Ladders Wash Out!
Remember THESE?
Yes, they've grown on me.
I think the problem was all a matter of expectations.
I saw bright, saturated, gardeny colours in the skein.
I expected bright, saturated, gardeny colours in the sock.
I didn't get them.
So it took me a while to get used to what I actually had.
Which was, as advertised by the name of the colourway, bloodstone.
You, know, like THIS.
Remarkable similarity.
And now I do like them.
Although still not as much as I would probably have liked the Kryptonite colourway I forwent for those bright, saturated, gardeny colours.
So, although I'm coming at it from a different angle, I completely agree with Erika: A pre-purchase visual of the expected end product would be most helpful to the consumer.
Anyway . . . you may recall that I had heard a rumor that ladders wash out, and that I was going to test that hypothesis with a little experiment.
It's true! It's true!
They do! They do!
Ladders wash out!
Proof:
1.) Test ladder, pre-washing:
Obvious laddering.
2.) Test ladder, after one washing:
Still there (that slight space after the first three *full* stitches), but not at all obvious. Completely wearable.
Please note that most of the difference in colour between the first and other photos is not due to fading. I lost a smidge of colour in the wash, but most of the difference is due to lighting.
3.) Test ladder, after three washings:
Damned if I can see it. Where it used to be is after the first four full stitches.
(You can see that I'm pretty hard on my socks. I put them through the dryer just like anything else. Lecture me as you like, but I wouldn't wear them otherwise.)
Yes, they've grown on me.
I think the problem was all a matter of expectations.
I saw bright, saturated, gardeny colours in the skein.
I expected bright, saturated, gardeny colours in the sock.
I didn't get them.
So it took me a while to get used to what I actually had.
Which was, as advertised by the name of the colourway, bloodstone.
You, know, like THIS.
Remarkable similarity.
And now I do like them.
Although still not as much as I would probably have liked the Kryptonite colourway I forwent for those bright, saturated, gardeny colours.
So, although I'm coming at it from a different angle, I completely agree with Erika: A pre-purchase visual of the expected end product would be most helpful to the consumer.
Anyway . . . you may recall that I had heard a rumor that ladders wash out, and that I was going to test that hypothesis with a little experiment.
It's true! It's true!
They do! They do!
Ladders wash out!
Proof:
1.) Test ladder, pre-washing:
Obvious laddering.
2.) Test ladder, after one washing:
Still there (that slight space after the first three *full* stitches), but not at all obvious. Completely wearable.
Please note that most of the difference in colour between the first and other photos is not due to fading. I lost a smidge of colour in the wash, but most of the difference is due to lighting.
3.) Test ladder, after three washings:
Damned if I can see it. Where it used to be is after the first four full stitches.
(You can see that I'm pretty hard on my socks. I put them through the dryer just like anything else. Lecture me as you like, but I wouldn't wear them otherwise.)
Labels: socks, Tips / Tutorials / Experiments
posted by Anonyknits at Friday, March 02, 2007
3 Comments:
That's good to know about the laddering. After getting the latest WEBS catalog wit the laddered sweater in it, I was a little curious about that. o.0
Glad to hear it...there are ladders in my first delicato mitt. I'm knitting them from the Melody you gave me, so they'll have to be hand washed. By the way, how do I block fingerless mitts? I was just wondering....
Ang
Interesting question re blocking -- no idea!
I probably would see how they looked without anything more than a washing and laying out to dry before bothering with anything more dramatic. Even with the lacy bits, it isn't like a shawl where you need to block it to stretch the pattern out -- the wearer's hand ought to do that pretty well, and you want to have enough elasticity left so that the mitts don't fall off.
But some people do block their socks, so what do I know?
If suppose that if you found a bottle or jar with an appropriate circumference (maybe a beer bottle?), you could block it around that.
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