Help! Relative has made a beautiful blanket for our firstborn and I've ruined it (I think)

[Horehound]

Oh god oh god oh god. Relative on my husband's side spent months making this blanket. We got it at the weekend and when we opened the box it absolutely stunk of smoke. So I popped it in a pillow case and then washed it along with some other baby stuff. Except I just put it on a normal wash not a wool wash and now it's all kind of stuck together :s
I can't even tell if I have shrunk it yet because it's so mangled. I can peel little bits apart but I'm wondering if I stick it in the bath and soak it will this help? Or what can I do? I feel sick.

you could try this

Here is a photo of what a normal bit looks like and then another where it's all layered up and stuck together :(

I think hair conditioner is supposed to help. Rub through, stretch it out, dry it flat

I think a soak to help pull the stick bits apart is a good idea, then dry flat. It's a beautiful blanket

Oh no! It’s really beautiful too

Looks like it’s felted together. I’d try the hair conditioner.

I know, its so lovely :(
Ok I'm going to try soaking it. Wish me luck

It's started to felt. Soak it in water with fabric softener in it and gently rub the areas that are sticking together once it's been soaked. Rinse it out with cold water, lay it on a towel flat and roll up into a tube to compress some of the water water. I roll and lay it flat on a new towel till it dries.
I hope it comes out in time. She's used lovely cotton and not acrylic so it needs careful washing

Reading that link I'm not sure it is felted because I can definitely see single fibres even on the clumpy bits

Hair conditioner or fabric conditioner is your best bet but use loads

Ah yes water eith fabric softner that makes sense. Shpuld it be cosy water then a cold rinse?

It hasn't felted completely but it has started to, that's why it's stuck together but you can still see single fibres.

Lots and lots of conditioner and a bit of good luck and hopefully it will be ok

It's not cotton; it's wool. Laceweight at that.

After you've soaked it in conditioner and lukewarm water rinse it in similar temperature and don't run the tap directly onto it - you want no agitation. Roll it up in a towel like a swiss roll then walk on the towel to squeeze the water out. Spread it out on a flat surface like the spare bed, smoothing it out and stretching it as far as you can. If you have some rustproof pins you could use them to pull out the pointed bits on the edges. Then leave it to dry - if you open the window and point a fan at it it should only take a couple of hours. Once it's really dry unpin it and see what you have.

I love knitting and have plans for a blanket for my as-yet-unconceived grandchild. They do not include yarn that needs hand washing.

Definitely try fabric softener but don't rub it or rinse it and then dry flat.

If you have a local yarn store Eucalan no rinse wool wash would be even better.

[i always provide washing instructions with stuff I've made]

Yarn hoarder and expert crochet person here! I’m sorry but I’ve never been able to save work once it’s been felted.

No offence to your relative but I wouldn’t have used wool on a baby garment knowing it may get easily soiled and require frequent washing for hygiene reasons.

If she’s like me she will love making you another if you confess you accidentally ruined it. I love any excuse to make things with yarn and use up my stash!

Oh hope you manage to sort it op

If not, just say the baby puked/pooped all over it and you put it in the washing machine thinking that it would be ok in the pillowcase.

Right this is what I've got so far. It is looking a damn site better than before but I can definitely see where the fibres have pulled together in some areas and it's not so detailed because of it. Need to get the edges straight
I'm actually exhausted after doing that, 37 weeks pregnant leaning over a bath. Husband will be home soon so he will have to help me.

I am known to him for ruining stuff in the wash eek

@Soola Yes i know what you mean. I think its more meant for a keepsake rather than to be used all the time. Maybe just for a christening or something although we won't be doing that. But like for some kind of special occasion.

Im just surprised she gave it to us reeking of smoke! But it is lovely, hopefully I can get it looking better.

My grannies have been knitting jumpers etc too...are these to be hand washed or are they ok in a machine albeit on a wool cycle?

Oh so @ThatLibraryMiss is a wool wash not ok either? It should have been a hand wash?!

You've just taken me back 15 years to the chore of handwashing kitten woollens for a baby. I washed one thing, once, in the machine and never did it again. I used special Hand-wash soap flakes for wool and ecover fabric conditioner thereafter. I almost miss having to do it!

Hope the blanket turns out OK.

I wouldn't machine wash a wool lace shawl, and I use the washing machine for everything I can. If I were going to knit a lace shawl for a baby I'd use cotton and know it wouldn't block as well as wool but it could be thrown in the washer and dryer.

My grannies have been knitting jumpers etc too...are these to be hand washed or are they ok in a machine albeit on a wool cycle?

It depends what they're made of. If they're all or mostly acrylic they'll probably be washable on a regular cycle. Ask your grannies for the ballband that went round the yarn. It'll have washing instructions on it. If they don't have the ballband but know what the yarn was called, Google will be your friend.

I wouldn't machine wash a wool lace shawl

@ThatLibraryMiss
My mum just said the same to me. But it was my MIL who organised this, she bought all the stuff and got it delivered to the relative to do and it was MIL who gave us it and said it will be fine in a pillow case :(
Although I guess she meant on a wool wash at least.

Oh dear my husband is not happy :(