My Knitting Life is Over...
ETA: I added a link to the pattern since everyone was curious to where I got it. It was off a Bernat label I had, but they've got a link on their site if you sign up with them. Doesn't cost anything, except they might send you some junk knitting mail, but is it really junk if it's about knitting?
I knit a dishcloth/washcloth/facecloth! I like it! This has nothing to do with the title of the blog, but this is here to make this post much happier. If you chose to read on, you'll understand my pain.
Pattern: Got it off that blue cotton yarn label I bought last weekend. Online Pattern
Yarn: Peaches and Creme color Pink Lemonade
I have acne. Or at least that's what I was blaming the massive blemishes that randomly appeared and disappeared from my face.
I hadn't had any sort of horrible acne in years, but all of a sudden it was back with fury. No matter how much I washed it wouldn't go away, and it just itched like no other.
Then tonight my mom brought up an interesting point. The conversation went as follows:
I knit a dishcloth/washcloth/facecloth! I like it! This has nothing to do with the title of the blog, but this is here to make this post much happier. If you chose to read on, you'll understand my pain.
Pattern: Got it off that blue cotton yarn label I bought last weekend. Online PatternYarn: Peaches and Creme color Pink Lemonade
Now for the life is over knitting news:
I have acne. Or at least that's what I was blaming the massive blemishes that randomly appeared and disappeared from my face.
I hadn't had any sort of horrible acne in years, but all of a sudden it was back with fury. No matter how much I washed it wouldn't go away, and it just itched like no other.
Then tonight my mom brought up an interesting point. The conversation went as follows:
Mom: Did you pick your face today?
Me: No! I haven't picked my face; in fact, when I woke up this morning my skin was great, even said to myself don't have to put cover-up on because it looks good. Then I show up to my observation and see myself in the mirror. My face looked like crap.
Mom: Maybe you're allergic to that yarn.
Me: No, this yarn is cotton, I can't be allergic to cotton, all of my clothes are cotton.
Me: Oh no... what if I'm allergic to wool?
The more thinking I did the more I think it may be the wool. I looked fine when I went to my boyfriend's Saturday, but upon leaving for a movie I lost my mind because the "acne" had flared up again... Prior to my looking in the mirror I had been working on his blue Pomatomus socks made from 100% merino wool. I also looked fine when I woke up this morning before doing a few rounds on the Sock Wars socks...
All the other socks I've worked on recently for Sock Wars have also been 100% merino wool...
It's not looking too good. Then I thought back to summer. My "acne" wasn't horrible then, but I didn't really knit with wool all summer, it was mostly acrylic. I use a lot of acrylic.
What to do? All my Christmas gifts that I was planning on making were to be done out of wool yarn. So I'm going to keep knitting them, stop touching my face and see if that helps. If not we'll move to plan 2: keep knitting, stop touching face, and add some allergy medication into the mix.
The real test will come after Christmas knitting is done. I'm going to stop using wool for a month or two and see if it goes away.
I've heard a lot of people say they get allergies from chemicals used when wool is processed, but not actual wool itself, so hopefully spinning my own wool and using it will still go over. It's something I'm going to test and play around with. We'll see what happens.
posted by Ashley at 10:08 PM
6 Comments:
Oh no! I am sorry. I hope it is not the wool but something else...maybe the needles, yeah, it may be the needles, lol. Seriously, I hope the allergy medication helps the flare ups.And I really, really hope it is not the wool yarn.
Oh Ashley, I'm so sorry! Actually just yesterday I read an article about more and more people being allergic to the chemical stuff that's used in processed wool. I don't know how it is in the USA, but here you can get allergy tests in the hospitals for free (insurance pays for it), and they're testing everything you want. This means, you could go there with a bunch of different yarn and have it all tested, to find out if it's really the yarn that causes your acne or if it's something else, plus to which yarns you'd react more and to which less. This could help you a big deal in your future yarn choices, plus there might be some anti-allergants that you could take that would ease the problems down a bit.
And if it's really the processed wool, then I absolutely agree with you - spinning your own wool and using it should make a big difference (to the positive)!
I have all my fingers crossed that you can continue knitting and that you'll find a medication that helps! All the very best to you!
And by the way, I totally love your cloth, it's gorgeous!
that cloth is sooooo pretty!!
how was the pattern? what level? and where can i get a copy??
hope the allergy meds/not touching your face work...good luck! *hugs*
I *love* that cloth -- and the colors! What kind of yarn did you find the pattern on?
Sorry to hear about your possible allergy. I've heard of lots of knitters out there who are allergic to wool, though. I think Amy from Knitty is, actually. She must have some suggestions somewhere for dealing with the allergy...
Crap! But, on the plus side, even Grumperina can't wear wool and she still manages to have fun with knitting. There are a lot of cool alternative yarns these days, at least. Good luck, but keep us posted!
That dishcloth is CUTE. I gotta make one now.
The acrylics available now are not like the horrible stuff available when I was a kid (1960's). They don't block well, but gotta love that washability factor! I hope it's not a wool allergy, but even if it is it doesn't have to mean the end of knitting.
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