How to Care for Knit or Crochet Items

After spending hours working on creating a knit or crochet project, you will want to make sure it still looks as good after a dozen washes as it did the day you finished creating it. After all that work you intend to have your project last for a long time, so caring for your yarn creations is very important.

Washing Knit and Crochet Items

Washing knit or crochet items isn’t as easy as the rest of your laundry. Without taking a few extra precautions you could wind up with a misshapen version of your original project.

Washing

Using a washing machine can stretch or damage your item, so it is best to hand wash. If the yarn you used lists machine washable, you can use a washer on delicate preferably with the item in a pillowcase or other protective bag – but I am a firm believer in washing by hand only. Always use lukewarm water, as hot water could shrink your project or even melt acrylic yarns.

Regular laundry detergent is not recommended as it can affect the yarn’s color and composition. Most experts recommend washing with shampoo. Many believe that if it’s mild enough not to damage your hair, it must be safe enough for their yarn work. I use Dawn dish soap. Add about a teaspoon to the lukewarm water and move the project around in the soapy water slowly for a while then let it soak for at least fifteen minutes. Try not to agitate it too much as it can harm the yarn fibers.

Drain the water, and if needed rewash if your project needs extra cleaning. Gently squeeze the water from your item without twisting or wringing as these motions can damage your project or alter its shape. Rinse with lukewarm water until the water is clear. Once again, squeeze the water from your project without wringing or twisting.

Drying

The majority of yarns should not go into the dryer. Check your yarn labels if you really would like to use a dryer. Do not dry on high heat as it can and will shrink your project or even melt acrylic yarn. I recommend air drying your projects. Lay your project on a flat clean towel (if too large lay out on a clean machine washable/dryable bedspread). Roll the towel (bedspread up) up with the project inside and press a little. You will find this gets rid of a lot of the water. If you do not have a drying form to reshape your project, you can just place the project on a fresh towel. This method takes longer to dry, but hanging or draping can stretch your project and cause it to become misshapen. I suggest changing to a dry towel and flipping your project over so it dries quicker.

I hope you could follow my guide to caring for your handcrafted yarn items to keep them looking like they did when you first made them.