I’m getting ready to sell the wool yarn I got in my Christmas bonanza, but I noticed that some yellowing had occured on some portions of a few skeins of white yarn that had been jammed into a clear plastic bag. This yarn is still in its original wrappers, in beautiful shape and clean, so there’s no way anything got spilled on it. Does white wool yellow over time if exposed to light or sun? Can it be bleached or dyed? I’d like to be able to pass this info on to the person who buys this auction, but I know nothing about wool. Please help.
White Wool Yarn Yellowing?
I’ve heard of whites turning yellow when exposed to the sun. I’d think bleach may weaken the fibers, but maybe you could try it on a few yards to see how it works, and knit a sample then treat it as you would an FO to see what happens.
You might also try just dying it. That could be fun and make some unique yarn.
what sort of yarn is it, I’ve been told that if there’s lanolin in the wool it can yellow over time - just a stab in the dark…
Oh, that’s a thought. You might try washing in quite warm water to see if that dissolves the lanolin a little. It’s the oils that turn white clothes yellow too.
Do NOT bleach it!! Bleach will actually start to dissolve the yarn. At the very least it will make the yarn unstable.