A few days I posted in the weaving group that my fringe twister (aka Conair Hair Braider) went bad.  I was able to finish twisting the fringe on my scarf, although I often had to fuss with the twister to get it to start.  Well, apparently due to its stuttering stops and starts, the fringe didn't get twisted enough and it wormed when I wet finished it.  Do you think I could get away with cutting off the knots and then braiding it? 

The other option is to just cut off the fringe entirely and hem it.  Any tips on the best way to do it so the hem isn't too thick and obvious?

Comments

Mon, 06/27/2011 - 23:16

Claudia Segal (not verified)

Hi Tina, Do you have anyy photos of the scarf and fringe? It would be helpful to see what is going on. Thanks,, Claudia
Tue, 06/28/2011 - 12:31

TinaHilton (not verified)

It's just your typical worming, but this case is worse than what I had ever gotten before I thought I figured out to avoid it.  But here's a pic.

Tue, 06/28/2011 - 13:21

Su Butler

HI Tina.....just returned from Midwest to find your query....Rayon chenille yarns are always evolving, and some of the newer yarns are using sythentics as the core yarn. This is creating a huge issue with worming fringes. You may be able to salvage your fringes by holding them taut, then unplying the second ply, pulling rather firmly, then reapplying the twist. Once you get this done, you can use a press cloth and an iron that is heated up to an appropriate heat setting for rayon, and you can apply heat and steam to the fringes. If the core is polyester, it will melt the core a bit and help hold the fringes in place. If it is not, they will probalby worm again. If they do, you can cut off and hem by adding a piece of bias tape (with a sewing machine) to the ends, then folding a tripled fold so all the bias is covered. Stitch that to the chenille body, being sure to catch the core yarns of the bocy of the cloth and you will have a little lighter weight hem. When did you purchase this cheinlle and have you done a burn test on it?? If you do, and you get a hard black ball of ash, then there is synthetic in the core yarns. In future, hemming would be the way to go with that yarn. Hope that helps. Su :-)
Thu, 06/30/2011 - 17:46

TinaHilton (not verified)

I know the yarn is a couple of years old anyway.  I just did a burn test and don't get a hard black ball of ash.  I really think the problem is just from the fringe twister not working right.  I don't think I got enough twists into it since it would occasionally stop.  I had 2 other scarves I twisted fringe for just before this one.  The first one was fine.  The second one wormed.  They both were off the same warp, but I noticed on the second scarf that the twister was acting weird.  At that point I just thought the battery was getting weak.

I'm just getting ready to put a new warp on the loom.  I'll braid the fringe on this one, just to make sure.  I'll go ahead and cut off the knots on the wormy ones and see if I can braid them and report back.

Thanks for the advice for the hem. Hopefully I won't need to do that since I prefer fringe, but it's nice to know.

Fri, 07/01/2011 - 12:12

Su Butler

HI Tina....it is very probable there were not enough twists in the fringes, and that could be due to a failing twister. The goal is 8-10 twists per inch, but even if you manage that, uneven tension on the two bouts while twisting will also cause worming in the fringes. If the yarn is in a great state of elongation when twisting, that can cause worming. It is best to leave the piece for at least 48 hours in a resting position before applying any fringe twisting or braiding. This allows the warp to retract and will make for more even, smooth fringes. Hope you are able to salvage your piece! Best, Su
Fri, 07/01/2011 - 19:59

TinaHilton (not verified)

I do leave my scarves for at least a couple of days before twisting the fringe.  I bought your book on weaving with rayon chenille when I first started using this yarn and try to always follow your advice there.

I am happy to report that I was able to unply the twisted fringe and braid it.  It looks so much nicer now.

Here's the before and after pictures.

Worming twisted fringe:

After unplying and braiding:

Sun, 07/03/2011 - 10:56

Su Butler

So glad you found a successful solution Tina! I am having the same problem with fringes of late, and that points to the yarns that now have synthetic cores, which could be the case with your yarns as well. Sure was a shock when it started to happen! The braids should be more stable and you should see no more worming. That is what I have had to do on many new pieces as well. I have begun to make hems in place of fringes with the newer chenille. If done with sewing thread as weft, they fold over nicely and don't add unwanted bulk at the ends of the pieces. Your scarf looks lovely! Su :-)