Knitting boo boo

[Gardenarian]

I took on a sweater project that was way over my head. Now I'm wondering if anyone has hints as to how to unravel the yarn - it's a really nice alpaca blend, but it seems to have kind of felted in some areas. I sewed up the sides and I can't tell where the stitches are...

What a mess - back to crocheting for me! But I do want to save all that lovely yarn.
Help!
:help:

[cattledog]

I took on a sweater project that was way over my head. Now I'm wondering if anyone has hints as to how to unravel the yarn - it's a really nice alpaca blend, but it seems to have kind of felted in some areas. I sewed up the sides and I can't tell where the stitches are...

What a mess - back to crocheting for me! But I do want to save all that lovely yarn.
Help!
:help:


I would just make a cut somewhere near the cast on edge and start there. You can unravel it to the point of the felt. Once yarn has felted I consider it a lost cause. :( If I'm ripping out a project, I'll use my swift to put the project back into yarn cakes. I usually have several cakes, but they can still be used. Wool can also be grafted together if you want one long continuous piece of yarn. Basically, just wet each end of the yarn and spin each end together in the palm of your hand until they are felted together.

If you don't have a swift, maybe someone else can hold the sweater while you wind it back into a ball. Most yarns come out pretty easily. If you hit a snag (i.e. it feels "stuck"), just gently undo the knit stitch by hand.

[awakenedsoul]

That's too bad. I'm new to knitting. I've been working on easy stuff: dishcloths, bookmarks, cushion covers, etc...I hope you don't give up. I've heard it's better to wait to work with the fancier yarns. I'm going to knit a sampler afghan with some squares to practice my stitches. It takes time and practice. As you said, sweaters can be too hard.

I love to crochet, too. The knitting patterns are just so beautiful, though. I find the organic cotton yarn pretty easy to use...

[redfox]

It's probably tangled, not technically felted. Fuzzy yarns tangle easily; felting is a process that involves water, heat, and agitation. It locks the fibers irretrievably together, which this may feel like, but it is different. You can trim the fuzz back where the unraveling gets stuck. And know that unraveling this yarn will take patience! Sounds worth it.

[Mrs-M]

I second, Cattledog's, strategic cut idea, Gardenarian.

[Gardenarian]

Okay! I'll try it this evening and let you know how it goes. What is a swift? What is a yarn cake? Total newbie here!

[cattledog]

Okay! I'll try it this evening and let you know how it goes. What is a swift? What is a yarn cake? Total newbie here!

I use a swift to wind my skeins into yarn cakes (i.e. http://www.yarnswifts.com/). It's a lot easier than having someone hold the skeins in their hands while I wind the yarn into a ball! With a swift, the yarn winder makes the wound yarn look like little cakes.

What kind of sweater were you knitting? I hope you aren't too discouraged! I remember that feeling of always messing up. When I took up knitting years ago, it didn't click with me right away like it does with some people, but eventually the light bulb turned on! Good luck!

[Gardenarian]

Oh, it was a very simple sweater from "Kid's Knitting" by Melanie Falick - great book! They show 8 year olds knitting this sweater! No fancy stitches or anything - but when I went to put it together the sleeves were completely different and the front was a foot longer than the back! This is definitely not my thing. With crochet I kind of make it up as I go along and things always seems to come out okay (tho' I never tried to crochet a sweater.)

[awakenedsoul]

I think as you keep knitting, you stitches will become more uniform. It's normal for that to happen at first. I've been doing a lot of rectanglar projects, so that I can work that out before I attempt a sweater. I'm sure you can come back to that pattern. It really takes hours and hours of practice. It's an art...