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I want to make knit tampons--need help to find appropriate yarn  

post #1 of 21
10/6/08 at 2:06am
Thread Starter 
The title pretty mcuh says it...
I want to make knit tampons, so obviously I need a yarn that is washable, but also soft... I've been thinking cotton, but I'm not sure what is the best...I'm kindof a knitting newbie, and I don't know of many good places to even look for yarn. In the past I've always gotten my yarn from knitpicks, which has awesome wools yarns but are kinda limited on the cotton...also I've never actually handled their cotton yarns so I don't know how soft they are to the touch...
I'm looking at one that's a cotton/linen blend...I figure those are both natural fibers, so should be absorbant, right? The others are cotton/acrylic blends (which I know I don't want) and cotton/wool, which seems like it wouldn't be very washable...at least not on hot or for very many washings...which of course totally defeats the purpose when we're talking about tampons.
Do you think it'd be better to stick to organic yarn? where would I find that?

Anyway, thoughts? Suggestions? Thanks in advance for any input!
post #2 of 21
10/6/08 at 5:19am
I would want to use organic cotton. Have you seen the thread on craftster about this? I'm not sure if she posted a pattern or not though.
post #3 of 21
10/6/08 at 9:16am
pakucho organic cotton

http://www.ecobutterfly.com/catalog/Pakucho-4-1.html

id say stick to 100% cotton or a cotton/hemp or cotton/bamboo yarn from what i gather linen isn't very absorbent but I'm sure it would work

also there's a really awesome pattern for chochet tampons here http://www.craftster.org/forum/index...een#msg1846579 i really like the pattern because it involves no stuffing

may i ask what your going to use to catapult them up into yourself?
post #4 of 21
10/6/08 at 7:40pm
Thread Starter 
I figure they will just work like applicator-free tampons...so, um, i'll catapult them into myself with my finger?!

Thanks for the links. I have seen the stuffed crochet pattern and I don't crochet, and also I don't want to do a stuffed tampon. I had seen that rolled one once long ago but hadn't been able to find it again--I want to use that idea though and just do it knit. so THANK YOU for linking it for me, I've been looking for it for over a year!!!

I really the idea of cotton/bamboo. Bamboo is sooooo soft that would be awesome!
post #5 of 21
10/7/08 at 11:51am
Blue Sky Alpaca has some very, very soft organic cotton yarn. Love-ly. Pilly, but soft and yummy.
post #6 of 21
10/7/08 at 12:54pm
ummm... what do you "stuff" them with :
post #7 of 21
10/7/08 at 1:39pm
I was wondering the same thing. How would they absorb if they are not stuffed? I'm confused.
post #8 of 21
10/7/08 at 3:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by feest View Post
may i ask what your going to use to catapult them up into yourself?
laughup
post #9 of 21
10/7/08 at 3:29pm
Never thought of this...
post #10 of 21
10/7/08 at 6:25pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by KJoslyn78 View Post
ummm... what do you "stuff" them with :
The stuffed ones I've seen have cotton batting or something stuffed inside them.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kimmiepie View Post
I was wondering the same thing. How would they absorb if they are not stuffed? I'm confused.
If you click the link and go look at the picture, the same absorbent yarn that makes the outside rolls up and also makes the inside...you really have to just look at the pic, I totally can't describe it.

I did some hunting around for yarns...I can't find any organic cotton/bamboo blends...actually, I'm having a hard time finding cotton/bamboo blends at all. I did find what looks like some great organic hemp--I'm seriously considering that because hemp is naturally anti-microbial and stuff, right?
post #11 of 21
10/7/08 at 6:30pm
I'd go with organic cotton yarn if you can't find any organic cotton/hemp or organic cotton/bamboo blends.
post #12 of 21
10/8/08 at 12:07am
Quote:
Originally Posted by brightonwoman View Post
The stuffed ones I've seen have cotton batting or something stuffed inside them.


If you click the link and go look at the picture, the same absorbent yarn that makes the outside rolls up and also makes the inside...you really have to just look at the pic, I totally can't describe it.

I did some hunting around for yarns...I can't find any organic cotton/bamboo blends...actually, I'm having a hard time finding cotton/bamboo blends at all. I did find what looks like some great organic hemp--I'm seriously considering that because hemp is naturally anti-microbial and stuff, right?
ya but the more you wash hemp the rougher it gets....ouchy
post #13 of 21
10/8/08 at 8:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Think of Winter View Post
laughup
Oh my! I applaud your use of that smilie!!! LOL
post #14 of 21
10/11/08 at 6:40pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by katie9143 View Post
ya but the more you wash hemp the rougher it gets....ouchy
THANK YOU for that reminder. *Whew* I have very minimal experience with hemp, and none with hemp yarn. I'm glad somebody pointed that out to me before I went and bought some and started catapoulting it around!
post #15 of 21
10/11/08 at 6:52pm
I would get some unbleached cotton and follow the same basic shape as the craftster crochet tampons but in garter stitch. Or k2 p2 rib maybe. And roll them up and insert as opposed to making an actual "tampon" shaped one. I think it would get a lot cleaner during the washing. Also I would wash and dry them a few times before use to increase the absorbency like a cloth diaper.
post #16 of 21
10/12/08 at 12:08am
I recommend using an og cotten/bamboo blend. Bamboo is very soft and very absorbant. Hemp is very absorbant but not so soft and there's just no messing around with that area, ya know? You can buy this at Joann.com, I think it's Bernat that makes this. Probably better online places out there but I usually just purchase from a local yarn shop. Good luck!
post #17 of 21
10/12/08 at 4:29am
Thread Starter 
yeah, I feel like the rolled style would get cleaner too--that's why I want to do that one
I'm kinda thinking that if I do it sideways in a stockinette, then it will have some natural roll to it...although I'm not sure if that might cause problems with it not unrolling very well in the wash...hmmmm. Hadn't thought of that until just now as I was typing it out. I don't want horizontal ridges because I think that would make it less comfortable going in...ribbing might work, but I think I'm going to do my first draft in the stockinette style.

I appreciate all your ideas and suggestions!
These are gonna be so cool!
post #18 of 21
10/12/08 at 4:44am
This sounds like a cool idea. I already use cloth pads, and I've seen the knitted tampon on craftster. But, I wasn't sure if I could ... uh "catapult" it up there without an applicator. I have problems getting tampons in there - for some reason they just don't want to go in for me.

I, too, would look into some kind of organic cotton or bamboo. Bamboo has the added bonus of being naturally anti microbial.
post #19 of 21
10/12/08 at 1:47pm
I noticed they have organic cotton at Fred Meyer here. I might knit up a couple of these......if I ever get my cycle back!

~Kat
post #20 of 21
10/12/08 at 2:22pm
Bamboo is pretty heavily processed though, and it doesn't cope with heat well (we had bamboo nappies which turned heavily disgusting with hot washes). I'd stick with cotton.
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