How to soften scratchy acrylic yarn

[merseaone]

Wish I had known about this BEFORE I started on the Granny Cardigan I am working on!

A Girl and her Needle: Soften Scratchy Yarn

[ndlnut]

Thanx, Mersea! I sure wish we could use that good trick on wool!

[merseaone]

Thanx, Mersea! I sure wish we could use that good trick on wool!

You might be able to, research it. I don't use wool so it isn't really anything I would be interested in.

[Nova55]

I read somewhere that if you delicate wash the finished item with a smoothing shampoo and rinse with a smoothing cream rinse that it will soften the yarn. I tried it with my shampoo and cream rinse - both volume building - but it did help considerably. I would think the smoothing version would work better.

[buggainok]

I crochet quite a bit with Red Heart - inexpensive and pretty colors, but not very soft! I always wash my finished items in the washer on cold with Downy or Snuggle liquid fabric softener, and then put them in the dryer. They come out very soft.

[OKWTink]

I've not used Red Heart super saver because it feels so rough to me. I don't know about washing the yarn first, after reading about how some people ended up with huge tangled knots. I really dislike knots! I think I'll continue to use "soft" yarns... but maybe if I find a really good sale, I give it a try. (The wash and dry technique).

[trueblue2007]

My dad smoked for over 60 years before he passed away in 2010, and, believe it or not, I still have a supply of yarn that was in the house during his days of smoking. For that reason, unless I know that the yarn I am working with for a project is brand new, I always wash my projects once I finish them and before I give them. I only use new yarn on items that I am going to sell. I just don't feel right about selling something that has already been washed. Besides, you never know what allergies people might have to different detergents and/or fabric softeners.

[buggainok]

My dad smoked for over 60 years before he passed away in 2010, and, believe it or not, I still have a supply of yarn that was in the house during his days of smoking. For that reason, unless I know that the yarn I am working with for a project is brand new, I always wash my projects once I finish them and before I give them. I only use new yarn on items that I am going to sell. I just don't feel right about selling something that has already been washed. Besides, you never know what allergies people might have to different detergents and/or fabric softeners.

I agree, for items to sell, I would not wash them either. I don't sell anything, just give things to friends and family, so I feel okay about washing them first.

[ndlnut]

OK, Trueblue, I ***NEEEEEED*** to have the instructions for that WONNNNderful butterfly body on your avatar {drool drool} Can you pass it along to me, please? (I collect those bodies, bec. a lot of the Duplet crochet diagrams don't tell you how to make the body, or else I don't like the body they gave and want to substitute a different one.) Thankee kindly in advance.

PS:

My dad smoked for over 60 years before he passed away in 2010, and, believe it or not, I still have a supply of yarn that was in the house during his days of smoking.

It never ceases to astound me how tenacious stench stick smoke is: even books that're really old and haven't been around the smoker in decades, stubbornly retain that wretched odor in their pages. {shaking head}

[trueblue2007]

Hi sweetie, and of course I'll give you the pattern for the butterflies. The name on the one that I downloaded was Mary G., but I have seen them around since with dozens of different names. However, since I have adapted some things for my own purposes, I consider it my own.

First off, just about any bright, pretty, colorful yarn or thread will do for these. My mom works on tiny little ones using #30 Crochet Cotton. She puts backs on them and uses them for earrings. When we use #10 Cotton, we usually put a pin back on them and use them as lapel pins. I have used Vanna Elegance yarn and, although they come out a bit bigger, the colors are so captivating that everyone loves them. Hook size depends a lot on yarn or thread size, but for #30 thread, she usually uses a #8 or #10 hook. For #5 or #10 thread, she usually uses a #12 - #14 hook, and for tatting thread she uses a #15 hook. Vanna's Elegance I usually use anywhere from a B hook to a D hook. Sometimes we use solid colors, sometimes we use variegated, sometimes we change colors after each round. Variety is the spice of life!

Ok, now for the instructions.

Special Stitch Instructions:
Beginning Shell, hereafter abbreviated Beg. Sh = Ch 3, 2dc, ch 3, 3dc.
Shell, hereafter abbreviated Sh = 3dc, ch 3, 3dc.
Swallow Tail Picot: Ch 6, sl st in top of #6dc. Put picots in 1st 2 scallops, no picots in next 2, picots in next 2, no picots in last 2.

Chain 7, sl st to form a ring.
Rnd 1: Ch 3, 2dc, *(ch. 2, 3dc). Rep around till you have 8 groups of 3dc and ch 2 spaces. Finish off.

Rnd 2: Attach thread w/ sc in any ch 2 space. Beg. Sh in any ch 2 sp. Work around, working sh in all chain 2 sps. Sl st in 3rd ch of beginning sh. Finish off if changing color. (8 shells)

Rnd 3: Attach new color if you choose to change color in any ch 3 sp of any shell. Ch 3 (counts as 1st dc). DC 11 more times in same ch 3 sp., sc in space between shells. *(12dc in next ch 3 sp., sc in sp between shells)*. Repeat from * to * around ending w/ sl st in last sp between shells. Sl st in 3rd ch of the 1st st. Finish off. (Crochet over 1st 2 ends)

Finishing: Several methods can be used to form the body. None of them were part of Mary G.'s original pattern, but with my methods you do not need florist wire and pliers.

Method 1: (good for children, ie cub scouts, brownies, girl scouts, sunday school class). Black chenille pipe cleaners. Begin by finding the halfway point on the pipe cleaner. Place that point at the head of the butterfly. Fold it in half so that half the pipe cleaner goes over the top of the wings to the tail, and so the other pipe cleaner goes under the bottom wings and to the tail. Then, bend them so they both wind up back at the head. This should form a nice double loop around the body of the butterfly with enough remaining on each end to form the antennae. Twist them together like trash bag ties, but not too tight. Curl them appropriately cutting off extra length if necessary.

Method 2 (For you purists out there. You know who you are): In this method you use a black thread or yarn that is appropriate for the yarn you selected to make the butterfly from. Crochet a black chain that will be long enough to wrap the butterfly from head to tail twice. If you are using the foundationless single crochet, then, as it is wider than a conventional chain, you can get by with just looping the body once. You want to do this in such a way so that both ends of your chain end at the head of the butterfly with enough tail on each end of the chain to be used as antennae. Attach the chain ends with a tapestry needle or a drop from a hot glue gun. And voila! Your first butterfly is done. My mom said that it takes her about and hour to an hour and a half to do one. I've used the larger (and even the smaller) once to decorate the bulletin boards at church. If anyone is a school teacher, have fun with the kids, allowing them to choose where they would like butterflies in their classroom.

Good luck and God bless.