I’ve been given some balls of a cotton slub yarn, enough for a summer cardigan, but they have been stored for years, and smell musty. I’ve tried removing them from the plastic bag, spreading them out and spraying all sides with Febreze, but after rebagging them in a fresh new bag, the lingering smell is still there. There’s no way I could knit the cardigan then wash it, I simply couldn’t bear the smell all that time, and I can’t face hanking 16 balls of yarn before washing them. Has anyone ever tried washing new balls? How did you do it? Machine or hand wash? Tumble dryer or air drying? Any suggestions will be really welcome. PK
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I don’t know any way around it. You could make a hank from just one ball, wash it and see if that helps. Then at least you’d know what the task ahead of you is.