washing yarn

hello
a nice lady gave  me a whole bunch of yarn, but i want to wash it before i use it, what is the best way to do that?

hamaratanne

put them in a pillow case and wash at wool program :)

PBJ

is there a care label on it on any of the skeins?

toomuchreading

If the yarn does not have a care label, then you are best to wash it like you would pure wool.  Wash in cold water, dont agitate, squeeze excess (or roll in towel).  The idea is that you dont want to felt it.  If you have enough, knit a small swatch, and wash it like you would like to wash it and see if it felts.
A way to figure out if its a natural fibre or synthetic is to do a burn test.  Take a small piece and burn it with a lighter. If it melts its a synthetic, if not its a natural fibre.
I had a whole bunch of wool that was given to me. Most didnt have ball bands, so I did a burn test sorting out natural and synthetic.  It worked pretty good. The stuff I couldnt be sure about, I knitted swatches and threw them in the washing machine and dryer with a regular load. If it didnt felt, I was pretty confident I had either a superwash or synthetic fibre.  Either way it told me how I was to care for the fibre.
Natural fibres, if you dont have washing instructions should be washed by hand and laid flat to dry to be on the safe side.  Its not only a washing machine that could felt something, but a dryer could do it to.  Its being wet with agitation that felts natural fibres.  Ive had things go thru the washer ok, but after the dryer, they were 10 times too small.  Be safe and do a sample wash in the washer & dryer or just wash by hand and lay flat to dry.

hamaratanne

                               
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hamaratanne

                               
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2019-4-16 23:33
put them in a pillow case and wash at wool program

No, let them dry without direct sunlight and heat...