I've seen some yarn I like on ebay and would like to put in a bid but am put off by the fact that it's not from a smoke free home.

I have bought yarn before and it smelt :gag: but left it in the garage and it seemed to dissapear, or did I imagine it? :suspect:

It's baby yarn, and all the alarm bells are telling me not to bid, but the price is so good at the moment. I am watching to see if anyone else bids before I fully make my mind up. What do you think?

At worst you can skein it up, wash it and reball it. Wool is easier to desmell than books in that respect. If the price is worth the extra work then bid. If your washer has a wool cycle then you skein it up and chuck it in there in a mesh laundry bag so it's even less work.

I wouldn't buy it unless it was a fantastic bargain or rare or both. I like my new yarn pristine. Skeining up and washing seems a lot of effort for baby yarn, which isn't that expensive to buy smoke-free.

I'd say no, unless it's something very rare and lovely indeed.

I'd say no too. Its ok getting a good price, but think of the time is going to take to get it right when you get it.

At worst you can skein it up, wash it and reball it. Wool is easier to desmell than books in that respect. If the price is worth the extra work then bid. If your washer has a wool cycle then you skein it up and chuck it in there in a mesh laundry bag so it's even less work.

So W4B, are you telling me "skein it up" means unwind all the ball using a husband or dining chair, tie it up at the ends, and bung it in the washer (would a pillow case do, I don't have a mesh bag?! :() Then hang it to dry and re-wind it? It won't come out of the wash in a horrible knot will it?

It sounds too good to be true, have you done it before? I'm starting to warm to the idea.

Do you think the smell could just evapourate on its own? Like I said, when I left mine in the garage (and forgot about it for a few weeks), it didn't seem to smell any more. I'll keep my eye on the price and that will probably decide for me.

I'd say no too. Its ok getting a good price, but think of the time is going to take to get it right when you get it.

More opinions please.....

I would normally expect to pay £2.50 for a 100g of this yarn but it is on at 99p and £2.00 postage for 500g. Do you think it is worth the effort or is it still a no? :suspect::(

Yes, I've done it before, I had three black sacks of yarn given me that was very dusty and had seen moths. I skeined and washed it all. You'd need to make a skein, wrap it round the end of the dining table and tie it up along the circle (you want a tie every 18" or so and tie in the ends). Stick it all in a pillow case (pillow protectors are good because they have a zip) and put it through the wash on a wool cycle. You then have to put it back into a ball, no effort if you have a swift and a ball winder but otherwise tedious.

There's only you can say whether winding and unwinding skeins is a worthwhile use of your knitting time. (The useful bit of kit that replaces the dining room table by the way is a niddy noddy)

Yes, I've done it before, I had three black sacks of yarn given me that was very dusty and had seen moths. I skeined and washed it all. You'd need to make a skein, wrap it round the end of the dining table and tie it up along the circle (you want a tie every 18" or so and tie in the ends). Stick it all in a pillow case (pillow protectors are good because they have a zip) and put it through the wash on a wool cycle. You then have to put it back into a ball, no effort if you have a swift and a ball winder but otherwise tedious.

There's only you can say whether winding and unwinding skeins is a worthwhile use of your knitting time. (The useful bit of kit that replaces the dining room table by the way is a niddy noddy)

So, I use the table, not the chair? :suspect: Tie it up around the circle? :loopy: Do you mean, at each end of the loop. 18" or so and tie in the ends? explain more. I'll knot my pillow case, then the blighter won't escape.

Niddy noddy? surely Tessy Bear would be more help :o

If it were me Wheezy I'd give it a wide berth. Surely the postage over-rides any bargain you were getting on the price of the yarn; not to ention all the extra work you need to do with it once you get it.

It is, of course, entirely your decision.

If it were me Wheezy I'd give it a wide berth. Surely the postage over-rides any bargain you were getting on the price of the yarn; not to ention all the extra work you need to do with it once you get it.

It is, of course, entirely your decision.

yes but, no but, yes but the yarn is usually £2.50 a ball or there abouts, if the price stays at the original bid which is 99p for 5 balls and £2.00 postage, surely that's a good deal? :confused:

(The useful bit of kit that replaces the dining room table by the way is a niddy noddy)

Do you know, I'm learning new phrases every day, just looked this one up from W4B. I'm hoping it comes up in a quiz now! :hihi: It's all fascinating, don't you think :o

I'd buy it, knit it up and then wash it. It will be washed before it's ever used for the baby anway.

I'd leave it because I really, really, REALLY hate the smell of old smoke. But that's just me - if you're up for the challenge, 500g for less that £3 is a pretty handy price. I would wash it before I knitted it, I think - I'd like to be sure there weren't any smoky little bits hiding in the seams or other places which the washing machine might not get to; and I'd like to know I could get it clean BEFORE I went to the bother of knitting it up.

Also: email the seller to find out what "non smoke free" really means. If the vendor is a 60-a-type, that would be yucky; but if she's a non-smoker who occasionally receives visits from smokers, it's not so bad.

Also: email the seller to find out what "non smoke free" really means. If the vendor is a 60-a-type, that would be yucky; but if she's a non-smoker who occasionally receives visits from smokers, it's not so bad.

I did that once MB and got the very cold shoulder, I won't bother with this one I think:roll:

My yarn was delivered today and I was so worried that I'd made the wrong decision. I need not have - there was not a sniff of smoke! I got my nose right into the centre of the ball and had a good long sniff - nothing! They don't call me pinocio for nowt :wink:

Glad it all worked out ok!

Pinochio nose grew when he told lies,, is yours still the same size?

Yes mine is still the same size, just naturally big :rolleyes:

Good, I'm glad it worked out well for you. What are you going to knit with it now you've got it?

Good, I'm glad it worked out well for you. What are you going to knit with it now you've got it?

Little girly type things of course - what else :hihi:

Hurrah for little girly things!

Have you decided to knit that cute little bird bag?

Hurrah for little girly things!

Have you decided to knit that cute little bird bag?

Not with the yarn I got today, but will probably have something lying about to do that.