Questions on yarn

[catwoman]

Hi. i was  wondering if yarn shrinks when you put it in hot or cold water because i hate to knit and crochet something for nothing,if  it shrinks anyway?

 

Also does a person have to go by the yarn label for washing or can you just handwash everything because sometimes i lose the yarn labels for the yarns?

 

Does a person have to block their gauge? Also Does a person have to block their sweather after washing it?.

 

Thanks.Any help would be nice.

[magiccrochetfan]

hi again, you have 2 identical threads started, i replied in the other one  https://forum.crochetville.com/topic/159689-questions-on-yarn/#comment-2738722

 

[Granny Square]

Depends on what the yarn is made of on the hot/cold/blocking question.  First all the easiest answer--of course you can hand wash anything, but you don't HAVE to if it's acrylic.

Acrylic - most of the bargain yarn is acrylic, really most of the yarns in the US 'box' stores are acrylic, my wild guess maybe only 30% is cotton, wool, a mix, or other.

Acrylic doesn't have to be blocked (doesn't shrink etc.), but on the other hand it shouldn't be subjected to great heat either (like, don't use it for pot holders, and don't iron it).

I've never had anything shrink, or at least noticeably, but then I use mostly acrylic and I hand wash my wool items (I guess I am just more aware of/ remember what I make out of wool).  Even cotton, which actually grows as you wear it if you make a top out of it, will launder back to it's original size (or at least if there was shrinkage, I didn't notice it).  Yes, wool will shrink, but it's the agitation that mostly does it so you want to hand wash (you can use warm water), but don't beat it up much or wring it out.

For laundering/blocking acrylics, I don't use the drier because of the pilling factor, and I wash items in laundry bags.  I hand wash wool items, but I don't 'block' either as in pinning it out, just lay it flat to dry in a tidy fashion (I might pin-block a lacy wool item, but I haven't had a need to yet).  

For gauge, you should block wool.  It also helps, if you are making something that needs to be seamed together, to block the pieces first.

If you are making something with many colors, it is better to have all the yarns be the same fiber so all of the color areas behave the same when you launder it.

Oh dear, being a pokey typist again, Hi Magic  

[magiccrochetfan]

Hi Granny Square