[Nfb-krafters-korner] Good article to read

[qubit]

My mom always called sweaters "pilled" when they would get those little 
balls.  They also pop up on other fabrics, but come to think of it, they are 
mostly knitted fabric.  Sometimes pulling them off is difficult without 
making the knitting pucker -- i mean, there is a little thread between the 
ball and the stitches that is part of the yarn.  For this reason, it is good 
to cut the balls off instead of pulling them out -- that is, unless there is 
a chance of cutting a yarn all the way through so the knitting starts 
ravelling.
Everything you wanted to know about pilling but didn't think it was worth 
asking...
Have a great day.
--le





----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Becky Frankeberger" <b.butterfly at comcast.net>
To: "'List for blind crafters and artists'" <nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, December 09, 2009 9:42 AM
Subject: Re: [Nfb-krafters-korner] Good article to read


I have used sweater shavers and they are marvelous.  I use mine especially
on the smaller balls.  The bigger ones I just pull off with my fingers.

I have a tiny one.  My mom bought a little hand sized larger one with a bit
more power then mine.  I like hers better.  Mine is four inches by two
inches roughly and two inches thick. . mom's is double the size and power,
but still battery opporated. The little balls are caught in a clear holder
on the machine. That holder on my machine is hard to open.  Hopefully now
they are a lot easier to open.  I have had mine for twenty years, smile.
They are easy to clean, at least mine is.

Remember on some yarns there is supposed to be little bumps.  The few yarns
I have like this, the bumps are uniform through out the yarn.  I do have a
yarn that has these cool threds that are more random.  Again, I think
anyway, these little threds are part of the yarn's beauty when they
occasionally stick out of a piece you have made.  .

I like the tips in this newsletter.  Thank you Joyce for sending it on to
us.

Becky back to making a pink poncho
-----Original Message-----
From: nfb-krafters-korner-bounces at nfbnet.org
[mailto:nfb-krafters-korner-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
Blindhands at aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, December 09, 2009 5:31 AM
To: nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org
Subject: [Nfb-krafters-korner] Good article to read

_http://www.needlecraftuniversity.com/_
(http://www.needlecraftuniversity.com/)
eNewsletter
December 2009
Hi Joyce,

In this issue:

- Article of the Month - Removing pills/balls from sweaters
- Featured  Classes
- New Schedule

Article of the Month - Removing pills/balls from sweaters

Have you ever made a sweater where after one wear, you notice that little
round balls show up especially under the arms and on the sides of the
sweater?


It is disheartening as these pills/balls cause your sweater to look old
and worn out. What is the cause of this problem? Usually it's loosely spun
yarn
and short fibers that have made their way to the surface of the yarn. If
you are not spinning your yarn, the best way is to be careful when you
choose
the yarn. If possible, buy a skein of yarn, make a swatch and wash it
several times. Rub the swatch on itself and other fabric and see if there is
any
pilling. Then decide if the yarn is good enough for investing time and
money to make the sweater.

In case you have already made the sweater, hand-wash your sweater inside
out as friction causes pilling. The less friction, the less pilling you will

have.
A simple but time-consuming way to take care of the balls is to take  them
off one by one. Another recommendation that I have seen is to wrap masking
tape
to your hand and run it over your sweater. The little balls stick to the
tape and will come off easily. When the tape is not sticky anymore, use
another
piece of tape. In addition, the hook side of a Velcro should work  too. In
using tape or Velcro, consider the yarn type as some yarns are more
sensitive
and you need to be more careful. There are sweater shavers on the  market.
I have never used them myself, but a few friends who have tried them are
very
happy with the results.

Another product is a sweater stone. This natural stone is lightweight
pumice which helps in removing loose pills and balls. It can be used for
many
years
and is very cost effective. For more information about sweater stones,
check out:
_www.sweaterstone.com_ (http://www.sweaterstone.com)


At the beginning is the website where you can sign up for the newsletters
and find out about their online classes.


Keep on Krafting!

Joyce, Wisty and the doxie kids!!!
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