The Killer In Me

After spending Saturday night unpacking bedroom and kitchen stuff, I figured it was high time to unpack some yarn. I was eager to be reunited with my stash and was looking forward to relishing in the colors and textures. I have been too busy to knit since we got to Minneapolis, so I was really craving the fiber time. Upon opening the first box on Sunday morning with a feeling much like Christmas morning, my dream of peaceful yarn time experienced a speedy death. The first sign of badness was a lone moth flying out of the box.

Common Clothes Moth (photo from UKMoths.org)

When we were packing our stuff to leave Somerville, we had some moths in our apartment. I made it known to Paul that moths are the enemy and are to be killed on sight. We each killed a few and I made a mental note to be on the lookout for anything suspicious. I've never had a moth issue before, so I wasn't really sure what I was on the lookout for, I just knew it can be really B-A-D if moths mix with wool.

When I saw the moth fly out of the box, I knew something dreadful had been happening during the 2 weeks of POD time. Sure enough, the moths had been devouring my yarn. Those little bastards have good taste, too! They were in the box with my Martha's Vineyard Fiber Farm yarn and some other speciality alpaca that I had bought when I went here and here. Very discerning moths, indeed.

After cursing like a sailor at the little beasts, I went into killer mode. What can I do to isolate and destroy? I turned to this website for instructions and paired that with my memory of the importance of Ziploc bags in the context of a moth invasion. After assessing the situation (step 1), I realized my meager supply of Ziploc bags would not be enough. I grabbed my keys and jumped in the car to go to Target. As I was speeding to the store with my heart beating fast and my mind consumed with the sense of urgency to quarantine the yarn before the moths spread, I had a reality check moment. I realized that if I were to be pulled over for speeding, the cop would not be likely to agree that I was in the middle of an emergency that necessitated ignoring the speed limit. I took a deep breath and slowed down.

It seems that only two boxes were affected. I had to throw away a basket and most of the yarn in it because it was full of nastiness. The other mothy yarn that looked salvageable is currently going through freezer treatment.

Just to be safe, I also bagged up the other yarn just in case it wasn't as innocent as it looked. I had hoped for a nice display of yarn that I could touch and admire. Instead, I have a few shelves of bagged stash.

I think the worst part about this experience is the loss of innocence. I can no longer live as a knitter that does not fear moths. My "it won't happen to me" attitude is gone. It CAN happen to me and it sure sucks when it does. Freakin' moths!

I have yet to check the box of knitted sweaters. I'll need another day or two until I feel brave enough for that battle.