I would like to get a new washer. My old one felts things wonderfully. I’d probably move it over to the store but would have to get rid of the refrigerator to make room 🙁 but now I’m wondering what to get. First this from Lorna’s Laces. Then this from Mason-Dixon. Now its your turn — do you have a frontloader and what yarn have you washed using the handwash cycle? What was the result?
P.S. Stay tuned on Thursday, I’ll announce some winners to our blog contests and will post a new one . . .
Another option? A camp/manual mini washer. The idea behind that washer being used for my knitting was that it was small, portable, and energy effecient. The best two things about this little tool are the ability to fully control agitation and temperature and make changes easily.
I am anti-front loader. I use the hand wash cycle in my top loader (3yo) without felting occuring. The agitation that takes place is less than I would do in an actual sink. I wonder if sometimes people think they have set for hand wash but haven’t? It could also be a cycle difference between manufacturers.
I have owned a front loader for a couple years now. I have used it successfully to felt (on purpose) purses and slippers. Just make sure you get a machine that allows you to pause the cycle and add extra items to help with the agitation part. I have used the handwash cycle for some “machine wash” socks without issue. Most other things I hand wash anyway as I am so “anal”. I love it and would not go back. I do not own a super fancy $2000 machine either. Love the delay setting. Set it to come on in the middle of the night or just before you get ready to come home.
I need to purchase a new washer also so I am very interested in knowing what you find out. At first I wanted a top loader because I like to felt but then read someplace that front loaders can felt also. I also read somewhere that the top loaders will more than not be phased out because the front loaders save so much water, so what is a person to do. I know when given too many options, that is in a grocery store with too many choices of product, that one tends to go crazy and opt to the simplest or not at all. Unfortunately that is not an option here so what is a person to do? Top or front, simple or complicated, what to do?
I agree with Jan- you can felt in a front-loader. But machine washing hand-washables? I wouldn’t. I did wash test swatch of ?? yarn(not labeled superwash) in my machine and it came out fine but I certainly wouldn’t machine wash anything without doing a test swatch first. Besides, with something like Eucalan that doesn’t require rinsing hand washing isn’t the bother that it used to be anyway. And don’t assume that you can hand wash your knitting and then put it into the front or top loading machine to spin the excess water out- many front loaders add water during the spin cycle and then reverse the direction of the spin which jostles things up quite a bit.
I’m going to put in my pennies here and say that I have had a front loader for two years and I wouldn’t go back to a top loader. I have not used the hand wash cycle for hand knits, however. I have used it for other delicate items, but if I put the time into a hand knitted (whatever) I am certainly not going to chance throwing it into a washing machine. I agree with Mary in that Eucalan makes hand washing so simple that I don’t see the point in risking a machine wash.
My vote would be for a front loader. My only question is if you remove the fridge from the store where will I put my Schwan’s?
Wait- the Schwan’s man stops at the store? When?
Hey, I can reply to a comment . . . this is cool and lets see how it looks after I hit the submit button . . . yes, we are Knitting Today are smitten by Schwans. I grew up on vanilla ice cream at my grandmothers, as well as a freezer full of other treats, and there is no way I could not treat my children to the same delights 🙂 . . . . Don the Schwan-man, stops at Knitting Today every other Thursday morning around 10ish and if I miss him then, he stops at Susans on the off week I think on Fridays :-). I think his next Thursday must be tomorrow since he wasn’t there last week that I remember. He is going in for knee surgery so we shall see how his substitute handles things.