Laura Chau Designs

a return to the needles

Thanks for all the sweet concerned comments! Luckily I didn’t have too bad a reaction, took some Advil and the swelling went down overnight. Today was a rainy day, I stayed in and worked on various things, including the switch/reorganization/weeding out of winter to summer clothes, and did my taxes. Sadly I’m not getting anything, but neither do I owe. So it could be worse! (I am getting the GST credit, though – and that’s over $300!)

The other day I had the crazy idea that I could knit something new for Maryland, and I’m trucking along:

new mdsw project?

Jo Sharp Silkroad DK tweed – makes a really lovely fabric and is nice and light! I just might need a little something in the morning and evening, the way the forecast is looking.

As for the new wheel, no photos yet – I had a bit of an allergy attack to it due to it coming from a cat home (I never thought I was all that sensitive before, but it might be getting worse) and it’s in a bit of quarantine after a wipe-down. Any ideas for de-allergen-ing a wheel?

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20 responses to “a return to the needles”

  1. LynnH Avatar
    LynnH

    If you can tolerate vinegar, mix something like a ratio of 1/4 borax (powder, get in laundry section of large grocery store), 1/4 vinegar, and 1/2 warm-to-hot water. Add a drop or two of hand dish detergent, not enough to suds but enough to cut a little oil on the surface.

    Use that to wipe down anything you need cleaned well. If you can’t do vinegar, do without it but use the borax, detergent and warm water.

    Borax is such a good cleaning product that it can kill germs in a hospital setting. (It’s a mineral, so no chemicals/perfumes to mess with you, though it has its own scent.)

    I have a bad allergy to mildew, and it did a miracle. I was gifted some face cloths I really liked, but in used condition. When they got wet, they smelled so mildew-y that I thought I would have to toss them.

    Then a friend told me to put the cloths in the washing machine, with hot water plus a 1/2 cup of vinegar and 1/2 cup of borax. I was to use half the recommended amount of laundry detergent, and put it on the long cycle.

    The cloths smell brand new now, and we use them often. It was incredible.

    Perhaps this solution is best for mildew, but I believe it both cuts grease and kills germs, neither of which is a bad thing even if it does not do 100% of the anti-fur allergy job.

    Best of luck.

    LynnH, who really understands about allergies getting worse with time.

    Reply
  2. Amanda Avatar
    Amanda

    Can’t wait to see what you make with with Silkroad DK Tweed. I have two sweaters worth in my stash that I don’t know what to do with yet.

    Reply
  3. lily boot Avatar
    lily boot

    that is super pretty wool and you’re right – the fabric looks lovely. Hope you get lots of time to get it done. That’s a serious bummer about the wheel – it’s awful when you have to add more “be carefuls” to the list.

    Reply
  4. kimchi Avatar
    kimchi

    I second Lynn’s suggestion on using the vinegar solution. I know that is what I would use for animal dander issues in my home. let us know if that helps. and the jo sharp tweed? LOVE IT. that color is gorgeous too… :o)

    Reply
  5. Clestial Avatar
    Clestial

    This looks like the sleeve of Salina.

    Reply
  6. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    Allergens from cat dander are not likely to be effectively denatured (read: killed) by vinegar or borax. These cleaning agents (+elbow grease)will help remove the dander though, which is the real goal.

    If a careful cleaning doesn’t do it… your next option is to cover it up. You could try a coat or two of varnish.

    Reply
  7. Elizabeth Avatar
    Elizabeth

    I spent 16 years in Washington, DC and went to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival almost every year. One year, the temperature was in the high ninties, but most years the days start cool and get warm or hot. I’ve worn wool up until 11:00 a.m. After that, the sun gets quite hot since you are at a lower latitude. Enjoy; I’m so envious. P.S. Make sure to visit Annie Kelly of Kiparoo Farm, in a tent on the lower “street” not too far from the entrance. Worth it.

    Reply
  8. Seanna Lea Avatar
    Seanna Lea

    Hopefully you’ll manage to clean up the wheel enough that you can use it.

    It is also possible that you are not getting more sensitive to the cat dander, but that the particular cat that lived with this wheel just produces more allergens. One of my friends has a cat that makes my hubby have an allergic reaction though he can play with our cat for hours without a problem.

    Reply
  9. weaver Avatar
    weaver

    Before damp cleaning a wooden wheel, I would try giving it a good going over with the vacuum and a soft brush attachment. Or a good quality duster followed by a lint roller. Since the wheel’s a solid item (as opposed to, say, a pillow), it won’t have “essence of cat” any further into it than the surface. Any fiber or covering/tote bag should be washed though, if at all possible. I bet they’d be worse allergy culprits than the wheel itself.

    Reply
  10. Jessica Avatar
    Jessica

    Wiping down with a solution of brewed black tea (cooled) will work. My husband is horribly allergic and we’ve used this to mop the floor of an apt we moved into that had had cats.

    Reply
  11. Jana Avatar
    Jana

    If you don’t want to get the wheel wet, Pledge Dust & Allergen dry cloths are great for really grabbing and hanging onto the bad stuff. Keeps it from floating off into the air. I use them around my house all the time. They’re sometimes hard to find, I’ve been getting them at Target lately. Good luck with the wheel. Your knitting is beautiful as always.

    Reply
  12. Andrea Avatar
    Andrea

    Your wool caught my eye. Isn’t it very similar to this one I got on the other side of the globe (different make up, tough)
    http://s586.photobucket.com/albums/ss307/andreapgn_bucket/?action=view&current=buttonblack.jpg&sort=ascending

    As for the wheel, wouldn’t vinegar work?

    Reply
  13. Felicia from sweetgeorgia Avatar
    Felicia from sweetgeorgia

    Lovely Silkroad Tweed… beautiful colour too. Looking forward to seeing what you knit with it!

    Reply
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  15. Mia Harris Avatar
    Mia Harris

    the antioxidants in green tea really helps prevent cancer and some other forms of tumors.-“:

    Reply
  16. Daisy Jackson Avatar
    Daisy Jackson

    the antioxidants in green tea really helps prevent cancer and some other forms of tumors.:.;

    Reply
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    Jasmine Turner

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  18. Henry Barnes Avatar
    Henry Barnes

    i love the taste of green tea and it also helps you relax by lowering your blood pressure’;*

    Reply
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    IUD Side Effects

    i would love to sip a cup of green tea each morning because it contains L-theanine which calms the mind ;’`

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  20. Android Apk Files Avatar
    Android Apk Files

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