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Hey there, yarn bestie Jeff from
over here and you are listening 

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to skiing until the podcast that
unravels it all. 

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Today's episode. 
Well, we are going full on itchy

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Scratchy. 
Yes, we're talking about yarn 

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sensitivities. 
What makes some yarns feel like 

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corn flakes on your skin? 
And what yarns to look for if 

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you cannot stand the itch From 
lanolin allergies to mystery 

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rushes to why that one skin you 
swore was soft suddenly feels 

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like you're knitting with cacti.
Whether you're a delicate flower

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with skin that reacts to 
everything or just curious about

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what makes some yarns feel like 
butter and others like 

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sandpaper, this one's for you. 
So let's scratch the surface. 

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Obviously figuratively, not 
literally. 

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Please, no literal scratching. 
And let's dive into it. 

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All right, let's start with the 
big one. 

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OK, Lanolin. 
Lanolin is a natural oil or more

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like a waxy like substance that 
comes from sheep's wool. 

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It's basically what keeps their 
fleece waterproof and, you know,

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cozy and protected. 
You know, it protects their wool

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and their skin. 
Think of it as a sheep building 

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moisturizer if you want. 
When the wool is processed, the 

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lanolin is often washed out, But
in some yarns, especially 

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minimally processed, or they're 
also attacked, sometimes as 

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lanolin rich wools, those traces
obviously remain. 

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And in the yarn world, that 
means untreated or minimally 

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processed wool might still have 
some lanolin hanging around. 

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Now, some of us totally fine, 
others redness, itchiness or 

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even hives. 
Yeah, lanolin sensitivity or 

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lanolin allergy is real and it 
can make knitting or crocheting 

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wood wool kind of a nightmare. 
So lanolin is also in tons of 

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lotions, in tons of lip balms 
and yeah, just cosmetics. 

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So if you've had reactions to 
those before, keep an eye out 

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when you're choosing A yarn you 
know. 

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But don't worry, there are tons 
of non lanolin options and we 

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will get to dose. 
Now I have a little pro tip 

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here. 
If you want to test if lanolin 

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is the culprit, try comparing 
handling superwash wool and 

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untreated wool. 
Superwash wool is often treated 

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to remove the lanolin and 
obviously also prevent felting, 

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and it is therefore a safer 
option for sensitive skin, while

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untreated wool is just raw, 
beautiful raw. 

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It's baa rah rah ba ba baa. 
OK, but there is a small Church 

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of us. 
There is the Church of the 

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lanolin lovers. 
OK, there is a group of people, 

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crazy people that absolutely 
swear by lanolin. 

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I'm one of them. 
I think lanolin is amazing. 

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It's moisturizing, it's 
soothing, it's self cleaning, 

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water resistant, antibacterial, 
it softens as you go and it's 

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just it's amazing. 
I think, you know, it's it's 

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super hydrating. 
So it it mimics human oils or 

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human skin oils, which is why 
it's actually used in, you know,

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tons of creams, tons of lip 
balms, nip salves as well. 

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Hello, new mommies. 
And even makeup removers. 

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Now, yarn with a touch of 
lanolin can help moisturize your

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hands as you work, especially, 
you know, dreamy in winter 

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months. 
Lanolin also helps wool repel 

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water and odors. 
That's why untreated wool 

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garments like, you know, 
traditional fishermen, sweaters 

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and so on actually stay fresh 
longer and are, you know, 

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naturally a bit dirt and water 
resistant antibacterial because 

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it's believed that lanolin has 
these antimicrobial powers, 

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which is why it's great in, you 
know, reusable cloth diaper 

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covers or wool based baby Ware. 
And it softens beautifully over 

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time, especially with handling 
and with Ware. 

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Some knitters and crocheters 
love that it actually creates 

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this bond between the yarn and 
their hands. 

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It's almost like breaking in a 
good pair of boots if you want 

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so I'll Lanolin can cause 
itchiness, crazy allergic 

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reactions and some folk totally 
valid for others. 

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It's like the secret sauce you 
know of a cozy, luxurious yarn. 

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If you can use it, it's 
basically the woolly equivalent 

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of a spa treatment. 
So. 

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But if you can't, don't worry, 
there are tons of amazing 

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lanolin free yarns that your, 
you know, skin will love equally

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as much as you will. 
So let's eventually get to that.

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One little thing I wanted to 
mention is that I have lanolin 

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in my household and tubes. 
Let's go not only in my yarn. 

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I really truly believe in the 
power of lanolin. 

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So I use it for so many things. 
I moisturize with it after I 

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shave my legs. 
I put it on my baby's bum if he 

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gets a rash. 
If I get a cut, I will put some 

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lanolin on on it as well. 
If I get you know, a scratch or 

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something like that as well. 
Lanolin, I use it religiously. 

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So if you are looking for a 
natural option to moisturize, to

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have some antimicrobial 
properties, to hydrate a little 

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extra and you are not allergic 
to lanolin or you are not 

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sensitive to lanolin, give it a 
shot. 

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I think it's a better option 
than using, you know, some 

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chemically filled cream or or so
forth. 

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OK, so maybe it's not the 
lanolin, but your skin still 

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gets pissed off every time you 
use that specific kind of yarn, 

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you know? 
So what gives? 

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Let's talk microns. 
And no, sadly not the French 

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pastries. 
It's not La Jure goodies, but 

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woolies. 
So some wool are super soft 

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while others are super itchy. 
And this doesn't have to do with

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the lanolin, it can have to do 
with their thickness of the 

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fibers that is spun into the 
yarn you're using. 

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So the microns. 
So the Micron measures the 

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diameter of a fiber, so how 
thick a little strand of the 

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wool is, or how thin. 
The lower the Micron count, the 

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finer and softer the fiber. 
For instance, merino wool, the 

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goddess of the wools. 
Merino wool is around 18 microns

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and that's soft enough to wear. 
Next to the skin of course are 

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wools like Shetland or Icelandic
around 30 plus microns, which 

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might feel, you know, it teaches
sensitive skin and even to non 

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sensitive skin for that matter. 
So it's not about cheap versus 

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expensive. 
It's about fiber structure. 

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So some people can wear rougher 
wool without any problems, while

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others, well, hello wool rush. 
Alpaca and bamboo have lower 

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microns actually, and they are 
naturally hypoallergenic, so 

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that's why they feel really, 
really nice, you know, Pro tip 

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here. 
Now let's get even nerdier. 

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Even if a yarn is made from soft
fiber, if it's loosely spun, it 

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can feel scratchier. 
Now why is that you might ask? 

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Well, because it loose twists 
and loose twist yarns are 

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therefore fluffier so the fibers
are kind of sticking out more 

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which can actually irritate the 
skin. 

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Tightly spun yarns are obviously
smoother and less likely to 

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cause friction or too prickle, 
and same actually goes for the 

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ply. 
Single ply yarns tend to fuzz up

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faster and feel softer at first,
but they can also get splitty 

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and pill. 
Multiple plies, on the other 

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hand, you get more durability, 
better stitch definition, and 

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sometimes a firmer feel. 
So if you're making wearables, 

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especially baby clothes or 
scarves or anything that kind of

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touches your neck or wrists or 
just skin in general, if you're 

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planning on making a sweater 
that you just wear straight 

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against your body, test for the 
texture first. 

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Rub it against your inner arm, 
rub it against your neck. 

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If it feels like a Lego brick, 
maybe save it for a bag, you 

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know, or, or wall hanging art or
something like that. 

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We interrupt today's episode to 
bring you another thrilling 

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threat spinning adventure with 
your Indiana Jones, where we 

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uncovered the most luxurious, 
bizarre and downright legendary 

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materials in fiber history. 
So let's get to it. 

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Today's shiny suspect silk yarn,
the original queen of craft. 

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She is glossy, she's ancient and
totally high maintenance. 

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OK, pictured us. 
Our story begins in ancient 

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China around 2700 BCE with the 
legendary Empress Lezu. 

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The tale goes like this. 
She was chilling in the garden, 

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sipping some hot tea when a 
cocoon fell into her cup. 

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I actually did that. 
I did that sound effect myself. 

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And instead of screaming, as you
know one would have, I would 

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have screamed. 
She watched it unravel into a 

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long and delicate threat. 
Intrigued, she began 

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experimenting, unraveling 
cocoons, spinning them into 

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thread, and boom, the first silk
garments were born. 

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Now China. 
China kept the secret of the 

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silk making, also called 
sericulture, locked down for 

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over 2 millennia. 
That's a secret kept for 2000 

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years. 
We're talking about a full spy 

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thriller here. 
Smuggling silkworm eggs or 

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Mulberry seeds out of China was 
punishable by death. 

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It wasn't until the Silk Road 
expanded that silk spread into 

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India, into Persia, into Europe 
and beyond. 

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So what is actually silk yarn 
now? 

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Mulberry silk comes from the 
Bombick's Mori silkworm, a 

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domesticated species that has 
been raised in captivity for 

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thousands of years. 
Now. 

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These little Divas, well, they 
have a really fancy diet. 

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They can only eat the leaves of 
the white Mulberry tree. 

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The Morris album, Just like some
of us thrive on, you know, 

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almond milk, matcha latte, 
whatever, or cozy fiber sashes. 

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These worms won't touch anything
else. 

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Strawberry leaves no. 
Raspberry leaves, No, no. 

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OK, but what about black 
Mulberry or red Mulberry? 

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No, no and no. 
Only white Mulberry. 

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That single leaf diet produces 
cocoons that are pure white and 

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they are ultra soft, but most 
importantly, incredibly easy to 

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spin into long continuous 
fibers, sometimes over 1000 

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meters long from a single cocoon
that's 1093 yards by the way. 

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So because of the controlled 
diet and the controlled 

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environment, the Mulberry silk 
is the highest quality silk you 

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can get. 
It's smoother and it's shinier 

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than wild silks. 
It's more uniform in color and 

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texture. 
It's easier to dye with rich, 

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saturated colors, and it is 
stronger and finer, making it, 

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you know, perfect for delicate 
crochet knitwear and deluxe 

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garments. 
Now, it's the kind of silk that 

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says, you know, I moisturize, I 
do yoga, I glow. 

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So it's called Mulberry silk not
because it's smells fruity, but 

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because its entire origin story 
is rooted literally in those 

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sweet Mulberry leaves. 
And the worms. 

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They wouldn't have it any other 
way. 

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Now, how do you harvest these 
cocoons to get the silk? 

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And trigger warning here, the 
cocoons are boiled or steam to 

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soften the saracen, which is the
sticky protein that holds the 

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fibers together. 
And yes, this process 

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traditionally sacrifices the 
worms because they before they 

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can become a moth. 
But then the filaments are 

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reeled or unwound and twisted 
together to make the threats. 

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These can be spun further into 
silk yarn ready for knitting, 

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for crocheting, for weaving, or 
just, you know, putting it on 

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display somewhere. 
Yes, it's a very, very sad 

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process and not everybody's 
comfortable with the traditional

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methods, but there are actually 
incredible alternatives to the 

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Mulberry silk. 
It can be the pea silk or called

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also the Eimsa silk, where 
cocoons are harvested after the 

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moth has emerged. 
Now the result obviously is a 

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shorter fiber and it's a 
slightly nubbier texture, but 

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obviously more moth friendly. 
Then there's also the Tusa silk,

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which is a wild silk make from 
cocoons found in forests, 

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usually a bit more texture and 
naturally kind of honey colored.

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And then the airy silk, which is
native to India, also moth 

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friendly and incredibly strong. 
It's also called, I think, the 

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fabric of peace. 
So these silk types are amazing 

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for crafters who want that 
luxurious texture without 

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sacrificing, you know, their 
ethics. 

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Luckily, silk yarn isn't just 
for royalty anymore, though it 

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kind of feels like it. 
It's also known for being 

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incredibly drapey, which makes 
it, you know, the perfect fiber 

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for a flowy garment. 
Ola or racy, racy wrap, right? 

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With Lacy wrap, it holds 
beautiful shimmer and depth. 

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It reflects light like nothing 
else. 

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Great for temperature 
regulation, so it's breathable 

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and insulating as well. 
Science. 

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And it is incredible for dye 
absorption. 

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So it sucks the pigments 
beautifully from coloring, which

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makes, you know, indie dyers 
really love working with silk 

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generally. 
But fair warning, it is 

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slippery. 
It's like trying to raggle wet 

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spaghetti. 
You'll, you'll want to, you 

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know, have a good tension and 
maybe mix it with something like

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wool or with cotton or bamboo to
get a better grip. 

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Maybe not bamboo because that's 
also kind of slippery as well. 

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So yeah, cotton or wool and, and
yeah, so silk is one of the 

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strongest fibers out there by 
weight. 

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It's actually tougher, tougher 
than steel. 

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That's why it was used 
historically, not just for 

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luxury, but also for bowstrings,
for parachutes and even for 

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surgical sochers. 
Yes, that's because it's also 

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biodegradable. 
So, you know, your fancy silk 

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shawl could also decompose 
someday, but she will look 

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iconic until then. 
So because, you know, silk is 

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more than just yarn. 
It's it's history and it's 

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luxury. 
It's a thread that connects you 

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to thousands of years of human 
ingenuity and, you know, royalty

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and rebellion and tea accidents.
So think about it next time you 

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run your fingers across the 
skein of shimmering Mulberry 

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silk, you know, just remember 
that the glow. 

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That's pretty much almost 5000 
years of of drama. 

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So that was all for today's yaar
Indiana Jones adventures. 

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Now back to our main topic. 
Now, if you've got yarn 

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sensitivities, do not worry. 
There's a whole world of options

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out there that don't involve 
prickly sheep or surprise 

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reactions. 
So here are some highly 

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sensitive skin MVPS. 
We got the classic, the soft, 

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the breathable, the safe for 
everybody or nearly everybody, 

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the cuts and cuts and cuts and 
cuts and great for summer 

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garments, great for I think just
overall everything, right? 

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Then we got bamboo. 
Silky smooth with natural 

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antibacterial properties. 
Yes, yes, yes. 

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We like this. 
Actually, bamboo is sometimes 

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used to replace silk, which is 
our next alternative here. 

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Silk or silk blends even. 
Yes, they are expensive, but 

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luxuriously, luxuriously 
luxurious. 

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Luxuriously smooth and gentle on
the skin. 

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And we have linen as well. 
Yes, it's a little crunchy at 

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first, but you know, linen 
softens beautifully over time 

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and it has an incredible drape, 
tensil or lyocell, which is 

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sustainably produced. 
Fiber, super soft as a whisper. 

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Milk fiber yarn as well. 
Yes, milk made from milk 

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protein. 
Super soft. 

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Weird as well, but very, very 
nice. 

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And of course acrylic. 
Yes, totally syntelic. 

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Syntelic what is up with me 
today? 

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Totally synthetic and often a 
good hypoallergenic options, 

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though sometimes it can get a 
little hot. 

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So those are some really, really
great replacements if you are 

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super sensitive to wool. 
Now, if you want something soft 

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but still a little bit kind of 
woolly, or if you can tolerate 

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wool, or if you're not allergic 
to linen, and that's what I'm 

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trying to say here, try 
superwash merino. 

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You know, try superwash merino 
because it's incredible. 

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It's amazing for for children. 
It's amazing for babies. 

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Also some alpaca blends as well,
or even possum blends. 

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You know, we talked about it on 
Weird Air Monday in the previous

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episodes, I think. 
Yeah. 

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Possum yarn. 
Yes. 

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But let's say that you've picked
a yarn that works for your skin,

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you know, but you are still 
reacting. 

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So here are some very sneaky 
factors that might actually be, 

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you know, gaslighting us here. 
They might be messing with us. 

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We have, or at least I noted 
down three of them. 

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We have dye chemicals. 
So some vibrant yarns can 

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actually irritate your skin 
because of the dye chemicals 

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they're using. 
Try undyed yarn or try naturally

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dyed yarn. 
Then there's also dust. 

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And you know, storage funkiness.
So yarn can obviously gather a 

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lot of dust. 
Even when it's stored super, 

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00:20:31,720 --> 00:20:34,200
super well can still gather 
dust. 

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But if you give it a gentle wash
or you air it out before 

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crafting, then it should do the 
trick. 

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And then we have detergents and 
soaps. 

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So wash your finished piece in a
gentle scent free detergent and 

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rinse thoroughly. 
I know that it can be a bit 

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tricky to let go of your usual 
laundry habits. 

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And yes, I see you floral 
scented fabric softener lovers. 

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That was me before I got Albert.
But trust me, your fibers will 

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thank you. 
Harsh detergents or added 

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fragrances can strip natural 
fibers. 

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They can irritate sensitive skin
or even mess up with your final 

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00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:16,120
texture. 
So think of it like giving your 

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00:21:16,120 --> 00:21:18,760
project a spa day, not a 
chemical peel. 

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Go gentle, go scent free and 
rinse like you're trying to 

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impress a merino sheep. 
Actually, a little tip here 

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before you move on to creating a
very very large project. 

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00:21:32,720 --> 00:21:37,080
When you are making your little 
Swatch, your gauge Swatch, wash 

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it, block it and then try it 
out. 

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Test it for any reactions and 
you will. 

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Because once you've knitted or 
crochet a piece after you wash 

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it and block it, it can have a 
very very different feel. 

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So block your Swatch before 
committing to a big project. 

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00:21:55,680 --> 00:22:00,480
It will soften the yarn or it 
will give the yarn the final 

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00:22:00,480 --> 00:22:05,520
shape it will have. 
And this will help your test for

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00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:08,640
any reactions. 
So if you're just tired of 

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guessing what non itchy actually
means, I hope today's episode 

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00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:16,680
help you decode the mystery of 
yarn sensitivities. 

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Because at the end of the day, 
crafting should feel good. 

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You know, like cozy socks, hot 
tea, cotton blap. 

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00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:26,280
Good, not rashy or scratchy or 
stressy. 

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So if you got a favorite 
sensitive skin yarn or a story 

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00:22:30,480 --> 00:22:34,120
about, you know, that one time 
when you tried to make a blanket

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00:22:34,120 --> 00:22:37,040
and then then ended up with a 
rash that looked like a crochet 

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lace, send it in. 
I'd love to hear it. 

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00:22:39,880 --> 00:22:43,840
And maybe, maybe it's going to 
end up in a future Tangled Tail 

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00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:46,680
segment. 
Until then, keep your yarn 

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gentle, your stitch is comfy, 
and your project's cozy enough 

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to hug. 
OK, love you, bestie. 

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Bye.