lot of tangled thread. Likewise when threading a needle--if you need two strands of thread, cut two separate strands coming off the spool and lay them in the same direction before threading the needle instead of just pulling the thread through the needle in one long length to make it double. Before I sew by hand, I run the threads between my thumb and a sliver of soap which also helps to prevent tangles.

I've noticed with crochet thread that sometimes it tangles or twists more than other times, and I've suspected that it's because I'm crocheting against the twist of the thread.


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## dede.heath (Jul 22, 2013)

Lately I seem to be buying skeins that don't easily yield the end, so I wind up with yarn vomit (Love that term! New to me). Must check with nice yarn store whence came the yarn. When I use my winder for a skein, it's easy, because the end is right at hand. But it's those already wound skeins that stump me. ~ Dede


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## dede.heath (Jul 22, 2013)

I don't know how to tell whether it's with or against. Help!


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## zookeeper1 (Feb 26, 2013)

I never knew that about the center plug. Thank you all for your helpful advice on how to deal with it. I alwlays made the plug worse by trying to find the end. Thanks.


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## Pauline4 (Jul 4, 2013)

This never happens to me. The first thing I do remove label, punch hole in label adding piece of yarn. I than wash & dry yarn. Before removing yarn from winder insert cardboard cylinder. Use yarn from outside. No tangles, yarn bloomed caught any knots, used Russian join. Yarn will be correct gauge when I do my swatch. &#128516;


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## Buggs (Jul 22, 2013)

We had a lady in the Nursing Home who used to pick out all her clothes seams until I gave her a totally messed up ball of yarn. Then she used her talent to untangle it. We kept her busy and happy for hours. I didn't know it was called yarn vomit but what a good name for it. Thanks for the laughs. I'm new to the site, but I'm not new to knitting. Buggs


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## mamasbird (Jun 5, 2013)

Untangling that mess is a pain. Thanks for the tip AmyKnits. I'll sure remember how to do that the next time it happens.


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## Carol J. (Jan 27, 2011)

wyldwmn said:


> The same thing is true of sewing thread--it is meant to be sewn in the same direction that it comes off the spool. Sometimes people wind a bobbin and then try to use the bobbin on the top of the machine, and then experience a lot of tangled thread. Likewise when threading a needle--if you need two strands of thread, cut two separate strands coming off the spool and lay them in the same direction before threading the needle instead of just pulling the thread through the needle in one long length to make it double. Before I sew by hand, I run the threads between my thumb and a sliver of soap which also helps to prevent tangles.
> 
> I've noticed with crochet thread that sometimes it tangles or twists more than other times, and I've suspected that it's because I'm crocheting against the twist of the thread.


Thank you for replying the way you did, I owned a yarn shop and have taught many to knit and crochet and helped hundreds with their questions. Some say it doesn't make any difference but it does. I often use beeswax with thread and for some embroidery I use it all the time. Getting to know your yarn will help you get the results you want. Feel the yarn and you will feel a difference.

Carol J.


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## kanddmom (Apr 2, 2013)

Thanks Amy. I had never thought about that approach.


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## kmckinstry77 (Jan 18, 2013)

AmyKnits said:


> The plug of yarn that is sometimes pulled out when looking for the center pull is NOT tangled... You are tangling it by trying to find the end in the middle if the plug.
> 
> Next time this happens, simply rewind the yarn from the plug around the wrapper and come to the end naturally.
> 
> ...


This really works? Wow. I always knit from the outside because the center is such a pain to work with. Hmm. If that method of "untangling by not untangling" really works, I may try knitting from the center. 
Thank you!


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## Johna (May 7, 2012)

Usually when I buy yarn, I have the salesgirl wind it into a ball for me. But I guess you can only do that at a yarn shop.


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## antchris (Jul 22, 2013)

Thanks for the Monday morning chuckle. Now I know what to call that clump!


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## kmckinstry77 (Jan 18, 2013)

antchris said:


> Thanks for the Monday morning chuckle. Now I know what to call that clump!


I think it's also referred to as a "yarn burp".


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## Susan Elizabeth (Nov 26, 2012)

You wash and dry the yarn before using it??!!! Are you serious??


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## Carolynerae (Jul 13, 2013)

I hate it when that happens too, I have never know if I should pull and use from the center of the skein or try to find the outside yarn and use it from the outside in. Sorry


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## Cassews (Apr 10, 2013)

Yaarn vomit ..never knew what to call it, now I do .. LOVE it ..
Dearest Hubs will help when I am doing an afghan to get all the colors the same and not waste time. But he just shakes his head when it comes to the "yarn vomit". I will definitely have to tell him about this new term .. LOL Well new to me term.. LOL


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## beanscene (Jun 9, 2012)

AmyKnits said:


> The plug of yarn that is sometimes pulled out when looking for the center pull is NOT tangled... You are tangling it by trying to find the end in the middle if the plug.
> 
> Next time this happens, simply rewind the yarn from the plug around the wrapper and come to the end naturally.
> 
> ...


If we are supposed to knit from the centre why don't yarn manufacturers make it easier for us then?


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## AmyKnits (Aug 20, 2011)

beanscene said:


> If we are supposed to knit from the centre why don't yarn manufacturers make it easier for us then?


????? Maybe because they are not knitters ???????? From what I learned here on KP.. they used to label the yarns with an arrow that points which end to pull from.... some yarns still have the arrows on the ball band.... I am guessing some knitters don't NOTICE the arrow or REALIZE what it is there for....

There has also been posted a way to determine which end to pull from.... I don't remember, but you can do a search... something about the printing on the band to tell you which end the yarn comes out from.

Here is just one link to the many, many discussions here on KP regarding this topic....

http://www.knittingparadise.com/t-101524-1.html

I simply put my fingers in each end and feel around for it... I can usually find it, but sometimes end up with the "plug' which I have already explained how to best deal with.

Some brands LEAVE the end sticking out for you.. I have seen this when shopping at Joann's.... Caron one pound has the end sticking out already.... as well as a few others... again, I am fairly certain many knitters don't know what to look for.


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## AngieR (Jul 22, 2013)

Thanks for the explanation AmyKnits. It makes sense the way you explained it. Can't wait to try it on my next project.


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## Damama (Oct 2, 2011)

Oldies said:


> I purchased a 9.8 oz. skein of Bernat Baby Sport Yarn to make a baby blanket. The whole skein was one big yarn barf. I couldn't throw the skein away because it would have been $6 I was throwing away. It took me forever to de-tangle the skein. I wrote to Bernat about the problem and they apologized and sent me a new skein to replace the one I had. What a difference, not one tangle. There should be an email address on the label for you to write to the company to tell them of your problem. All they can do is to just apologize but they want to keep their customers. They will probably send you a new skein of yarn. All it'll cost you is your time to write to them about it. If you don't tell them they won't know about the problem. Now I have two baby blankets to donate to the pregnancy center.


Thank you for info.


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## Peg I M4 (Apr 6, 2012)

I hope I don't upset anyone but I worked in nursing for 40 years and I know what "vomit" is and I wish we could refer to yarn tangled in a yarn skein by some other term.


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## Damama (Oct 2, 2011)

JeanWilkins said:


> I, too, get very angry when the inside end of a skein of yarn is not readily visible. I like to work with the inside so that I don't have to keep unwinding the skein as I knit. I usually end up pulling out what seems like half the skein just to find the inner end. Maybe it would be better, in that case, just to start winding the yarn into a ball from the outside. :x :mrgreen:


I always try to insert fingers in the suggested end, but just didn't work this time. This is the first time I have had it backfire on me. It it happens again I will try Amy's suggestion. Well, if this is the worse thing that happens to me, I am a very lucky, happy person. All of you hers are so amazing and helpful. Hugs to all.


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## carol12 (Apr 25, 2011)

Sometimes I think they plan it that way. One skein you have know problem with and then another you do! Oh we'll it's all part of the process of knitting.I even had this happen with a ball that I wound from a hank using my ball winder and swift.Wondup rewrapping half the ball to Get it untangled.


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## mooseymom93 (May 1, 2013)

I'm with you. Don't mind untangling yarn at all, sort of soothing and calming.


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## BeccaP (Feb 3, 2013)

AmyKnits said:


> ????? Maybe because they are not knitters ???????? From what I learned here on KP.. they used to label the yarns with an arrow that points which end to pull from.... some yarns still have the arrows on the ball band.... I am guessing some knitters don't NOTICE the arrow or REALIZE what it is there for....
> 
> There has also been posted a way to determine which end to pull from.... I don't remember, but you can do a search... something about the printing on the band to tell you which end the yarn comes out from.
> 
> ...


I was going to suggest what you just did, Amy. I had read here before the just stick both index fingers in each side and feel around for it. It works most of the time. You get better with practice.


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## beanscene (Jun 9, 2012)

I still think your U.S. yarn is different to ours in the U.K!


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## Evie RM (Sep 19, 2012)

SweetPandora said:


> send it to me and I'll fix it. I LOVE untangling yarn vomit.
> 
> Yes, I know I'm weird. It is part of my charm


I sure wish you lived next door to me. I absolutely hate yarn vomit. Amy's suggestion is a good one, but I find that sometimes the yarn does come out tangled. I wish the yarn companies would go back to either taping or stapling the end of the center pull to the outside wrapper like they used to do many years ago.


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## rubyredz (Oct 18, 2012)

SweetPandora said:


> send it to me and I'll fix it. I LOVE untangling yarn vomit.
> 
> Yes, I know I'm weird. It is part of my charm


Me too, I love untangling yarn vomit. I love the term yarn vomit


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## Maryannee (Jul 17, 2012)

It's just too frustrating for words. I've gotten pretty good at it though.


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## Evie RM (Sep 19, 2012)

Maryannee said:


> It's just too frustrating for words. I've gotten pretty good at it though.


I guess it gets easier with practice. Sometimes I get lots of practice.


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## sseidel (Apr 20, 2012)

AmyKnits said:


> The plug of yarn that is sometimes pulled out when looking for the center pull is NOT tangled... You are tangling it by trying to find the end in the middle if the plug.
> 
> Next time this happens, simply rewind the yarn from the plug around the wrapper and come to the end naturally.
> 
> ...


Thanks Amy

:thumbup:


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## kathycam (Apr 24, 2012)

SweetPandora said:


> send it to me and I'll fix it. I LOVE untangling yarn vomit.
> 
> Yes, I know I'm weird. It is part of my charm


Do you feel the same about untangling fine neck chains? If so, I have a ball of chains I could send you. :lol:


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## kathycam (Apr 24, 2012)

sseidel said:


> Thanks Amy
> 
> :thumbup:


 :thumbup: :thumbup: I will try to remember this the next time I pull out the vomit.


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## JeanBlain (Mar 21, 2013)

kmckinstry77 said:


> I think it's also referred to as a "yarn burp".


Actually, I have never heard either term before, but I got the idea of what was being talked about. I, also, wanted to say that I usually use the inside end, too, because that is why some brands of yarn tell you which end the inner one can be found and because it is easier than trying to stop and unravel the outside.


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## Damama (Oct 2, 2011)

kathycam said:


> Do you feel the same about untangling fine neck chains? If so, I have a ball of chains I could send you. :lol:


That is fun too, try with 2 straight pins, embroidery needles ir even safety pins. Jeweler told me that. Still takes time but so worth it and great feeling when done.
Send them to me and I will work on them for you.


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## KittyMomma (Dec 12, 2012)

Had the same problem with a skein of Vanna's yarn yesterday. Wound it around the wrapper until I got to the end. Just hate doing it tho, as now it will roll around in my bag until I get to the point where it will pull from the center. I prefer to work from the center, much easier to pull it. 
Didn't click with me to call it yarn vomit. However, once in a while when you get the bobbin mess on your fabric from your sewing machine, I always call that sewing macine vomit.


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## Susan-Knits-Too (Apr 18, 2013)

Most of the time I can handle yarn vomit , in fact sometimes it is relaxing to untangle............last night my BERNAT SOFTEE BABY was truly a huge mess!i wasted half an hour fixing it&#128530;


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## Sherry1 (May 14, 2011)

Damama said:


> That is fun too, try with 2 straight pins, embroidery needles ir even safety pins. Jeweler told me that. Still takes time but so worth it and great feeling when done.
> Send them to me and I will work on them for you.


Jeweler told me the same thing! It works great. Your fingers as tools are just too big but the pins are perfect.


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## knitnanny (Feb 28, 2012)

Isn't that annoying? But as yarn lovers we don't give up on it do we?


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## conch72 (May 11, 2012)

Peg I M4 said:


> I hope I don't upset anyone but I worked in nursing for 40 years and I know what "vomit" is and I wish we could refer to yarn tangled in a yarn skein by some other term.


The term may not be elegant but it is apropo. (LOL) If you can think of another, please let us know. In the meantime, let's keep the retching to a minimum!


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## Beverleyjean (Oct 17, 2011)

AmyKnits said:


> You AND my husband... he always untangles my yarn messes for me!
> 
> Unlike you, he doesn't LOVE doing it... but he LOVES me.
> 
> You BOTH have the same (weird) charm!! :thumbup:


My husband is the best untangler too Amy, and he sticks with it until it is all done.


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## Beverleyjean (Oct 17, 2011)

conch72 said:


> The term may not be elegant but it is apropo. (LOL) If you can think of another, please let us know. In the meantime, let's keep the retching to a minimum!


Maybe we could call it a " cats play ball"


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## run4fittness (May 22, 2011)

been there, done that! I don't like it either!


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## Yarnie.One (Jul 13, 2012)

AmyKnits said:


> Next time this happens, simply rewind the yarn from the plug around the wrapper and come to the end naturally.


That's how I do it, too. It does kind of irk me, though, that so many skeins have this yarn vomit problem.


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## Yarnie.One (Jul 13, 2012)

KittyMomma said:


> Had the same problem with a skein of Vanna's yarn yesterday. Wound it around the wrapper until I got to the end. Just hate doing it tho, as now it will roll around in my bag until I get to the point where it will pull from the center.


Almost always -- but most especially with yarn vomit wind arounds -- I put the yarn in a large zip lock back inside my knitting bag. Keeps the yarn from rubbing against everything or getting tangled with anything else in the bag. Also, doing this, I can carry more than one small project at a time in my bag.


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## Yarnie.One (Jul 13, 2012)

Susan Elizabeth said:


> You wash and dry the yarn before using it??!!! Are you serious??


With some man made yarns -- such as any Super Saver that's rough or stiff-ish -- washing & drying it before you use it softens it up and gives it a much better hand. There are several links on this site about it. --  It works!!!


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## Sherry1 (May 14, 2011)

It seems to me that center pull skeins were pretty common not so many years ago. All the mills must have gotten different equipment since then.
I like a challenge too but it slows me down. Would much rather jump right into knitting.


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## Yarnie.One (Jul 13, 2012)

Ronie said:


> . . . all they have to do it let us know what side to pull from.. then at least we have a fighting chance..


I learned on this site that you can find the inside end of the yarn by holding the skein in front of you as though you were going to read it. If the skein is horizontal and the label is on it "perpendicularly" to the skein, the inner end will be on the at your right hand side. If the skein is up and down when you read the label, then the inner end will be at the bottom end.

I've found that this has been true for me. However, it doesn't guarantee no yarn vomits.


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## Longtimer (May 23, 2013)

Thanks for the good information relative to spinning. Here is a tip for untangling: gently shake the yarn as it untangles, just keep shaking it and rewinding. 
My friend's mother taught her to never keep passing the ball through various loops to untangle it as it didn't become tangled that way. I've found that to be correct in most instances, although at times there seems to be no solution except to pass the ball through a loop. For the most part, shaking works.


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## gerrils (Apr 24, 2013)

Thanks for the info about the plug, this is the 1st time i've heard anything about this & also the 1st time I knew why we are suppose to start projects from the center of the skein.


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## Pearlspins (Jan 29, 2013)

My LYS says they don't wrap the yarn like they use too and get more yarn vomit. I'm bad still like middle, more frequently I have notice a pure mess to unravel. Luckily I don't mind at the beginning later sometimes a pain in back.


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## 9sueseiber (Oct 29, 2011)

Right on Amy Knits. That's what I figured out too. Not until I had tangled several however, trying to find the end.ha Now I do what you do kind of. Only I don't wind it around the skein, I just pull it and drop it into the bucket I use and then start knitting from that. If I really have a big bunch though that's kind of dangerous to do. It does tangle sometimes, so then I Will wrap it around the skein. No trouble. Easy Peasy as they say. ha
Sue


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## Hohjocello (Jul 7, 2011)

Oh, the agony! It looks like a lot of folks have posted good ideas for working through this problem. I'm sure it will all work out for you. However, if this is one of those "3% margin of error" problems, you could always just give the yarn to the cat.



Damama said:


> Bought a skein of Bernat Satin. Tried to find the end so I could pull from the center, long story short, wound up pulling out a huge pile of "yarn vomit" Arrgh still haven't gotten it untangled. Oh we'll, at least my cat is sleeping so maybe I can get back to it now. Worse mess I have ever gotten from fresh skein.
> Whew, thank you for letting me vent over my little problem.


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## Damama (Oct 2, 2011)

Hohjocello said:


> Oh, the agony! It looks like a lot of folks have posted good ideas for working through this problem. I'm sure it will all work out for you. However, if this is one of those "3% margin of error" problems, you could always just give the yarn to the cat.


Lol too funny.


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## 9sueseiber (Oct 29, 2011)

Longtimer said:


> Thanks for the good information relative to spinning. Here is a tip for untangling: gently shake the yarn as it untangles, just keep shaking it and rewinding.
> My friend's mother taught her to never keep passing the ball through various loops to untangle it as it didn't become tangled that way. I've found that to be correct in most instances, although at times there seems to be no solution except to pass the ball through a loop. For the most part, shaking works.


You re so right! That's what I do too. Once you start putting the ball through the loops, then shaking doesn't work as well. But, as you say, sometimes it seems the only way.


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## deshka (Apr 6, 2011)

Remember the old Red Heart skeins, they had the little foil heart that said start here, or something like that. I miss those little foil hearts, but I still have a few.


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## 9sueseiber (Oct 29, 2011)

Yes Red Heart used to have arrows. One pointed to the outside pull and one pointed to the inside pull. They don't even have those anymore. I wonder why?
Sue


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## Katpw (Sep 10, 2012)

Thanks Amyknit, I always knit from the outside as I never knew better - will change my ways! 


AmyKnits said:


> The plug of yarn that is sometimes pulled out when looking for the center pull is NOT tangled... You are tangling it by trying to find the end in the middle if the plug.
> 
> Next time this happens, simply rewind the yarn from the plug around the wrapper and come to the end naturally.
> 
> ...


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## JeanBlain (Mar 21, 2013)

knitnanny said:


> Isn't that annoying? But as yarn lovers we don't give up on it do we?


No, we don't. We spend too much on our yarn to just chuck it. The only thing I dislike about using the center of the skein is that, when you get close to the outside, the rest of the skein starts falling apart and making a mess. Then, I have to stop, find the other end, and roll into a ball anyway.


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## neenie (Nov 29, 2012)

Jean, I've found a help when you get close to the end of a skein of yarn. It doesn't work if you take your project when you have to go out but at home it works great. I put my skein of yarn in an empty 42 oz. oatmeal box. It works great right down to the last few inches of the yarn.

Neenie


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## JCF (Aug 3, 2012)

AmyKnits said:


> The plug of yarn that is sometimes pulled out when looking for the center pull is NOT tangled... You are tangling it by trying to find the end in the middle if the plug.
> 
> Next time this happens, simply rewind the yarn from the plug around the wrapper and come to the end naturally.
> 
> ...


Amy, thanks heaps for this advice! I've come close to pulling out my hair with tangling yarn.


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## sweetpeasonia (Sep 26, 2011)

I am currently using this,should i have started by pulling from the centre, i have started knitting from the outside end,am getting worried now incase i have to rippit all out


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## JeanBlain (Mar 21, 2013)

neenie said:


> Jean, I've found a help when you get close to the end of a skein of yarn. It doesn't work if you take your project when you have to go out but at home it works great. I put my skein of yarn in an empty 42 oz. oatmeal box. It works great right down to the last few inches of the yarn.
> 
> Neenie


Thank you. That is a great idea and I will have to use it. I do have a clear plastic zipper thing that a sheet set came in. I have been putting the yarns that I am using for, say, an afghan in. It does help keep them more together.


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## Mariette EDE (Jul 6, 2012)

I never knew it was called yarn vomit.


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## Jackie C (Aug 13, 2012)

Hum, never realized there was a right end & a wrong end of the yarn. Kind of like nap on fabric.


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## Evie RM (Sep 19, 2012)

Mariette said:


> I never knew it was called yarn vomit.


Some call it yarn barf. Either way, it is sure a mess to have to deal with. The frustration for me is that I keep thinking of the time I spend untangling the mess as time I could have spent working on my project.


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## Damama (Oct 2, 2011)

Called a frog pond when it is from frogging. ;-)


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## JeanBlain (Mar 21, 2013)

Jackie C said:


> Hum, never realized there was a right end & a wrong end of the yarn. Kind of like nap on fabric.


Actually, I hadn't really known there was a difference, either, until this forum. You are right about it being like the nap on fabric. One thing that I have always pondered is, when you buy an outfit made with velvet or velor, why they cut it with the nap going up towards the top instead of down towards the floor? Down seems more natural to me.


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## slipperyfish (Jun 26, 2012)

What a fabulous name, never knew the mess I make is called yarn VOMIT!!!


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## wyldwmn (Jun 11, 2013)

JeanWilkins said:


> Actually, I hadn't really known there was a difference, either, until this forum. You are right about it being like the nap on fabric. One thing that I have always pondered is, when you buy an outfit made with velvet or velor, why they cut it with the nap going up towards the top instead of down towards the floor? Down seems more natural to me.


Ah, there can be a lot of reasons for that, including that the garment is made in a factory that tries to save on costs, so they fit the pattern pieces on the fabric so as to use up as much fabric as possible, not for the purpose of respecting grain, nap, etc. These are some of the reasons why some garments will hang to one side, a leg in pants will twist, or one sleeve will pull to one side. Sometimes the "wrong" side of a fabric is used inadvertently by the worker who puts the garment together, or on purpose by the production supervisor, again, for the purpose of saving a bit of money on materials. When garments are made in another country, sometimes the fabric isn't known or used there, and sometimes learning about the properties of that fabric just aren't important to either the designer or marketer, or the production people. There are also sewing techniques used on industrial machines that can have a great affect on how garments fit, one example being one piece of fabric being held more taught and therefore stretched, and the excess being cut off at the end of the seam, which makes the garment twist. Likewise, not all sewers, industrial or home, know that there is a left and right bias on the fabric, and cutting two biases that are left or right instead of one each, makes the garment hang to one side and/or twist.

I've often thought about why we never see on television any documentaries about the "dark" side of how garments are made. It might help us to be better informed consumers, not to mention more satisfied consumers.


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## Jackie C (Aug 13, 2012)

if you look at the outfit bottom side up the color will look different. The color will probably be lighter with the nap going down. It has to be cut all in one direction to match.


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## JCF (Aug 3, 2012)

wyldwmn said:


> I've often thought about why we never see on television any documentaries about the "dark" side of how garments are made. It might help us to be better informed consumers, not to mention more satisfied consumers.


I could not agree more.


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## neenie (Nov 29, 2012)

And that is why some of us still sew at home. I still have some Pendleton wool fabric that I purchased several years ago from the Pendleton wood shop in OR. Maybe some day, I will put the knitting needles down and get back to the sewing machines ;-)

Neenie


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## JeanBlain (Mar 21, 2013)

wyldwmn said:


> Ah, there can be a lot of reasons for that, including that the garment is made in a factory that tries to save on costs, so they fit the pattern pieces on the fabric so as to use up as much fabric as possible, not for the purpose of respecting grain, nap, etc. These are some of the reasons why some garments will hang to one side, a leg in pants will twist, or one sleeve will pull to one side. Sometimes the "wrong" side of a fabric is used inadvertently by the worker who puts the garment together, or on purpose by the production supervisor, again, for the purpose of saving a bit of money on materials. When garments are made in another country, sometimes the fabric isn't known or used there, and sometimes learning about the properties of that fabric just aren't important to either the designer or marketer, or the production people. There are also sewing techniques used on industrial machines that can have a great affect on how garments fit, one example being one piece of fabric being held more taught and therefore stretched, and the excess being cut off at the end of the seam, which makes the garment twist. Likewise, not all sewers, industrial or home, know that there is a left and right bias on the fabric, and cutting two biases that are left or right instead of one each, makes the garment hang to one side and/or twist.
> 
> I've often thought about why we never see on television any documentaries about the "dark" side of how garments are made. It might help us to be better informed consumers, not to mention more satisfied consumers.


Usually, though, commercial the materials with a nap are cut with the nap going up. When I make a garment with a nap I cut it with the nap going down. I do know that, when commercial producers cut a garment, say a pair of jeans, in a particular size, several layers of fabric are piled on top of each other and a large cutting tool comes down and cuts through all the layers. That is why sometimes a garment in one size fits okay, but an identical garment in the same size might fit too snug.


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## JeanBlain (Mar 21, 2013)

Jackie C said:


> if you look at the outfit bottom side up the color will look different. The color will probably be lighter with the nap going down. It has to be cut all in one direction to match.


I understand that, but what I have a hard time understanding is why commercial garment makers don't cut napped materials with the nap going down on the finished product instead of going up. They cut each piece with the nap going in the same direction; just up instead of down like I would when I use napped material. Down seems the more natural way. You don't see animals' fur going in the direction towards their head.


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## Mariette EDE (Jul 6, 2012)

Wyldwmn,thank you for that interesting post.


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## wyldwmn (Jun 11, 2013)

JeanWilkins said:


> I understand that, but what I have a hard time understanding is why commercial garment makers don't cut napped materials with the nap going down on the finished product instead of going up. They cut each piece with the nap going in the same direction; just up instead of down like I would when I use napped material. Down seems the more natural way. You don't see animals' fur going in the direction towards their head.


There are a number of reasons, one of them being that often garments are made in countries where those types of napped materials don't exist for the workers who are sewing them up. It's the same with a "directional" print where one culture would understand that the flowers (for example) should appear with the flower up and the stem down, and another culture would understand that the flowers should appear with the stem up and the flower down.


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## wyldwmn (Jun 11, 2013)

JeanWilkins said:


> ... I do know that, when commercial producers cut a garment, say a pair of jeans, in a particular size, several layers of fabric are piled on top of each other and a large cutting tool comes down and cuts through all the layers. That is why sometimes a garment in one size fits okay, but an identical garment in the same size might fit too snug.


So, back in the old days layers of fabric were cut with large shears. Tipping the shears to one side or the other as the garment piece was cut, would change the size of each piece. Then when sewing together, sometimes a piece from the bottom of one stack was sewn to a piece from the top of another stack. To make things fit, sometimes one was stretched to fit the other, and sometimes they were sewn together and then the excess cut off at the bottom.

In time, clothing pieces were cut out with large saws, however, the problem was similar in that if the saw was tipped, then the pieces weren't accurate.

These days a lot of fabric is cut with a laser, but that varies from factory to factory, and even though the pieces may be cut accurately in a factory, in a lot of places around the world the people who sew actually do piece work from their homes, or they are pushed to sew with such speed in the factory that things get stretched and misshapen during the handling process.

What often happens is that consumers make assumptions about their bodies being out of whack or being unable to wear a certain style when the problem has more to do with the sewing or the initial design. In other words, the designer may not have included enough room for fitting and wearing ease for that particular fabric, so while I looks good on the hanger and seems to have enough fabric to go around our body, it is the placement and amount of those two types of ease that is out of whack, and so the garment is uncomfortable to wear, pulls and binds, or twists around, and basically makes us miserable.


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## Mariette EDE (Jul 6, 2012)

You're a world of knowledge, thank you


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## linda6200 (Oct 11, 2011)

I had one of those from a skein of Bernat yarn. Sad part was, there was a second blob in there that was totally unattached to the rest of the skein. Never had that happen before!


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## Damama (Oct 2, 2011)

linda6200 said:


> I had one of those from a skein of Bernat yarn. Sad part was, there was a second blob in there that was totally unattached to the rest of the skein. Never had that happen before!


That really stinks. :thumbdown: :thumbdown:


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## JeanBlain (Mar 21, 2013)

linda6200 said:


> I had one of those from a skein of Bernat yarn. Sad part was, there was a second blob in there that was totally unattached to the rest of the skein. Never had that happen before!


I have not had that happen with any yarn I have bought yet, but I have always hated when I would come to a knot where they tied 2 ends together (I assumed when they get to the end of one of their cones and have to tie on another). Now, after joining this forum and learning about the magic knot, I think that is probably what they use and I just ignore it. I may trim it a little if it needs it.


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## ksenia88 (Jun 30, 2013)

I always have the same thing happening to me if I try to use the ball from the middle so now I have given up and just use it from the outside lol!


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## yarnslut (Aug 9, 2011)

I won't buy any yarn unless the "string" is visible and "grabbable". I've put skeins down if I can't grab it. And you have a cat ??? You're very brave !!!!


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## Damama (Oct 2, 2011)

yarnslut said:


> I won't buy any yarn unless the "string" is visible and "grabbable". I've put skeins down if I can't grab it. And you have a cat ??? You're very brave !!!!


I did wait til he was tired or distracted. :roll: :lol:


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## Evie1042 (Mar 15, 2012)

That is what I do as well. Have a friend that gives me the skein to start for her because I don't mind doing it. LOL


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## SueJoyceTn (Aug 9, 2011)

I used to fret and cringe over yarn vomit. I'd dread starting a new skein of yarn. Then I realized that blob of yarn may look terrible but it isn't usually tangled. If you do not see the end, slowly start winding the yarn around the skein and eventually the end shows up (proud of getting you to play hide and seek with it) The more you try to untangle the mess the more tangled it will become...


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## MASHEPP (Mar 13, 2011)

When I start a new skein, I work my fingers into the center and widen the opening and then pull just a pinch of yarn out. I rarely get a big tangle coming out. Any excess that comes out, I do what Amyknits does, and wrap it around the label. It isn't tangled, it's just that I pulled too much out. Gently shaking it does the trick every time.

Now if I could just say that about the mess I came home to tonight as dear kitty decided to get into my knitting bag and play with the Aran sweater and yarn I am working with which is now a tangled mess.


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