Is Anyone Having Skin Problems From Working with Yarn?

[yarnjeannie]

Okay - this may sound crazy. I've been plagued with outbreaks of eczema lately. Never had trouble with it before. Most of the problem occurs on my left hand with some irritation on the first finger of my right hand. Since I'm right handed, it means I hold my project with my left hand when I'm working on it. My sister suggested I may be allergic to some of the yarn I'm using

 

I sure hope not. But I'm wondering if anyone else is having problems. Please don't tell me I have to stop crocheting!

[TurtleLvr]

I get itchy when working with certain yarns. But I'm allergic to so much (perfumes, pine pollen, hay, chlorine, cats...it goes on) I'm not surprised.

 

[crocheting4mygirls]

Some brands of acrylic yarn bother my nose more than others but I'm okay on days when I've taken my allergy medicine so I don't have to stop crocheting.

[Pyroteca]

It may be an allergy to actual wool. I don't know what brand of yarn you are using, but if it is 100% wool or even mostly wool, that might account for the reaction. My dad can't tolerate anything that is wool, and prefers synthetics for things like socks or even afghans.

 

If the yarn you are using is a different fiber than wool, it may still be an allergy. You could try switching brands and seeing if that helps.

 

I hope that your hands get better.

[happy stitcher]

Some people here have had trouble with the new Eco yarn.

[Arlinka]

Some colors of RH make my hands very very dry and you can see on my fingers where I have touched the yarn. Some other brands upset my facial skin even tho I don't remember touching my face while crocheting - I get red dry patches on my chin.

But.... I will not stop crocheting.

[grannyannie]

My hands break out if I do much work with RHSS. I can get by doing only a sq. or two, but if I'm making a blanket my hands are a mess by the time I'm done! I can't go anywhere near wool! I won't let it stop me from though !

[HappyOldCro]

I have had big red hives on fore arms when working with RHSS. So did dd, she says it is OK now, and that it must have been a problem with chemicals used to process the yarn, but other than small things, I still can't use it.

[crochetluvknot]

I can not use any type of wool or wool blend yarn with out breaking out in hives and itchies which stinks cause they have some beautiful colors

[bethintx1]

It could be the fiber, or the dyes. If you are using old yarn that you acquired from yard sales et.el. It could have been stored in a garage near chemicals or other allergens.

[HomekeepingGran]

I've definitely had yarn burn, mainly from acrylics. One of the sisters who owns my LYS cannot touch anything made by Red Heart or she breaks out all over. She is apparently highly allergic to the dyes or something in that line. If you bring in a yarn she doesn't recognize she will often ask you what it is before she touches.

[Gran]

It could also be the chemicals used in making the yarns.

 

If you interested in it, you could experiment by only using a certain yarn for awhile--say, two weeks, for example--and see what changes.

 

Some can only use organic cotton, or other natural fibers.

[Autumn]

Redheart makes my hands break out and I get deep cracks that bleed, even with using hand cream. It also makes my eyes burn and water and my lips swell.

 

I don't use redheart very often and never buy it any more. The only red heart I use is the red heart in my stash that I bought before I realized that other yarn brands of the same type of yarn don't cause this.

 

I'm sure its either a chemical used in processing or even a pesticide they use around or on it when shipping due to coming from another country (packing materials, not in the yarn per say.)

Edited June 15, 2009 by Autumn

[happy stitcher]

Wow! I had no idea so many people had problems with RH and RHSS. I'm glad I always wash things before gifting them! I'd hate to give somebody a gift that made them break out in hives!

[Sylviaf]

I am OK if I stay away from animal products (although I'm not allergic to animal fur on the actual animal).

[sandra2469]

My arms break out with red welts after I work too long (more than a couple of hours) with RHSS. I use it for some of my projects, but it takes me a long time to do them. I recently discovered the same rash when working for a long time with Vanna's yarn. I think it's just acrylics in general, though. Other types of yarn don't cause this problem.

[moonfest]

I can't work with fisherman wool or most wools although a good merino seems to be okay at times for some reason, LB woolease blend seems okay too. I can auto tell if there is going to be a problem I just put the skein up to my neck if it feels like pins sticking into me I know I can't work it. I will itch, scratch, sneeze or be in general pain from working pure wool hence the felting craze passed me by..like a ship in the night

 

seems rhss gets more stiff by the day no allergy but gets to the point that it hurts my areas on fingers where I am feeding the yarn from the roughness, although it somewhat varies skein to skein .I have older almost vintage rh and does not do this..how I long for the old dazzleair and popit cheapie yarn days no problems and was a soft joy to work ..Joann's rainbow sensations not the bouche but the brushed yarn is as close to dazzleair as I can find in feel, haven't bought any yet but am going to buy next time and see , problem is it only comes in huge skeins which I don't mind but seems not very many colors

[tabzmom]

I  bought 7 skiens of same yarn and same color I've made a twin size blanket and some squares with it. I broke out once while making the blanket and that was it, on both my wrist. Now i have started a cover up dress and i worked on it for two days nothing then i switched to a small amount i had left from blanket to finish a row in same color (its an ombre) and I broke out again. I think there is something on one of the skiens of yarn. If not I don't know why I would break out only twice months apart but it is like bad hives.