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miele
Chatty Knitter
USA
284 Posts |
 Posted - 04/07/2009 : 09:34:59 AM
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Ok, so I take off for work this morning feeling pretty slick. I am wearing a new sweater (Ingenue from Barnard's Custom Knits book-my 2nd Ingenue, actually) and I am happy that it is cool enough to wear in April. 
Then I took a bathroom break--yes, into the bathroom that has bigger mirrors and better, brighter lighting than my old house. What's that I see?? Distinct lines through the chest and one arm....yes, it's colorblocks of different shades of blue where there aren't supposed to be any! I showed two coworkers and they saw it, too.
But the yarn (Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride, bought from a store that closed a year ago) all had the same dye lot # on it. I am a veteran knitter and i have never had this happen.
I didn't notice it even when I wet blocked it. Grrrr!
Anyone else experience such a thing?
Ellen |
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amosellie
Gabber Extraordinaire
USA
433 Posts |
Posted - 04/07/2009 : 09:51:36 AM
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Ellen,
I am so sorry!! I know you are furious and outraged - BUT - look at it as your own special design. Who will know it wasn't supposed to be that way? Quit thinking about it - you'll get even more angry - just look it as special!
Amosellie
www.antiqueclocksandysprings.com |
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dschmidt
Permanent Resident
3919 Posts |
Posted - 04/07/2009 : 11:38:40 AM
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Oh, my, that would drive me nuts! I wonder if some of the wool sat int he sun and got bleached out some.
Donna in VA
The Honor Roll? It's easier here than in school. Scroll up to "Want to Make Betty Happy?" and be an Honor Roll member.
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Sara Sue
Permanent Resident
USA
1083 Posts |
Posted - 04/07/2009 : 12:24:23 PM
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| At least you got past the lying gauge swatch. Maybe it just shows up under the harsh office lighting. Hope - Hope - Hope. |
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susan14_23
Gabber Extraordinaire
USA
550 Posts |
Posted - 04/07/2009 : 12:34:43 PM
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Oh dear, how frustrating!! But I bet most people wouldn't notice unless you pointed it out to them or would think it was intentional as Amosellie said. Just stay out of that brightly lit bathroom and you'll be OK.
Susan |
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2totangle
Permanent Resident
1212 Posts |
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Clara
queen bee
USA
4362 Posts |
Posted - 04/07/2009 : 4:56:44 PM
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Suzanne suggested exactly what I was thinking. Of course you risk the difference in color saturations still showing through the new color, but if it really drove you nuts and you wouldn't otherwise wear the sweater, I'd give it a try. In fact, we have a saying around here that Shelia started: Everything looks better when you overdye it with fuchsia.
Clara
Your friendly Knitter's Review publisher
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needlessharon
Warming Up
USA
51 Posts |
Posted - 04/08/2009 : 05:37:34 AM
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I just finished knitting a vest that had two different color white yarns. (I kept saying how much difference could white yarn be? I found out.....quite a bit). When completely finished, I dyed it a navy/denim color and even made a hat and necklace to match. The color came out quite stunning. Everyone I show it to commented that the color is quite striking. Give it a try. You may even like the new shade after all. I used ordinary Rit dye....in the sink. I kept it in there about 10 minutes total. I am totally satisfied.
needlessharon |
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Shelia
Permanent Resident
USA
2314 Posts |
Posted - 04/08/2009 : 07:44:41 AM
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Hmmm, blue overdyed with fuchsia = purple, sounds really nice!
Shelia
www.letstalkstash.blogspot.com
ravelry name - sheliaknits |
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Lanea
Permanent Resident
USA
5158 Posts |
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Eleanor
Gabber Extraordinaire
USA
583 Posts |
Posted - 04/08/2009 : 11:54:32 AM
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| What if you got in touch with the manufacturer? Shouldn't they be held responsible for dye lots? Did you save the wrappers with the dye lots on them. I usually save them for awhile. |
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hillstreetmama
Permanent Resident
USA
3448 Posts |
Posted - 04/09/2009 : 04:15:55 AM
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What would you expect the manufacturer to do??? The sweater is already knitted - it's not like they'll send her another skein of the correct dye lot. My heart goes out to you, Ellen, but if it's really noticible to all, then I agree with the over dye suggestion.
Jan
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fmarrs
Guardian angel
USA
9776 Posts |
Posted - 04/09/2009 : 05:46:32 AM
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Another possibility is mixing up the ends of the yarn skeins so the yarn is in one direction for one ball of yarn and then in the opposite for the next ball of yarn. In this case, the dye is the same in both balls of yarn but they reflect light differently. This is very easily done when yarn is purchased in hanks that need to be wound into balls before use, but I have seen it in pull skeins also. I check all my yarn for nap now, but I don't exactly know how to describe that. Basically I run the yarn between my fingers and decide which way is the smoothest, then make sure all following skeins run the same direction. Sometimes the twist of the yarn will tell you but not always.
I first discovered this when winding yarn on my ball winder from pull skeins. I wound one too tight and then rewound it so it was in the opposite direction from the rest. Now, if I have to rewind a skein, I rewind it twice.
fran
http://martianmischief.blogspot.com/ |
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GFTC
Permanent Resident
USA
6331 Posts |
Posted - 04/09/2009 : 06:14:38 AM
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The off dye lot skeins may have been used in a window display and faded as a result. That would not be the fault of the mfg.
That is an awful thing to have happened. Bathrooms at work tend to be overlit with fluorescent lights. The color variation may not be noticeable under regular lighting.
GFTC of NYCmy knitting photos on Flickr or Ravelry
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roseofisabel
New Pal
1 Posts |
Posted - 04/09/2009 : 06:56:35 AM
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| Same thing happened to me, but with stunning variegated hand dyed yarn. I thought it was a shadow on the upper part of the cable vest when I was blocking it. NOT! It has been recommended that I do duplicate stitching with the darker yarn in the lighter area and especially in the transition area. This would make it 1) less noticeable and 2) intentional if it was noticed. Since my darker color is at the top front part of the vest this should work nicely for me, but I haven't found the leftover yarn yet with which to do it! |
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GFTC
Permanent Resident
USA
6331 Posts |
Posted - 04/09/2009 : 07:31:50 AM
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I'm back......
If the blue is bright or dark, as opposed to pale, why don't you wash the sweater before trying anything else? If you use Eucalan it will pull some of the color out into the water even in cold water. If you let it sit in the blue water maybe the color will even out.
Another thought.....I received the submissions packet for a forthcoming major knitting magazine and one of their upcoming trends is Gypsies, Tramps, & Nomads with a suggestion of "folksy embellishments". You could outline the darker sections by using contrasting colors to embroider X's or blanket stitch or any of the embroidery stitches that outline the sections on a crazy quilt. The style of Ingenue would easily lend itself to embellishment.
GFTC of NYCmy knitting photos on Flickr or Ravelry
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PBELKNAP
Permanent Resident
USA
1127 Posts |
Posted - 04/09/2009 : 09:37:07 AM
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You poor thing! I've had this happen with cheapo Lion Brand Homespun yarn -- within the SAME SKEIN.
Like people have said, chances are, no one will notice. Men, especially, have no eye for this sort of thing.
*************************
PAM
WIP = Socks (knit), Armenius Sweater (knit), EZ sweater (knit)
Done YTD: Shadow Jacket (crochet), Snowflake Sweater (knit), Round Ripple Afghan (crochet), Socks (knit), Cot'n Corn Eyelet Rib Top (knit)
Twitter Name = WildKnitter
If I could only do this for a living... |
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knitting knonna
New Pal
Australia
4 Posts |
Posted - 04/09/2009 : 1:31:39 PM
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I'm not familiar with the pattern you used, but would it lend itself to some tiny beads, sewn on either randomly all over or in a pattern? - then people would see the beads, not the color change.
Being a nitpicking perfectionist myself I understand your frustration, so if you're really unhappy with it, be brave and fix it, whatever method you choose I hope it works for you. |
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miele
Chatty Knitter
USA
284 Posts |
Posted - 04/09/2009 : 2:13:43 PM
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Thnak you all so much for your kind comments, sympathy, and advice. I am leaning toward rewashing it to see how I feel then. The overdyeing thing has some appeal. I hold no grudge against shop or manufacturer--as several of you hav epointed out it could have been in a window or whatever. So my plan is to:
Be grateful that it was for me and not a special gift for someone else
Keep knitting...actually as busy a knitter as I am, I hadn't made myself a sweater in more than a decade, so these 2 Ingenues got me back in the groove, and for that I am grateful
If I don't do the overdyeing, then next fall when the cool weather begins I will hang out in dimly lit bars in my Ingenue, and no one will notice!
Thanks again
Ellen
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dschmidt
Permanent Resident
3919 Posts |
Posted - 04/10/2009 : 1:35:01 PM
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You have a great attitude now, Ellen. If you overdye, please post before and after pictures.
Donna in VA
The Honor Roll? It's easier here than in school. Scroll up to "Want to Make Betty Happy?" and be an Honor Roll member.
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agastier@aol.com
Chatty Knitter
143 Posts |
Posted - 04/11/2009 : 09:36:16 AM
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| Another idea, if you feel it's worth the risk--if the yarn might be sun bleached, you might want to try it with the brighter part. I had a pair of shoes where one was brighter, and left the other one out in the sun to correct it. Prehpas you could cover the lighter parts and leave it in the sun for an hour or two and see if you are happpier with the results.......Annhope |
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The case of the lying dye lot: a sad tale
