11 comments on “Podcast Episode 3 – Acrylic Woes”

1. I just want to say I really like the podcast and enjoy listening. There’s just one thing that’s a bit distracting and it’s that it sounds like you guys are rushing and both of you can be heard gasping for breath. I love the info and the links but the harsh breathing is a bit of a downer.

2. Thank you, Sheralynn. Believe me, we notice it, too! It is the microphones, not that we’re gasping for breath. Before releasing the first episode, we had to record and edit the first four episodes (new podcaster’s best practices), so we are noticing things that we want to change and improve, but we can’t start until the 5th episode. The breathing sound is just one thing we’ve fixed.

   S t a c i

3. Hi Stacy,

   I wrote the email about gauge. I wanted to follow up and let you know that after washing those dishcloths (I did use KP Comfy yarn), they look MUCH better! I throw them in with the rest of my towels and whites (we don’t use chlorine bleach) on hot with Seventh Generation detergent and some Oxiclean type stuff and they come out great!

   I guess the washing shrunk them a bit and made the stitches come together. I also knit a whole bunch of Shaker coasters and we use them all the time. It’s really a great pattern.

4. That’s great, Amanda – thanks for the follow-up!
   S t a c i

5. What you were trying to say is “killing” acrylic. In my opinion, I wouldn’t consider it blocking, I would say it’s more of a design choice. To kill acrylic, you either steam the piece for a long time, way longer than needed or press the iron on the piece for a couple of seconds. This flattens the stitches and makes it look shiny and gives the piece a lot of drape. The stitch definition is poor so cables, textured stitches and lace is out of the question but if a garment with tons of drape and sheen, killing acrylic is fine. To properly block acrylic, you can steam block for only a few seconds (which actually does even out the stitches), machine wash and dry it, or some people find success in spray blocking, I personally just machine wash the piece and machine dry it.

   • I found this site regarding blocking acrylic.

     http://crafternoontreats.com/blocking-acrylic-crochet-blankets/

     The pictures show the difference. I believe Staci has shown steaming acrylic in her videos, looks like it works well.

6. Thanks for this informative episode!

   I concur with a commenter above, it’s commonly referred to as ‘killing’. One thing you MUST keep in mind is that ‘killing’ is permanent, and you absolutely need to wash your project before doing it.

   By hovering an iron and blowing steam through the fibers, the steam ends up melting the fibers on a microscopic level (you can’t really see it) which is how acrylic retains its shape after blocking. Once that happens, you can’t really go back to another shape, so you need to be meticulous about the process. If you don’t wash before you kill, then all the dirt your project has collected over time will melt into the fibers as well.

   That’s why I recommend washing + blocking on a clean surface when it comes to killing acrylics.

   As an avid acrylic user, I’ve also noticed that there is a lot of difference between brands and types of yarn in this fiber which leads to varying results and forgiveness of the fabric. I’ve had acrylics turn out like absolute crap because the way the fiber was ‘spun’ didn’t work out, while other acrylics were almost as workable as animal fibers. It’s a matter of trial and error to find one that works for you.

7. Hi Staci!
   I can’t see to download the episode 3 podcast. The download link just takes me to a page where I can listen, but does not give the option to download. Please help.

   Thanks!
   Thank you for all your videos and knitting help. I’m really enjoying the podcasts too!

8. Elle – thank you for the note. Yes, for some reason the embedded player for episode 3 is not working right now (the other episodes are working fine, so I have to guess that it’s a temporary glitch with the podcast host), but you can still listen. Click the “download episode” button below the player, that will open another browser tab that will play the episode. I’ve tested this out, and it’s working fine in all browsers. Additionally, the episode is available in any podcast app, including iTunes, Pocket Casts, Overcast, Stitcher, etc.

   S t a c i

9. I just want to stop and say, Hi, I’m a left-handed (AKA mirror or backwards) knitter! We are few and far-between but we’re out here. It’s not uncommon for us to be told by other knitters to learn how to knit the “right” way, but we persevere! We have a group just for us on Ravelry called “On the Other Hand”.
   I’m loving the podcast so far and am excited for future episodes. 🙂

10. Hooray! You’re finally in the iTunes store. I’ve subscribed. I’m looking forward to hours of happy listening.

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