You’ve treated yourself to some yummy yarn and spent hours upon hours carefully knitting a fabulous garment.  It fits like a glove and the first time you wear it you are overwhelmed with compliments.  But the time will eventually come when you’ll need to wash it and the last thing you want it for your perfect jumper or cardigan to turn into a felted unwearable wreck!

Handwashing

Now I always hand wash my knit wear.  When I’ve spent time and money on knitting a garment, I don’t like to take the risk that it will come out of the washing machine two sizes too small, even if the ball band said the yarn was machine washable.  I’m a naturally cautious person!  When hand washing the important thing is to not twist, wring or scrub them.  I gently push the garment down into the lukewarm water and lift it out again, allowing the movement of the water to dislodge the dirt with minimal agitation.  I might leave it to soak for a few minutes if a mark is proving stubborn to get out.  I always use a gentle detergent too; one that is suitable for wool and delicates.

Machine Washing

But not everyone has the time to spend hand washing their knitwear and after all, if the ball band said the yarn can go in the machine, then you ought to be able to do so.  But before you sling it in with all your other clothes, take a moment to check the fibre content and washing symbols.

Wool yarn

Wool + hot water + agitation + detergent = felting!

If the wool is a superwash wool, it means that it has been treated in such a way that the fibres won’t stick together and shrink.  However you still can’t stick it in a normal machine cycle.  Look at the washing symbols on the ball band.  Does the temperature symbol have any lines underneath it?  It was only recently that I discovered this referred to the mechanical action of the machine.  One line means reduced mechanical action, two lines means much reduced mechanical action.  The wool cycle on your washing machine should have much reduced mechanical action, i.e. it’s much more gentle when tossing the contents around inside and therefore less agitation.

Cotton yarn

You should be able to put cotton yarns in the machine as would do your other cotton clothes.  However I would still use a gentle cycle and cool temperature.

Acrylics/Synthetics

Treat as normal clothes.  This yarn shouldn’t shrink.

Drying

• Never put your hand knits in the tumble dryer.
• Remove excess water by rolling up in a towel and pressing the roll but don’t wring it.
• Lay the garment flat on a towel, reshape and leave to dry out of the sunlight.

Have a look at the Home Laundering Consultative Council’s website for more useful information on washing and caring for your hand knits.