Please pardon my whine

#1

Life is so unfair sometimes. As I mentioned in my intro post, I am a newbie knitter of just a few months, although I have been a crocheter since childhood. As I also mentioned, I am (eek!) truly allergic to wool. This is not just a “sensitivity” to the scratchier wools, but a true allergy. Yuck. I am also allergic to metallic threads and yarns. I decided that I needed to have a 2nd project OTN, and chose a pattern that calls for Berroco Metallic FX, which I can’t use or wear. I thought I would substitute something in a similar yarn guage but in a natural fiber yarn such as a cotton or linen or something, since it’s a little summer top. So I popped off to a good yarn shop today, 35 miles north in Nashville (nothing closer to home, which just s*cks). It was busy in there, and I had to wait a while to get suggestions from the attending YS employee. By the time I did, I was already itchy just from being around the wools. I didn’t touch them or even really stand near them, but they got me anyway - little woolly fibers in the air.

The unfair part? I didn’t run right home and shower all that wool fiber off of me, so I discovered this evening that I actually got HIVES from the yarn store.

Yeesh…so not fair! :pout:
Guess it’s on-line shopping or the “cheap” stuff at Joann, Michaels and Hobby Lobby for me…or at least try to go to the LYS on a slow day. LOL!

#2

Marla, I feel your pain! For years I couldn’t be around any wool, if my husband wore his wool Civil War Re-enactor garb, and that’s all they have is wool, I couldn’t touch him. It’s only since I’ve been subjecting myself to it on a regular basis that I can handle it at all. Just one word for you, Malabrigo ~ it’s a different type of sheep, and very soft.

I just couldn’t stand not being able to use all the luscious wool when knitting for others.

#3

See if you can get this book from the library: http://www.amazon.com/No-Sheep-You-Cotton-Delights/dp/1596680121/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200236045&sr=8-1

It talks about all kinds of non-wool yarn you’ll be able to use, how to adapt a wool pattern to one of these yarns, lots of great patterns and ideas.

#4

This web site has No Sheep For You on sale right now. I ordered it before Christmas and have one pattern in there I’m anxious to make as soon as possible. There is some good info in there on wool alternatives. Just click on the shopping link at the top of the page.

#5

Just a suggestion but perhaps you should take a good antihistamine before visiting a yarn shop. Could prevent some of the negative effects.

You will probably have to limit your shopping to online otherwise, which is a good alternative.

#6

I have wool alergies and had the same problems when going to my LYS or knitting SnB. I take a Claritin before going. I don’t know if it will help with the hives.

#7

Thanks, everyone, for “listening” to me whine. I am sure thinking that this little problem means I won’t be attending any sit & knit meetings at the LYS!
Anyway, I’m still working on the online shopping thing, trying to choose from all the yummy-looking yarns. If there’s anyone out there who has tried some of the elann.com cottons and cotton blends, I would love to hear about them, as well as any experiences using Knitpicks Shine sport and worsted.
In the meantime, I chose something for my second project to have OTN this morning at Michael’s, some Bernat Soy, which is very soft and has good stretch for an acrylic blend, and will be used to make a little infant pullover for a co-worker who is pregnant. Baby = small project size, easy to take along on weekend rides around town, hence the choice. Can’t be running around Middle Tennessee on the weekly shopping runs and such with no knitting, can I? :wink:

#8

The Generic for Claratin is called Loratadine
I have kids at the camp that take this for cold induced Uticaria (hives from being in Cold water or very cold air)
and I take it when I eat out someplace that I cannot rely on about listing ingredients (I get hives and itching from raw onions, but am ok if they are cooked)
good luck

ecb

#9

Sadly, Claritin/Loratadine have never had a great deal of effect upon anything but a minor case of the allergic sniffles for me. I have pollen allergies which are more mild than they used to be, and also some lovely skin ones - wool, metallic threads, dust (yes, skin allergy and nasal, too!), many detergents, etc. Plus I’m allergic to chocolate (mild, can eat some now and then) and peanut butter (not mild, can’t even eat a PB cookie!!)!

My prescription plan won’t pay for most medications that are approved for both indoor and outdoor allergies ever since Claritin went to over-the-counter sales, either, so my best choice is to grab some Benadryl, which just puts me to sleep. Of course, if I’m sleeping, I really don’t notice the hives, do I? :slight_smile:
Again, thanks for the feedback, friends. :slight_smile:

#10

Zyrtec will be going over the counter on January…24, I think.
Claritin doesn’t work very well on my formerly horrid but now tolerable pollen and mold allergies, Tavist (when I can find it) works but tends to make me sleepy, and I use Benadryl as a sleep aid! If I take Chlor-Trimeton I don’t fall asleep, just feel vaguely groggy.