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Hello! Seeking help with a crochet


fra

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Hello :)

I'm a housewife of 44 years and I'm desperately seeking help! :(

I don't have any experience with crochet honestly, but recently I had to wash some crochets of my grandmother.

I put them in the washing machine with the other curtains and now all the fringes are tangled and ruined (and I did use a bag saving lingerie)! :cry

Is there a way to fix them?

Now I'm patiently disentangling all the fringes (a nightmare), hoping that some fabric softener can solve the problem.

Am I doing another mistake?

Thank you very much for any reply! 

 

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Welcome!  And "eek".  Most crocheted curtains are in thread (like this stuff), is that what yours are?.  You never want to put thread items in the washing machine or dryer, or anything with tassels or fringe even if made of yarn, really.  Depending on how old they are, you're lucky the curtain is still intact--aged thread is very fragile, and I would think especially curtains, being exposed to the sun more a doily for example.  Hand wash and air dry only.

Fabric softener isn't going to help untie the tangles (I don't think it would hurt, but I wouldn't get it wet again at this point, since unless you're in the Southern Hemisphere or somewhere warm and dry in November it might take a few days to air dry again .  You're going to have to pick out the tangles by hand.  Something like a hat pin, or long needle might help to carefully pick knots out.  Take a deep breath, think of each little victory as each strand is freed up.  Deeep breaths....

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Hi  and Welcome back to Crochetville from the Gulf Coast of Florida.

Grab your yarn and hooks, put your feet up and sit a spell.

Sorry to say, but Granny Annie is right.  It will take awhile to untangle, but please don't give up.  They are precious, especially them being made my your Grandmother.

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21 hours ago, Granny Square said:

Welcome!  And "eek".  Most crocheted curtains are in thread (like this stuff), is that what yours are?.  You never want to put thread items in the washing machine or dryer, or anything with tassels or fringe even if made of yarn, really. 

Hi Granny Square, 

yes, they seem to be as the ones in the link. I attached a couple of pictures to show you what they are and what is their condition.

It's a crochet that I already disentangled. The thread of the fringes looks ruffled. :( What can I do?

Thank you very much for your reply and thank you all for your welcome!

DSCN0467.JPG

DSCN0468.JPG

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Oh, crikey, I hadn't thought of that (actually unplying).  Options that occur to me (besides embracing the frizzy look):

1) Untangle it somewhat, and trim the ends when you are done, so you can trim at an even length.  This might be tricky to do evenly.

2) Remove the tassels altogether.  Find matching thread and re-make them.  (You'd be surprised how many shades of white there are...). 

3) Remove the tassels and leave them off.  There will be a crocheted horizontal 'string' (like on the grid rows above) between the crocheted square shapes, that the tassels were knotted over, in case you were wondering what it would look like.  

 

 

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Unluckily the frizzy look isn't an option...  my husband wouldn't be happy at all. 

I'd like to have them repaired, so option 2!

Is it easy to do? I have no experience at all. Maybe it's better to handle them to someone skilled.

Moreover they are a bit yellowed (but they were already so when I get them out of the wardrobe). 

I'm wondering if it's important to make them white again before choosing the thread?

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Good idea to consult with a conservator.  Whatever you do if you proceed yourself, don't use chlorine bleach, and don't use hot water (may set the stains).  Oxyclean type detergents are safe.  I've heard a recommendation of leaving items in the sun for an afternoon, but I'd hesitate to do that for something that may have already hung in the sun for years, decades ago.

The hardest part would be getting a match to the thread, especially if the fabric is age discolored.  A thought - if you remove and replace the tassels yourself is to pick a contrasting color and re-do the tassels (maybe something like ecru, not to jarring and would have an antique feel and less chance of dyes running).  This would be easy to do yourself.  Here is a tutorial, there are many others out there; knowing how to make them would help you understand how to pick the originals out, if that wasn't apparent.  I think, since they are so tangled, that I'd cut them maybe 1" from the fabric and pick out the short ends.

 

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21 hours ago, magiccrochetfan said:

If you can find an experienced person to work on them, I would ask their opinion before I did anything else to the curtains.  

 

 

 

20 hours ago, Granny Square said:

Good idea to consult with a conservator.  Whatever you do if you proceed yourself, don't use chlorine bleach, and don't use hot water (may set the stains).  Oxyclean type detergents are safe.  I've heard a recommendation of leaving items in the sun for an afternoon, but I'd hesitate to do that for something that may have already hung in the sun for years, decades ago.

The hardest part would be getting a match to the thread, especially if the fabric is age discolored.  A thought - if you remove and replace the tassels yourself is to pick a contrasting color and re-do the tassels (maybe something like ecru, not to jarring and would have an antique feel and less chance of dyes running).  This would be easy to do yourself.  Here is a tutorial, there are many others out there; knowing how to make them would help you understand how to pick the originals out, if that wasn't apparent.  I think, since they are so tangled, that I'd cut them maybe 1" from the fabric and pick out the short ends.

 

 

Hi,

good idea to consult someone skilled before doing anything, thank you!

The tutorial is great and it doesn't seem difficult but  I'll decide after having shown the curtains to someone experienced.  I can't afford to make other mistakes!

Any suggestions on how to choose the correct color of the thread?

 

 

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Take the piece with you and compare the piece and thread ball in the store with artificial light, and take it close to the window and hopefully be able to compare it in sunlight (the store person might let you take it outside to look, I've done this; worst case buy a couple of balls, and turn around and return the unmatching ones minutes later after checking the match).  After thinking about it a bit more, it might not matter if the fringe is very slightly off.  Since the texture of the fringe is different, it might not matter as much.

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I am not very experienced in that. But whatever it is worth here is my opinion what I would try first. I am thinking about those tangles in those fringes like tangles in a hair ( I could be wrong about that assumption). Anyway, tangles in a DRY hair are very hard to comb out. It is a lot easier to take out those tangle when the hair is damp/little wet. At least when is wet you can get that thread  straight or little straighter. Granny Square mentioned that Oxyclean, that is a good stuff. I would soak that using a tub (NO wash machine & no dryer). When taking out do not twist or wring that. Just gently squeeze out that water (you would need to change that water couple times to rinse that).  Spread that (on table or some hard surface) & shape that piece on a white towel. Use another towel to try pad out the water as much as possible from that crochet piece. There is a tool with a pointy tip (do not know what the name of that is, I do have that). It looks like a tiny ice pick.  You can get that at a craft store. People using that with embroidery  & quilting/sewing.  I would use that tool very gently & to try to separate those treads when they are still damp. Besides that I think I would even try using one of those plastic comb's with those "big teeth" and try that very gently.  If that would work, on the end some trimming with scissors would be required.

At this point I do not think you have anything to loose by trying that.  If that will not work, you will get a brighter, "cleaner" looking runner or a curtain (Is that a runner?).  That probably would help to get a better match of crochet thread for replacement of those fringes.

Good Luck!,

Krys

PS: Or you can just skip that Oxyclean. Just wet those fringes and try that.

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On 15/11/2017 at 8:52 PM, USpolishgirl said:

I am not very experienced in that. But whatever it is worth here is my opinion what I would try first. I am thinking about those tangles in those fringes like tangles in a hair ( I could be wrong about that assumption). Anyway, tangles in a DRY hair are very hard to comb out. It is a lot easier to take out those tangle when the hair is damp/little wet. At least when is wet you can get that thread  straight or little straighter. Granny Square mentioned that Oxyclean, that is a good stuff. I would soak that using a tub (NO wash machine & no dryer). When taking out do not twist or wring that. Just gently squeeze out that water (you would need to change that water couple times to rinse that).  Spread that (on table or some hard surface) & shape that piece on a white towel. Use another towel to try pad out the water as much as possible from that crochet piece. There is a tool with a pointy tip (do not know what the name of that is, I do have that). It looks like a tiny ice pick.  You can get that at a craft store. People using that with embroidery  & quilting/sewing.  I would use that tool very gently & to try to separate those treads when they are still damp. Besides that I think I would even try using one of those plastic comb's with those "big teeth" and try that very gently.  If that would work, on the end some trimming with scissors would be required.

At this point I do not think you have anything to loose by trying that.  If that will not work, you will get a brighter, "cleaner" looking runner or a curtain (Is that a runner?).  That probably would help to get a better match of crochet thread for replacement of those fringes.

Good Luck!,

Krys

PS: Or you can just skip that Oxyclean. Just wet those fringes and try that.

Thank you for your advice USPolishgirl! :)

If it wouldn't so important to restore those crochets to their original condition, I would've tried your suggestion first. I must absolutely have them repaired.

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1 hour ago, fra said:

Thank you for your advice USPolishgirl! :)

If it wouldn't so important to restore those crochets to their original condition, I would've tried your suggestion first. I must absolutely have them repaired.

My suggestions would not harm your crochet piece. That was only another option to try before you would have to do something more expensive. It was just a question if that would work or not. The only thing what you would loose by trying that is your time if would not worked. Your fringes might not be saved no matter what you will do. Some of that that tread in those is unplying. So that all depends how many of them are  unplying?  and how far up that goes..?. Even untangling them & triming might not be the solution. You might end up with a very short fringes ( not a very nice look).

Krys 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 21/11/2017 at 1:07 AM, USpolishgirl said:

 So that all depends how many of them are  unplying?  and how far up that goes..?. Even untangling them & triming might not be the solution. You might end up with a very short fringes ( not a very nice look).

Krys 

A lot of them are unplying! I'm afraid I'll really end up with short fringes. Moreover not all the crochets will have the same lenght! Thank you very much for your help, :manyheart but I'll give them to someone experienced.

 

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