Help! I've shrunk a blanket.

[HaplessHousewife]

I knitted a baby blanket for DS using Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Double Knitting and washed it yesterday and now it's only 60cm long instead of 80cm . I washed it at 30º as per the instructions and as I've done before but it's also gone a bit felty.

It's beyond help isn't it? I'm so upset

Oh dear! I'm not aware of any way to "un-shrink" things, sorry! Could you perhaps put a satin quilting around the edges to make it back up to its original size?

i don't know about that yarn, but I have had clothes do this, then once dried and ironed they have relaxed back

the felting sounds nasty though....hope it isn't ruined.

Thanks for the replies. The problem is it's not just smaller, it's a bit stiff as well. I've googled and apparently you can soak it in warm water and hair conditioner to soften and relax the fibres and then gently stretch it out but even if this brings it back to it's normal size I can't see that the wool will go back to it's original feel.

I don't really know why it happened in the first place because I've washed it before and it's been fine.

I have a feeling I might be knitting another one. Luckily it's quite a simple pattern as I did one for DD which was intarsia and knitted in moss stitch so took a loooong time but I didn't feel I would ever finish it if I attempted it again with a toddler in tow.

As I knitted them to use but also as something to keep I don't think I'll ever be happy with it as it is.

Sorry can't help with "unshrinking" or getting its original texture back, but if nothing works, maybe look at some of the needle felting tutorials & turn it into a nursery cushion - at least that way, your hard work & yarn aren't wasted :)