Well, I called Children's Hospital in Denver yesterday to double check and make sure that the website I saw was correct which said they needed hats for kids. I asked if they took hand knit items, and the lady said no. All items that go into Children's have to go through their laundry system. That makes sense, they are sick kiddos. She said that knitted items, though, don't make it through the wash. That makes no sense to me.
My only guess as to the reason for that is that people were probably sending in wool items assuming that they would be warmer for the kids. That is true. However, wool can't be washed in hot water or in a washing machine except on a very gentle cycle. Wool is a natural fiber that has little hooks at the end of each fiber. The fibers of wool get weakened when wet and the hooks grab together when agitated too much. That causes a process called felting - it is what happens when you put that fabulous sweater in the wash and it shrinks. It shrinks because it has felted together. In some cases you want an item to felt together. For instance, I made a draft stopper for my door that I felted. It makes it less penetrable and stiffer. It is not so great for clothing items, unless you create the item specifically for that process. My guess is that people were sending in wool items and they were shrinking in the wash and, as a result, Children's has decided just not to accept any of them.
In the world of yarnies there are definite yarn snobs. Some people refuse to knit with acrylic or any other man-made fiber. I heard one woman argue that because soldiers in the Middle East are given wool because of its flame-resistant properties rather than acrylic that melts at high temperatures that to put a child in acrylic was child abuse. I didn't say anything because there is no rationalizing with some people. The melting point of acrylic is very high. It can be slightly melted at lower temperatures, which is why you don't want to iron acrylic items. But the fact is is that if the acrylic in a baby's clothing was hot enough to melt onto the skin of the baby, the child is already dead. Melted plastic yarn would be the least of their worries.
I, on the other hand, think that there is a use for all yarns. I knit mostly in acrylic, in part because it is significantly cheaper to buy. It also doesn't need special care - if a baby throws up on it, or soils it, it can be washed without a second thought. I don't know about mothers of young children that you know, but the ones I know don't have time to be hand washing poop out of all of the items of a baby's wardrobe. And if the baby's you know are like the ones I know, sometimes they even get it into their hair and hats. So yes, I typically use acrylic or rayon or other man-made fiber. Also, I use acrylic for blankets that I don't need to be exceedingly warm. I like being snug and warm but I don't like my blankets to make me hot, either.
Certainly there are times that wool and cotton and other fibers are very useful. Both are great for items for adults who are able to pay attention to how items need to be washed. They are also good for when you need something to be really warm. There are what are called "superwash" wool out there that are washable. Overall I hear that they are really good, though I have read from some people that they have had trouble with it. But those skeins (the rolled up amount that is purchasable) are generally $8 a piece. Compare that to a similar amount of acrylic yarn that I can get on sale for $2. If I need more than one skein for a project it adds up really quickly, and I currently can't afford that. But I also just don't see the need in the projects that I am making. I do think there are times and places to use more specialty wool. Especially in felting projects. But I don't feel bad for using man-made yarns for most of my items so far.
Cotton has its benefits when you need a more breathable item. I just made a hat out of cotton for my niece (I will post pictures later). But cotton doesn't have any stretch to it. So either it is made the perfect size or it gets out of shape. I do use this for cleaning items - washcloths, a cover for my swiffer, facial cleaning pads, etc. I need the absorbency of cotton for those items and the fact that they don't stretch is not a problem.
So, I am no yarn snob. I think there is a place and a time for each. When I post items on here I will do my best to include yarn information. However, I do sometimes get my yarn from the thrift store and so I don't have much information to go on - I will give my best guesses, though.
No comments:
Post a Comment