Nightmare with cotton tape

[Vik]

Hello villagers! I want to share with you my nightmare by using cotton tape yarn! I´m knitting with it, but I guess I would have the same troubles crocheting with it.

You´ll think that a project made in this chunky weight tape and thick needles will grow fast. Nope! Due to the flat nature the tape has a tendency to twist, and that curling is very uncomfortable to knit or crochet. I have to twist in the opposite direction all the time, what takes time and makes the knitting slow...

If you go to my blog, you´ll see the pictures:

 

http://like-grandma.blogspot.com/2006/10/knitting-with-cotton-tape.html

 

 

You´ll see I put a hair holder –first thing I found- to make weight and help me de-twisting... I promise I´ll think it over before starting another tape yarn project!

Have you a better experience with tape?

Please let me know, if I´m doing something wrong!

Thank you in advance!

[VenLuvsCrochet]

I know exactly what you mean. I have about 30 skeins of Bernat Miami ribbon yarn and have given up trying to make anything with it because it gets so twisted and looks just horrible if you don't untwist it. I hate the idea of giving it away though. It's really pretty yarn and so soft.

 

Good idea with the ring trick, Tampa Doll. I'll have to give it a try.

[goldi316]

The toilet paper holder is a good idea! I made a wrap top out of the Incredible tape a few months ago. For the most part, I didn't worry too much about the tape twisting, as that is a natural tendency for it. I had read this some time ago so I didn't worry too much about keeping it perfectly flat. But I still had to stop periodically and untwist it when it would get too wound up (it would start folding back on itself, and the strand would get too thin). What I did was wrap a rubberband around the ball and dangle it in the air, allowing it to twirl until I got the twists out. But otherwise I just crocheted with it twisted, and it's pretty impossible to tell the difference.

 

I love the color and texture effects of tape yarn and wouldn't hesitate to use it again, even if it can sometimes be a bit of a pita!

[Gretchen]

AggieMay - that is a fantastic idea! I think if there was something I could hang it on (sort of like a toilet-paper roll holder?) then it wouldn't get so twisted when I crochet with this type of yarn. Maybe that could be a solution, Vik? Toilet paper holder!

[Vik]

THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR COMMENTS!

 

Aggie May, you are right, that could be a solution but... there´s no thread coming from the center in those balls! You must start by the exterior thread because it´s just impossible to find the center one -like other balls have.

 

Sylvia and AuntieM, good for you! But the untwisted yarn doesn´t look nice in my knitting, it looks horrible, I can´t ignore it... It really bothers me!

 

VenLuvsCrochet, I´m with you! This will be my last tape project... Sorry about your stash... Maybe you can use it for some kind of craft work.

 

Myheartsdesire, sorry to disappoint you... I´m just telling whats going on here... It´s driving me crazy!

[AuntyM]

I've knitted with ribbon yarn and I didn't worry about untwisting it. It was a baby sweater and turned out great. Some of my knitting friends were amazed to discover that the sweater was made with ribbon yarn because you just can't tell.

[AuntyM]

There's an idea, crochet with sticky tape! LOL

[Sylviaf]

I made a couple of purses with Ticker Tape and didn't notice a problem with it. If it twisted I must have just ignored it, but the bags look good and get compliments.

[myheartsdesire]

I've thought about trying to crochet with that, it's just so pretty... but I think I've changed my mind! Haha.

[Aggie May]

Have you tried pulling it from the centre?

Or, can you put a rod through the centre and hang it on something so it can rotate, then the yarn will roll off instead of twirling off.

It is the twirling off the outside of the ball which makes it twist.

Pulling from the centre is possibly the best solution but there is a certain amount of natural turning as you knit or crochet.

Hope this helps.

Colleen.

[Vik]

THANK YOU SO MUCH for your comments!

 

It´s a relief to know I´m not alone, Gretchen! You know, if I knit with the twisted yarn it looks horrible, I don´t like it at all. It´s different when crocheting like you.

 

Tampa Doll, I can´t wait to try your "ring´s solution". I´m afraid my tape curls that much, that it won´t work either... but I´ll try!

 

Nightowl, I´ve seen that rayon ribbon, it´s very pretty. I believe you... but with my experience now I don´t think I try it either... Maybe you are right about the balls, they don´t help to keep it flat untwisted.

 

Stormy, you made me laugh! That would have been a huge nightmare, using sticky tape! I´m not that crazy, yet...

 

JCB, I´m with you: never again!

[Gretchen]

You are not alone!

I'm crocheting a jacket from Lion Brand Incredibles tape yarn - and I have the same problem. Sometimes the twisting is so much I'm afraid for the yarn! I have tried untwisting it, no luck. I finally just decided to untwist as much as I could and crochet with the twisted ribbon. I can't tell the difference between the twisted crochet and the untwisted crochet, although I'm not sure if it would be easier to see in knitting.

Anyways, it looks beautiful - don't give up!

[Tampa Doll]

Hey Vik.

It looks the same as the ticker tape I used, and what I did to help keep it from twisting near the hook was, now don't laugh, but I put a ring on my finger and ran the yarn through it.

This helps keep the tape from twisting and if it has, it helps unravel or untwist it. It also helps with the tension. I found my tension loosened up when I use this tape more than yarn or thread.

[nightowl]

Hi Vik!

 

I don't think you're doing anything wrong, and great idea to use the hair clip, by the way!

 

I've never used tape, but I have used a rayon ribbon to crochet with and it was lovely I think the difference is in the way the yarn is wound. . . mine wasn't in a squashed ball like yours but wound on a cardboard core like a ball of crochet cotton. I was able to turn it on its side and have the ribbon roll off the ball nice and straight (most of the time!) In fact I enjoyed working with it so much I've been looking for more on Ebay, since it's a discontinued yarn.

 

Good for you for persevering; your project-in-progress looks great!

 

Smiles,

[stormy]

I haven't used that yarn and didn't think of it when I read the title...I was thinking...why is she crocheting with sticky tape???

[JCB]

I made several scarves out of Incredible yarn, using a hairpin loom. The twisting drove me crazy... never again!

 

Joan

[Vik]

Hi Kris! You made me laugh! You know exactly what´s going on here and how frustrating that cotton tape is! Thank you for your encouragement!

[mizduck]

Vik, I feel your pain. Before I began to crochet, I knit. I decided to make a scarf with incredible....by the time I finished it, I wanted to toss it in the fireplace because I was so fed up! Instead, I gave it away! Hang in there, you'll get it. And when you do, you'll feel a great sense of accomplishment. Good Luck! It looks great so far.