Yarn and Humidity = Tips Needed!
You may have seen my post on Facebook this week asking for tips on crafting in humidity. This Colorado girl is TOTALLY out of her element here in Hawaii, and just to add to all of the things that feel really weird, it seems my yarn has become a foreign element too.
Crafting in Colorado makes you feel warm and fuzzy. Visions of knitting in front of a roaring fireplace while the snow drifts down outside really aren’t that far off. It’s cozy, comfortable, and maybe even slightly magical. Crafting in Hawaii, though, is a totally new thing.
So far, my experience with crafting in Hawaii has been interesting. I happened to be working with wool upon my arrival, so I’ve spent the last week finishing up that project. It was hot, sweaty, and maybe even a little stifling. In the midst of that project, I decided to throw in the towel and ask for some help….I can’t be the first yarn addict who moved somewhere tropical and needed some words of wisdom!
So here they are! 6 tips for crafting in humidity:
1. Try working with cotton instead of heavier wool.
2. Wait until night time when it cools off a bit. (Since we crafters are notorious night owls, this one seems like a great idea. I just need to get in tune with my new environment….last night I went to bed at 7:30pm!)
3. Work on small things so your project doesn’t have to rest in your lap.
4. Try wooden hooks or needles to keep your hands from sweating.
5. Sit at a table where you can keep your project away from your body (I found this one especially helpful. The further you are from the yarn, the cooler you’ll stay).
6. Just keep on crafting! The more engrossed in your project you become, the less you’ll notice the heat.
Hopefully you find these tips as helpful as I did and you’ll be able to put them to good use! I think the most important thing to remember is the joy the finished project will bring your way. Whether you give it away, sell it, or keep it for yourself, finishing a project always brings such accomplishment and warm fuzzy feelings into your life. So a tiny bit of humid discomfort will be worth the end result!
Have any other tips for yarn crafting in humidity? Or maybe just something to add to the conversation? Please leave a comment and let me know! I can really use all the advice I can get!
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8 Comments On “Yarn and Humidity = Tips Needed!”
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I’m no where near any tropical weather (East Coast Canada!), but we do get some humid days in the summer. I found what works best for me is to have a fan right in front of me. It’s the only way I can manage in that gross weather. Bring on Fall!
Here in the Midwest, you never know what kind of weather you will be crafting in so it is always good to be prepared for anything! When it gets really muggy out- or I’m outside crocheting (because i’m obsessed) I rub a little cornstarch on my hands to make the fiber glide though my fingers and less sticky 🙂
Hope that helps and stay safe during the storms!
I think I would put my feet in a cool bucket of water. And remember “cooldana”? A chilled cloth that goes around your neck. We had a bad storm on Labor Day some years ago and it was awful. Trees and power lines down all over the area. We had no power for a week. It was tough, but like you, we were all safe and we got through it. Hope all will be better really soon and your new life in Hawaii will be wonderful.
Hugs to you.
Karen
My mother and grandmother always kept a bottle of baby talcum powder next to them when knitting/ crocheting in the hot weather, then when their hands got a bit sticky, they’d dust them with the baby talc and carry on working.
Bamboo yarn is nice and of course having a chair as close to the air conditioner as possible works. In the summer lighter lace projects don’t heat you up as fast. I learned a bit living in Louisiana for 9 years but I have found that it is just as bad in western Texas. Although there is lil to no humidity, the temperatures are stifling. Good luck on your new adventure. Before you know it you won’t even notice the humidity..
So glad to hear you and the family are fine. As soon as I heard of the tropical storm in Hawaii I thought of you. Just moving there it must have come as a shock. As is you don’t have enough of an adjustment to make.
I agree with Sophie, I have my fan going all the time when I’m crafting. Sure does help!
Take care, stay safe, and keep crafting!
Martha
HEY MELODY I LIVE IN FLORIDA AND HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I SWITCHES NEEDLES TO METAL ONLY. ALSO YOU SHOULD BUY SOME DIFFERENT TYPES OF YARN IN HAWAII AND PLAY WITH THEM UNTIL YOUR COMFORTABLE AND CAN ADJUST PATTERNS TO WHAT YOU ARE USING. LAST TIP WORK IN THE HO– USE WITH AIR CONDITIONING DURING THE DAY. GOOD LUCK CHRISTINE
Hi Melody
So glad you starting to settle in, hope you have recovered from the storm? Here in South Africa it can get very humid in the summer so I tend to use cotton or a light wool to crochet with. Always have the fan on and drink chilled water, the condensation on the glass helps to keep your hand cool!
Take care and God bless.