Hi Fibernetters, I took a class from Judith McKenzie several years ago and she recommended shocking your yarn before you make anything out of it. I've done that with yarn that I've had made into socks. I put mine (socks) in the washer and dryer. I have little feet and most socks are much too large. They do shrink, but not nearly like those that I buy from the store. Judith's formula, was to wash your yarn in hot soapy water and let it soak for about 10 min. Then rinse 3-4 times in hot water (140 degrees). On the last rinse, use icy cold water. Snap the skein or beat it to full and set the twist. Hang to dry, weighted or not. You will find that the skein will shrink about 3-4 inches in length, more or less, depending upon the type of wool used.
I've done this with sweater yarns, too. Had a beautiful handspun, handknit sweater decrease in length about 10 inches over a 5 yr span of wearing and handwashing. Gail White To stop mail temporarily mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: set nomail To restore send: set mail
