Yarn Washing Tips
Friday, May 5th, 2006Tags: Recycling, Spectator Grand, Yarn Porn and Other Stuff Porn
Handy tips for washing yarn:
You know how they say “wash it in really hot water so the soap can grab onto the yarn?” This only applies to yarn that hasn’t been dyed. If you have bright red yarn, use cold water. I used hot (almost boiling) water for the first tubfull, and poured a whole lotta colour down the drain. 
I am an idiot.
If you plan to use a plastic potato masher or “squishy” to manipulate your yarn, make sure there aren’t any major bits that stick out, so you don’t end up tearing your yarn. I didn’t have too big a problem with bits sticking out, but I think I’ll file down the sides the next time I do a load of washing.
I used two basins, alternating between and prefilling basins while waiting for the other to soak, sometimes working on two batches at the same time. It’s a lot faster.
Winding your yarn into hanks (rather than balls) is very important. The more places you tie the hanks together, the easier it is to sort them out. I tied mine together in 3-4 places, which was a big help.
