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Exuberant Band Care
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This exuberant-looking, two-ounce collar or hatband is one of the simplest of ‘collapse’ textiles, composed solely of a hand-spun skein of single-stranded yarn. Each strand of any yarn or thread is unbalanced on its own, and seeks to untwist. ‘Normal’ stranded yarns & threads are balanced by virtue of two or more singles "untwisting" around each other, reaching equilibrium; it’s just pure physics.
However, there is only one continuous strand here. When released from tension, the whole skein collapsed because the stored energy in the twisted strand forms localized double-stranded events. Boing! (er, "Sproing!")
The Taming of the Skein:
Alas, portions of the yarn may get caught on rings, fishhooks, or stray pacifiers, and the whole skein may look irreversibly messy:
Do not despair!
- Hold the constriction with one hand.
- Insert your other fist through the opening next to your first hand.
- Pull your hands apart gently.
- Allow them to come together, and the whole skein will follow, staring to even itself out.
- You may need to pull apart gently two or three times before all the twist is more or less evenly distributed.
If a portion remains irrevocably knotted (although I suggest you take a few minutes off to breathe, then gently work on it again before you take this route), cut off each end just next to the constriction. All is repaired!
To Wash: (Do not dry clean; do not agitate.)Place in lingerie bag and soak in cool water with 1/2 Tbsp shampoo. You may use a touch of creme rinse if you like its aroma. Gently rinse. Spin out or blot dry in towels; block to desired shape.
This will also refresh the springiness.
©2001-4 Ruth E.W. Walker
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