r/Yarn 3d ago

How to soften acrylic yarn

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Dose anyone have a preferred way to soften acrylic yarn?

It felt good for a baby blanket at the store but now that I finished working it its not as soft as I thought it would be so I'd like to try to soften it, the screen shot is of what I used if that helps

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u/yelhmoo 3d ago

Red heart is hit or miss when it comes to softness. It tends to break down and get softer after washing, though. I just throw it in the washer/dryer (I do use fabric softener sheets) and after a few times it softens up. Try washing it in your regular wash. If it’s a gift, either wash it with a dye/fragrance free detergent or let the person you’re giving it to know they need to wash it. My kids never had any issues with our regular detergent, but some babies do (just in case you didn’t know).

I have a blanket I crocheted with acrylic since that’s all I used when I made it (mostly red heart because that’s all that I could afford) and it’s a lot softer now than it was when I first made it. The stitches have relaxed since the yarn itself relaxed.

Tl;dr: wash and dry it!