Friday, August 22, 2014

Frogging Fuzzy Yarn ~ a Crochet Tip

In an Ideal Crochet World there would be no need to frog. ("No Need to Frog" - what a lovely title for a short story.) Stitches would flow from the hook in a gentle, even stream, yielding beauty and balance from the first chain to the last join. I wish I lived there, but I don't.

My crochet world is full of mistakes and reverses and changes of heart, and since I work on a limited yarn budget, this means lots of frogging and re-using. ("Lots of Frogging" - not a good title for anything.) Today, I've been swatching some lovely soy/wool yarn. It's soft and loosely twisted and altogether lovely, but boy does it like to stick to itself! A recipe for frogging disaster.

My normal instinct, when frogging, is to yank the yarn up and away from the work as quickly as possible. But with fuzzy yarn, this is Not a Good Idea. Pulling up, or pulling sideways, causes extra friction, which means more chances for the yarn to catch on itself and turn into a knotted mess.


Here's a better way:


Gently grasp the project in one hand, next to the stitch you are frogging, and pull the yarn smoothly down in a straight line from the base of the stitch. Take your time, pulling only one stitch at a time, and moving your hands frequently.

Your fuzzy yarn will thank you. :)

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Do you have any frogging tips?

Knitters, what works best for you?

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15 comments:

  1. Thanks for the hint about frogging. I always ended up pulling too hard and finally attacking with scissors. Not a good idea! Linda@Wetcreek Blog

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  2. Seriously could you be any more brilliant?

    Hugs,
    Merediht

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  3. Frogging knitting is a bit different. You have to be careful to frog from the correct end of the work. I think it's the cast off end, but can't swear to it as it is a long time since I have done this. If you choose the right end, frogging can go like a dream. But choose the wrong end and it is still possible but is a lengthy nightmare.

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  4. I can relate because, I frequently frog or should that be frog frequently, anyway I do and I have tried both methods above and find your method does help, I sometimes find that wiggling each stitch helps with fuzzy yarn it helps to disengage the fibres but it is a long laborious exercise and I usually end up throwing it to one side in disgust. Have a great weekend :) xx

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  5. Hello! Thanks for that clever hint, will have to try it next time. :) The words YARN and NIGHTMARE are also best avoided in the same sentence!!
    Ingrid xx
    http://myfunkycrochet.blogspot.be

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  6. That's really helpful, Sue. Thank you for the tip. I only recently realized that you can only frog in one direction, that was quite a revelation.

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  7. What a great tip, thanks. :) Oh the land of No Frogging sounds awesome! Looking forward to seeing what your hook creates next! ((hugs))

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  8. What a clever tip. I usually fly into a rage if it sticks and pull it until it breaks. I shall be better behaved from now on! CJ xx

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  9. who would have thought???? Perfect tip thanks

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  10. That is a great tip. I never would have done it that way. And I hate when the yarn gets all knotted when I frog.

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  11. A knotted mess, that is what most of my crochet turns into.
    Pull it DOWN, now what a simple thing, and yet, it is something I would never have thought of....and I just saw something on your blog from two years ago, making PIPING using a MIXER. My dear, you amaze me, you really do!!

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  12. Being impulsive and not detail oriented, I may never have figured this out, Sue, if you had not generously and clearly showed me. Thanks!!! :-) xx

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  13. Great tip! I usually avoid fuzzy yarns because I'm crazy indecisive and hate frogging it. Maybe I'll try something out now. :) Thank you for the post.

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  14. Boy, have I learned that a time or two the hard way! Very good tip!

    Recently a Ravelry thread requested posts of favorite frogs. People were posting reptiles instead of fiber!!! In that case, I thought Too Much Frogging was a very, very funny thing!

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