Let’s face it, when you’re working on a large blanket or project that requires a lot of yarn sometimes you have to make the economical decision to use cheaper yarn. I’m talking about Red Heart Super Saver or any of the various store brand acrylic yarns. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with these yarns, in fact I use them quite a bit. They come in a huge assortment of colors and are always easy to find online or in-store. The trick to being able to use these cheaper acrylic yarns and still be happy with the end result is the ability to soften them up. And I’m going to let you in on the secret to doing exactly that…
Here’s the secret…Are you ready for it?
Hair conditioner! Yep, that’s all!
When I finish a project, whether it’s for myself or for a customer, I always like to wash it and soften it up when it’s done. If it’s a small baby blanket, hat, or something similar I like to fill up the bathroom sink with water (hot for white/cream, warm for dark colors, and cold if you used both light and dark colors that might bleed/run together) and submerge the entire project. If it’s a large blanket, fill up the tub. Once it’s soaked through, grab your favorite brand of conditioner and lather it up. I generally fill my hands with conditioner and rub it into the blanket, making sure to cover the entire area. Use your hands to really massage it into the yarn. Be aware that this can use up a significant amount of conditioner, so I wouldn’t suggest using high-dollar salon-quality product. I try to stick to products with no dyes or fragrances, especially for baby items, just in case the recipient has allergies of any kind. But to be honest, I’ve even used cheap Suave strawberry-scented conditioner, and it softened the yarn up just as nice as any other.
Once you’ve massaged conditioner into the entire blanket, I like to let it soak for a few hours (overnight if possible) so that the yarn really gets saturated. When you feel that it’s soaked long enough, squeeze all of the excess water out – this can be really difficult on large blankets as the water makes them incredibly heavy! Then, toss it into the washing machine on cold and dry it on a low heat or delicate cycle.
An alternative method would be to soak and condition all of your yarn before you start your project. This would definitely make the yarn more enjoyable to work with and less abrasive on your fingers, but I just can’t handle the idea of untangling the mess that would inevitably come out of the dryer before starting my project. If anyone knows of a secret way to pre-wash yarn without it tangling, I’d love to hear it!
So, there you have it crafters, cheap yarn and cheap hair conditioner are all you need to achieve the ultra-soft feel of luxury fibers.