Does Wool Yarn Stretch During Use?

#1

I knit my son a scarf that he loves, but it has gone from being able to wrap around his neck twice to being able to wrap around four or five times! It seems to be getting longer. :???:

Is this normal? Is there something that I should have done/should be doing/can do to fix it? It looks kind of thin and stretched out now, not the cute little bumpy thing I thought I was making. :pout:

Will washing bring it back into shape? :shrug:

It was made with Cascade 220 Superwash wool, on size 9 (5.5mm) needles, if that makes a difference. :knitting:

Thanks! :aww:

#2

I’m not exactly sure what your problem is, but I know that I knit someone a garter stitch scarf in Caron Simply Soft, which seems to me to be a bit on the lighter side of worsted weight. I knit it with size 13s (I know!!!) cuz I thought it looked cool but stretched out OUTRAGEOUSLY…

#3

Reblocking it should bring back up to speed for ya.

#4

Sure. A scarf can get stretched out just as a sweater can get stretched out of shape. Knitting is stretchy, that’s the biggest difference between a knit material and a woven material.

#5

Washing it should fix it, since it’s a superwash. Even just reblocking it should fix it.

#6

I find the looser the knitting, the less stable it is. If you knit on needles that are much bigger than the yarn recommends, it will tend to stretch out. Heavier yarn will also do that. I knit my daughter a scarf out of Fizz a few years ago, it was long when I knit it, and has grown probably another foot.

#7

Rachael that is weird that your Caron scarf is so stretchy. acrylics don’t normally do that but since you knitted on #13 I can see it being like that.

as for the wool scarf just reblock it

#8

Yes knitting on large needles makes looser sts that may stretch more, but knitting the cascade on size 9s is just about right. Just throw it in the wash and it should go back to where it was.

#9

Thanks, everyone!

He is four years old and wears it every day. I think each day he wraps it around a little tighter. :wink: I’ve been pulling on it sideways to see if it will help reshape it and it is reassuring to hear that washing and blocking it should fix it.