So I ordered some soft, soft yarn to make a baby bankie for the expected grandchild,

[hedgehog]

and it came, and it was so soft, and I was all set to start with it when I spotted the label :handwash, dry flat.

Why would anyone label a yarn for babies that is hand wash, dry flat?

If i really hated my daughter and/or were passive aggressive, I'd make a baby bankie that required special care!

Next time, I'll be reading the label more carefully!

It's 100% acrylic, so i suspect that the way it is spun to make it extra soft is what requires the special care.

[knitter4democracy]

1. Does she have a washer with a handwash setting?

If she does, that'll work. I would knit up a swatch and see what happens to it if washed and put in the dryer.

[SheilaT]

2. 100% acrylic should be able to be washed and dried

in the machines.

But do knit or crochet up a swatch, toss it in with your regular wash and see what happens. A lot of clothing is labelled hand-wash or dry flat when neither of those is needed, but the companies decide on an excess of unnecessary caution.

It's acrylic. A lot of acrylic is incredibly soft and does not require special care. I'll even go out on a limb and say I've never known an acrylic yarn that needed to be hand-washed and dried flat.

[hedgehog]

3. I took a close look at the yarn and it consists of one or two main strands, very fine,

with a lot of short strands twisted in across the line of the yarn. Looking at it, i suspect the problem is that the short strands will felt if agitated in a washer and/or machine dried.

[Nay]

6. The short strands won't felt, but they may come loose from the blanket if it is washed and dried

(esp in the dryer, the handwash setting on the washer should be fine). Still, it's just for them to even make a baby yarn that isn't flat-out "machine wash and dry."

[SheilaT]

4. I do not believe acrylic felts, but others who read this

may know otherwise.

Some wool felts, but not all.

Actually, I just went on-line to see if I could find information about the felting properties of acrylic, and it appears as if it does not felt. Period.

So the washing instructions are simple overkill.

Make the baby blanket, wash and dry it fearlessly.

[pipi_k]

5. I would

do what a couple of the others suggested...

make a swatch, throw in the washer and see what happens. I would air dry first, see the results.

Then, wash again and put into dryer to see what happens.

Cold/lukewarm water, gentle cycle on dryer, of course.


FYI, a nice yarn that works up with minimum weight and nice softness is Lion Brand Wool-ease. It's part acrylic and part wool, but not enough wool to be scratchy. It's fully machine wash and dryable. I've used it for lots of stuff and love the feel of it.

[hedgehog]

7. Update - I found some washable polyester yard with a similar fuzzy texture -

it's working up like the softest terry cloth ever made. It's a hoot though - I can feel the stitches, but I can't see them!

[beac]

8. Good on you for being a considerate as well as crafty grand.

My favorite story on this topic is about my friend whose mom knitted friend's newborn baby a CASHMERE sweater.

"The most gorgeous piece of clothing that my child will ever own for five minutes" as my friend called it.