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Disaster!!!!
Notorious Sock Knitters | February 06, 2008
I am nearly in tears right now. I came home from work and found my yarn had become the dog’s chew toy. Not only is it a tangled mess, but it has been chewed through in at least 2 places. There is no way I am going to be able to make my socks and not have the striping pattern totally messed up . I don’t know what to do. All I can do is cry.
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22 Responses to “Disaster!!!!”
Oh, dear! I’m sad for you. If it really is not possible to salvage, you could buy a new skein from BMFA. They offer the club colors to members only for a year. That’s probably small consolation for a sad situation as this. Wish that I had more to offer!
Our donkeys decided to eat our backporch yesterday, the rascals. We stopped ‘em before they got too far in to it. They’ve never gotten near my yarn, thank heavens.
Good luck to you–Things will get better!
I know the feeling, I died roving last week and my dog got into it and shredded it up a bit! I know, it’s not quite the same as a skein of rockin sock yarn. That is about the worst thing doggy could get his chops around (other than a handspun skein).
Treat yourself to more dragon dance, then put the doggy one away. You will be able to do something with it later in time when you aren’t so upset.
The problem is that I really don’t have the money right now, or anytime soon. Things have basically sucked for me since the week before Christmas…this is just the icing on the cake. All I wanted to do is make myself really nice socks. There is no way that I will be able to piece it together and have it look like it was supposed to.
So sorry to hear about your yarn. Our golden retriever is about a year old and she loves to get into my yarn….which I have now made next to impossible. I have come home to yarn stretched out in three different rooms. If we had a camera I’m sure it would be a sight to see her romping about with it and our 3 year old black lab joining in the escapade! I have collected the yarn and what I could salvage has become great baby socks. Cat Bordhi’s new book has wonderful patterns to try out some new design structures as well.
Time out for the dog! I know you don’t feel it right now but things will be ok in the end. I felt relieved when you mentioned it was chewed through in only two or so places. I have about 10-20 small balls from some sweater yarn that my dog got into when he was a puppy. It will take time but you can unknot the tangled mess and knit your socks with stripes intact. Maybe I should say it will take lots of time. First get the yarn untangled. Try to figure out if the dog really ate some of your skein or just mouthed it to pieces. Then I’d try to reskein the yarn so you have a good idea of the order of the dye. You may have to re-reskein some of those so the colors all run the same direction. Then remembering that you’ll need some over lap between each length of yarn when you join them match the skeins together as best you can. You shouldn’t need to lose more than 60″ at each break in order to “repair” the broken areas and keep the dye in order. Save the longest unbroken lengths for the foot of the sock. The pattern should help cover any of the joins on the leg of the sock and that’s where you need to take time and be ready to frog in order to retain your stripe pattern. Number the balls so you know which one is to follow which when you start to knit them up. Here’s where I say good luck and hug the dog anyway.
Now for the good samaritan bit. If you don’t think you can face the tangle and make the repairs I will trade my fresh ball of unknit Dragon Dance for your tangled mess (just stuff it in an envelope) and knit my socks with your yarn and you can knit your socks with mine. All it will cost you is the price of shipping from where you are to Iowa. Just send an e-mail to the Blog Moms (attn Alice) using the “contact” button at the top of the page giving us your address so I know where to mail the yarn. This is not a big deal for me as Tina knows I just Luv Pink. Now give yourself a hug, wash your face, pet the dog, get a drink that you enjoy and attack that tangled mess one knot at a time or e-mail me if you just can’t face it. (Check out the Yarn Harlot and how she dealt with fleece steeling squirrels. That should put some smiles back on your face.) Happy Knitting, Alice
I just blogged a couple days ago about my chocolate lab that ate my dpns and sock. I use cheap superglue (it doesnt get all the way hard) to glue the ends back together (just a millimeter, dont even notice it. To add insult to injury, this is the second time he has gotten into this fiber. Something about the wool that he craves. I know your frustration, why do they seek to destroy?
Oh NO!! I’m so sorry…I wish I had some advice to give. God knows how many times our dogs and cats have gotten into my stuff and destroyed something, so I totally know how you feel.
OK, Alice, you get the Bighearted Knitter of the World for All Love award today.
I am new this year- so my first Blue Moon. If you belonged before- do you have left over from many other pairs? Make a Serendipity from left overs- would be so pretty!! We have 5 dogs- boy, do I feel for you! I am sorry this happened to you.
Alice, what wonderful information and advice!! I am sooo impressed with the “good samaritan” bit. It is nice to know that as a group, this is such a good bunch of people. Reading your post has given me warm fuzzies for the rest of the day. Kudos to you for being such a nice person!
Alice, that’s why you are the “mom” of us!!! Sappy comment alert..that’s why this club and blue moon gang are awesome! the spirit of sharing and giving is inspiring! Yarn hug, Alice!
Keely, cotton pickin dogs. i have 2 of my own. hopefully they don’t go after your yarn while you are actively knitting too! i feel your pain and have done what alice suggested with my girlfriend’s mess. Wine helps!!
Keely, I know the feeling. Our dog has eaten a number of things she shouldn’t have including more than once my knitting. I always keep it in a bag now. Which I realize doesn’t help with this particular situation. But you have my sympathies.
Alice, you really are a sweetheart.
Ouch! And I am one of those folks who regularly has “dog envy”. Today I am thankful that I only have spoiled cats. We have agreed that I don’t leave any small balls out and they leave the big ones alone.
I vote for the “Good Cry” option.
I think that you may have identified a new use for the Emergency Sock Yarn skein. All wool is worth “saving” and BMFA tops the list! This month’s yarn seems to be particularly soft-you get to fondle yours more. And you’ll be an expert on the finer points of manipulating self-striping yarn.
Okay, I got the bestest suprise in the whole world today. Tina emailed me and said that 6 of my buddies here in the club emailed her and offered to pay for a new skein of yarn for me and that it is in the mail. Thank you Alice for your kindness. Knitters are just amazing people. I will begin untangling, I think I will be able to salvage a fair amount of the yarn. I think I will have a couple small skeins that I will be able to make my daughter a pair of socks with it to match mine. If anyone runs out of yarn I will be willing to send them some of my mouthed skein to finish their socks. THANK YOU!! You are the most kindhearted caring group of people, especially thinking that I don’t really know any of you personally.
At least it wasn’t Ohrenberg gossamer weight kid mohair and silk. Bad dog, bad bad dog.
Great random acts of kindness everyone. Keely I feel your pain. Last year I lost one of my club skeins to a gaggle of geese in search of nesting material. When I called Blue Moon to order a new skein, they said they had heard the usual dog and cat stories, but the geese yarn destruction rampage was a new one. Warm weather knitting outside on the farm is now performed with great caution. Happy knitting all.
Gee all I did was offer to trade yarn. At least 6 of you offered to buy more! Knitters really are the bestest! At least now I know I can start my socks with the skein I have. I was a good girl and waited for the results of this post. Keely, I’m sorry you have to wait for the replacement yarn but your daughter will love having Mom matching socks and as someone else said you will be the stripe match queen when this is all over. I hope you’ll be able to post pictures of the finished projects and maybe you got a before shot? Happy Knitting, Alice
See what you started Tina!!!!
Awwww! Lookit all the love! I’m so glad to keep the company of knitters.
(I also keep the company of three black labs & a husband, and boy howdy, that’s a lot more work. Especially the 7-mo old lab, who is systematically destroying doormats, hose nozzles, gloves, shoes, basically anything that is on the ground outside and not frozen down…..)
PlazaJen, have you tried BitterApple? When our dogs were puppies they ate everything and it was a savior for us. They still lick the stove front once in a while so we spray it on there. Poor thing is probably teething. Another thing we tried is giving them ice cubes. Now they think ice cubes are the greatest thing they could get - we have to sneak the freezer open if you want one just for yourself.
Idealthursday
My dog hates Mint oil. I use it in the soap I make and just a dab will do it, on a little piece of cloth or card stock around the sock yarn. And mint oil, (wintergreen, peppermint, spearmint) is more pleasant then tequila, which my dog also dislikes.
One more suggestion for your ‘bad dog tool box’ - ArridXtraDry spray deodorant. You wouldn’t believe how well this works! The dogs can’t stand the feel of it (or taste?) in their mouths. I use it on cabinets, door facings, furniture legs, even some boots we keep by the front door for muddy trips to the barn. I have 4 weimaraners and a guard dog (Chihuahua) and we participate in weimaraner rescue, so we see some really unruly dogs! I’ve never had one chew through the spray deodorant.
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