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Permalink Reply by wynnestar on July 31, 2009 at 11:19am: Hi, I'm new to the community but a long time fan and customer of Knitpicks. I have a question and I'm not sure where to post it. I have just finished knitting my first sweater for myself. It is the Roll Edge Cardigan and I knit it in Comfyl My problem is how do you keep the ends woven in with cotton? No matter what I do they seem to come unraveled. I tried using fabric glue but it dries too stiff. Any solutions? I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks, Penny; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Customer Service on July 31, 2009 at 12:12pm: Hi Penny,

I've had that issue with my Comfy sweater - I used on the Sitcom Chic sweater from Knitty. It's the nature of cotton yarn vs wool. What I did to combat it is make sure the length of the end to weave in is long and weaved it under several stitches. It has helped on my sweater, other members of the community may have other suggestions.

Hope that helps!
Stacey
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Permalink Reply by Susan the Blue Lake Knitter on July 31, 2009 at 12:16pm: There is a podcast from a few months ago where they talk about weaving in ends on different yarns. One of the designers made the statement that with a good cotton yarn like Comfy, it is nearly impossible to make the ends stay in. I have knitted several items this spring using Comfy, and in each case, I TIED the end off. It is the only thing that works for me.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Knit Picks Admin on August 3, 2009 at 7:33am: We also have a video tutorial on how to weave in slippery yarn ends right here.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Emily Stamm on July 31, 2009 at 6:26pm: I dont' know if I am putting this out in the right place but I am still looking for help on the edging directions for the Pie Are Square Shawl by Elizabeth Zimmerman. The shawl was featured in an old catalog (about 4 years ago). I don't believe that the edging shown in the catalog was the one used in Knitting Around by Ms. Zimmerman. I am attaching a photo of the catalog. If anyone has made the shawl as shown in the catalog (quite beautiful in Shimmer) I would really appreciate your help.
Emily Stamm; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by chocolatespanielknitter on August 3, 2009 at 10:04am: Has anyone used Kookaburra with a high efficiency washer?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Susan the Blue Lake Knitter on August 3, 2009 at 1:19pm: Yes, I did, but not with a wool item. It worked fine; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by chocolatespanielknitter on August 4, 2009 at 3:07pm: How much did you use? Did you just fill up the usual detergent slot for liquid?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Susan the Blue Lake Knitter on August 4, 2009 at 4:40pm: No, I was only washing a very small amount of fabric, and I think I put 1 or 2 of the Kookaburra caps full of the solution. I was washing a pair of super wash socks, a poncho and some baby bibs.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kimmypooh on August 5, 2009 at 11:31pm: I don't know if this has been asked before, if it has i apologize. There was a podcast quite some time ago about shawls and some of the different types. Is there somewhere that I can find out about the different types (the traditional names, and shape) and how they are best worn?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Customer Service on August 6, 2009 at 10:31am: Hi,

I did a search of the Podcasts and found podcast 59 Lace tips & tricks. I think that might be the one you are looking for.

Sincerely,
Georgianna
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Permalink Reply by clockworktomato on August 8, 2009 at 12:08pm: Hi everyone!

I have a question/concern about the Knitpicks Swift. I purchased mine as soon as they became available on the KP site but, as I've been working on projects lately from pre-wound skeins/balls of yarn, I haven't yet had the chance to use it. Last week I purchased a lot of Swish Bulky for a new project so today I was excited to try out my new Swift.

However, when I set everything up and started winding, I noticed that the "umbrella" like portion was very tight and wouldn't spin on its own. I had to turn it by hand while turning the ball winder with my other hand. I thought it might just need a little bit of Pledge or something to help it spin more easily, so I put some Pledge on a cloth and tried to wipe down the center spindle. However, when I did so I noticed that the vertical spindle of the swift was extremely rough and unfinished, so much so that the dust cloth was sticking to the spindle. No real problem, I just pulled out some sandpaper and gave it a good sanding with some fine grit sandpaper. However, after a good thirty minutes of sanding and a light coating of Pledge on the vertical spindle only, it's still really grabby and sticky.

So that leaves two other things. The circular piece near the bottom of the Swift, where the wooden slats join together is also extremely rough and jagged on the inside diameter (the surface that is supposed to turn against the vertical spindle). Unfortunately I can't get a piece of sandpaper inside that section, so I've been trying to just turn the Swift and work the rough spots down like that, which is working slowly, but it's a really long and slow process.

The other issue is that the similar round piece at the top of the swift, again where the wooden slats connect, is extremely tight against the vertical spindle, not allowing for much free movement at all. Of course, I understand that this piece has to be somewhat tight in order to keep the whole mechanism from just sliding down completely, but it's awfully hard to turn.

I've never owned a Swift before this one, so is this typical? Are they usually rather tight and difficult to turn until you've used them for a while? My understanding was that a gentle tug of the yarn would be enough to spin the Swift, allowing you to just crank the ball winder and gently tug the yarn along. I've tried everything I know to get this one to spin more freely, but after an hour or so of sanding, polishing, and spinning, I'm out of ideas and am honestly a little frustrated.

Thanks, all!; ▶ Reply to This