[MaryCarter]

I went to Lincraft yesterday to purchase some sock yarn and circular needles....yes finally plucked up the courage!
I picked up a couple of balls of wool that was Made in China.... shock horror, there was something eating the wool. On closer inspection it moved in to the wool. Of course I took it to the counter and pointed it out to the sales lady. She dropped the wool on the counter when the bug moved. Both balls I picked up had evidence of bugs on them.
So just a reminder to check any wool you purchase. It is too expensive some times to get it home and find it has been eaten.
I went with Australian Wool in the end. A bit more expensive but definitely no bugs.

 

[Dreamweaver]

Yucko...... THAT was not a fun shopping experience. Glad you caught it before you got home. I am not trying to be political in any way, but I have become very sensative to where things are made lately because we have had some very dangerous things happen with lead paint, bad drywall, contaminated baby formula... My biggest concern is pharmacy items. I get generic medication for a couple of things and the stores change their suppliers to keep costs down. I really wan tto know WHERE things going in my mouth are from... I have had great results with many imported products from Turkey, England, etc. and would not hesitate to order again, but I still want to KNOW upfront...

 

[MaryCarter]

Yucko...... THAT was not a fun shopping experience. Glad you caught it before you got home. I am not trying to be political in any way, but I have become very sensative to where things are made lately because we have had some very dangerous things happen with lead paint, bad drywall, contaminated baby formula... My biggest concern is pharmacy items. I get generic medication for a couple of things and the stores change their suppliers to keep costs down. I really wan tto know WHERE things going in my mouth are from... I have had great results with many imported products from Turkey, England, etc. and would not hesitate to order again, but I still want to KNOW upfront...

Me too. Not trying to be political, but we do have very tough laws in Australia about what can and cannot be brought in to the country. Unfortunately they can't check every little thing at Customs, so some time things do get in. I imagine wool is imported by the bag, and the customs people are not going to open every bag to check each ball of yarn. Again "buyer beware" because no-one will be held accountable for it. Just look for the brown spots THAT MOVE...

 

[ttriciamck]

For pharmaceuticals, provided that they are purchased from a reputable pharmacy (not on-line), you can be assured that any overseas manufactured goods will have undergone approval by the FDA which includes site inspections from reputable government authorities and all pharmaceuticals are checked when they are "released to market". Only suitably qualified persons are able to perform this check in Europe and it is a task taken very seriously!!

 

[mavisb]

To stop bugs getting into your yarn in Australia a nice smelling cake of soap will keep silver fish out of the wool, these little blighters love eating the wool. All my wool in each bag or container has a really nice smelling soap in it. The wool smells beautiful as well.

 

[flitri]

I would advise the Dept of Agriculture about the bugs in the wool, we don't need anymore unwanted pests here. I would also be careful about putting soap near the wool as I did this in my linen press many years ago and the oil came from the soap and marked some of my good linen. Mybe wrap the soap in something before putting it near the wool.

 

[Celt Knitter]

The only reason why country of origin might make a difference is in the type of bug. Wool comes from sheep and bugs and ticks just love it. Silk is made by worms, so if there is a silk mixture, you may have a greater attractant. You'll even get it in leather. Where and how long it is stored also matters. This past couple of years in the USA, I've had a plague of moths, and I've also had them in different countries in Europe, and they are very destructive. There's a reason why so many store sell mothballs here, and why cedar chests are an age-old tradition for fabrics. ! My stash and anything I've knitted is now stored with mothballs, even though I hate the smell. I tried cedar balls but they did not work. The wool I buy from China is Australian wool, but it is spun in China, and I've never had a problem with it. Natural products are a food source in every part of the world. BTW...many people who work for the FDA are funded by drug companies, and they don't have enough people to inspect all the stuff that comes in to the country, so I wouldn't back them to ensure the safety of products we import. China does have its problems, mainly because we in the west insist on the cheapest goods. Its own people suffer from the same standards. However, when the perpetrators are caught, they are executed within a week of their court cases.....not that I would support that either.

 

[Lo'L]

Oh my goodness, how awful

 

[tea4two]

You would have heard me shreek all the way to Australia. I am not a person who can stand anything that crawls. I've been concerned in the back of my mind on all that yarn that is sold from China.

 

[fergablu2]

I have bought yarn from China on eBay, and have never had a problem. That would put me off buying yarn for some time! (Probably not a bad thing since my stash has outgrown it's four bin limit)

 

[gypsie]

Be careful with moth balls, they can cause a certain type of anemia in humans.

 

[JJMM88]

Have you try to put laundry dryer sheet in with your wool, bugs won't come near it, it does work, I stuff these sheets in my wool clothes, and bugs leave my wool items alone.

 

[Dreamweaver]

For pharmaceuticals, provided that they are purchased from a reputable pharmacy (not on-line), you can be assured that any overseas manufactured goods will have undergone approval by the FDA which includes site inspections from reputable government authorities and all pharmaceuticals are checked when they are "released to market". Only suitably qualified persons are able to perform this check in Europe and it is a task taken very seriously!!

That is really good to know. Medications are more or less effective for me when the "fillers" change from one manufacturer to the other, so I am always concerned with controls and ingredients. That said, I was a government worker at one time... I also worked in a hospital... For those very reasons, I would prefer to know where my drugs are manufactured.............

 

[Anne Lauderdale]

The bugs you saw were likely bed bugs. They get into the country in our clothes and everything else. Whenever you buy new clothing, before it even hits the closet, get it in the dryer. If you fail to do this you will honestly lose your home. No, I'm not being dramatic. The lady of the yarn shop should be warned or she will likely lose her business.

 

[grammacat]

I keep a little cedar ball in my containers of yarn. Keeps bugs, moths and creepy crawlers out and does not cause me to sneeze, cough or stuff up when using the yarn.

 

[Karena]

What a horrible experience for you. After mustering the courage with the circular needles too. I bought merino wool and started my first circular project on 29" cable, a vest. It was difficult to keep the tension uniform, but what I found was with the wood needles, I was ruffing up the yarn and having problems between the cable and the needles. It didn't look good, I chucked the porject. Now I have a 16" pair of metal circulars which I am using for a cowl. The yarn seems to slip over the joint better. I think I need tougher yarn or should smooth down the joint of the needles. Good luck with the project.
k

 

[courier770]

I wouldn't buy a single skein of yarn in that shop! What's to stop the bugs from traveling to other skeins of yarn? Nothing!

 

[ert]

I wouldn't buy a single skein of yarn in that shop! What's to stop the bugs from traveling to other skeins of yarn? Nothing!

Agreed!!. I am scared to death of getting bed bugs. When I stay in a motel of rent a cottage, really check the mattress, covers, sheets, etc. :thumbdown: Those and roaches. I think I would just move out with the clothes on my back. Eeeew!!!

 

[gypsie]

You would have never survived living in Houston then. We had huge tree roaches that would come in from outside. There was no way to totally get rid of them. I have never had a single roach living in the hill country of Texas. Just scorpions and centipedes! LOL

 

[kiwi11]

Hi all-Dried Bay leaves are a deterrent to most bugs-silverfish, weavels, etc I always ensure I have an open packet in the pantry, and I'm sure they will work with wool products as well. As we may not necessarily delve into our stash on a daily/weekly basis, I have serious concerns. I'm glad the subject has come up, because I just didn't even think about this???