# What is this...chenille wool knitted thing I found? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 4, 2017, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-chenille-wool-knitted-thing-i-found/790472 "2017-07-04T00:28:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-chenille-wool-knitted-thing-i-found/790472/1 "2017-07-04T00:28:47Z")
I found this mess of chenille interwoven strings in a back alley (I find lots of things in alleys), and I don’t know what the heck it is. It has one long string sticking out of it, suggesting that it is ravelling. It appears to have been knitted together at some point, with the joints actually stitched together. It’s about 15 feet long, and the individual strings are quite thick (much thicker than normal wool). Any ideas? (Someone suggested Barney’s intestines, but I don’t think that’s it.) [The item in question.](http://imgur.com/a/Nkx29) ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-chenille-wool-knitted-thing-i-found/790472/2 "2017-07-04T00:34:51Z")
One of those hammock-style chairs you hang from the ceiling? Or a hammock? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-chenille-wool-knitted-thing-i-found/790472/3 "2017-07-04T00:38:12Z")
Can’t tell from the photos, but I used to see hanging planters made from the stuff. A flower pot fits into a cradle made into it. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-chenille-wool-knitted-thing-i-found/790472/4 "2017-07-04T00:42:21Z")
Part of a Yarn Bombing project? > **[Yarn bombing](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yarn_bombing)** > > Yarn bombing (or yarnbombing) is a type of graffiti or street art that employs colourful displays of knitted or crocheted yarn or fibre rather than paint or chalk. It is also called wool bombing, yarn storming, guerrilla knitting, kniffiti, urban knitting, or graffiti knitting. > While other forms of graffiti may be expressive, decorative, territorial, socio-political commentary, advertising or vandalism, yarn bombing was initially almost exclusively about reclaiming and personalizing sterile or... ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-chenille-wool-knitted-thing-i-found/790472/5 "2017-07-04T00:52:14Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > Part of a Yarn Bombing project? > > [Yarn bombing - Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yarn_bombing) Had to google to see what type of tree that was (pear.) I was reeeally hoping that it was a rainbowed ash. ---
**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-chenille-wool-knitted-thing-i-found/790472/6 "2017-07-04T01:15:11Z")
Looks like a scarf someone arm-knitted. Arm knitting example: > **[Arm Knitting How-To Photo Tutorial // Part 1: Casting On - Flax & Twine](https://www.flaxandtwine.com/2014/02/arm-knitting-how-to-photo-tutorial-part-1-casting-on/?m)** > > Welcome! I’m so glad you’re here to learn how to arm knit.  I think you’re going to love it!  You don’t need to be a knitter at all, though if you are, it will be familiar right away. If you aren’t, I’ve provided lots of detailed... ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-chenille-wool-knitted-thing-i-found/790472/7 "2017-07-04T02:52:53Z")
A knitting project that went terribly awry. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-chenille-wool-knitted-thing-i-found/790472/8 "2017-07-04T07:03:46Z")
It looks a bit like a Thneed, which is a fine something that everyone needs. Seriously though - finger-knitted scarf or something. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-chenille-wool-knitted-thing-i-found/790472/9 "2017-07-04T09:18:00Z")
Well, Thneed was going to be my guess, too. You never can tell what some people will buy. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-chenille-wool-knitted-thing-i-found/790472/10 "2017-07-04T14:26:37Z")
> [@cwthree](#): > > Looks like a scarf someone arm-knitted. > > Arm knitting example: > [Arm Knitting How-To Photo Tutorial // Part 1: Casting On](https://www.flaxandtwine.com/2014/02/arm-knitting-how-to-photo-tutorial-part-1-casting-on/?m) I think you’re probably right. The next question would be, why? Who needs 10 pounds of heavy, arm-knitted yarn? ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-chenille-wool-knitted-thing-i-found/790472/11 "2017-07-04T15:02:52Z")
[It’s a purple people eater.](https://youtu.be/X9H_cI_WCnE) See if you can make it go boop-boop, a-boopa lopa lum bam boom. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-chenille-wool-knitted-thing-i-found/790472/12 "2017-07-04T15:59:58Z")
It’s the feces left behind by an alien spy who had too much Taco Bell one dinner time. ---
**Author:** ![Fluffy\_PickleSniffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/77aa72/32.png) [@Fluffy\_PickleSniffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fluffy_PickleSniffer)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-chenille-wool-knitted-thing-i-found/790472/13 "2017-07-04T20:15:35Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I found this mess of chenille interwoven strings in a back alley (I find lots of things in alleys), and I don’t know what the heck it is. It has one long string sticking out of it, suggesting that it is ravelling. It appears to have been knitted together at some point, with the joints actually stitched together. It’s about 15 feet long, and the individual strings are quite thick (much thicker than normal wool). Any ideas? (Someone suggested Barney’s intestines, but I don’t think that’s it.) > > [The item in question.](http://imgur.com/a/Nkx29) Wait, wait, by “found in a back alley” do you mean that you saw this thing escape from a dumpster and pick it up while it was writhing about on the ground? Did it bite you? Or do you mean you bought it from a back alley shop? If you bought it - did the shop owner have any idea what it was? If you took in a foundling, have you tried feeding it to see what it grows into? I’m thinking scarf. I’d say hammock, except chenille doesn’t seem to be a strong enough thing to make a hammock out of - unless it were one of those toy net things? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-chenille-wool-knitted-thing-i-found/790472/14 "2017-07-04T21:47:02Z")
If you lay this thing out flat, is it any more clear what it is? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2017, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-chenille-wool-knitted-thing-i-found/790472/15 "2017-07-05T14:07:02Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > If you lay this thing out flat, is it any more clear what it is? Nope. The knitting is just more clear. Alien feces, eh? Makes as much sense as any other explanation. 🙂 And no, I haven’t actually _seen_ it moving.