Shrunk blankets! Is there a fix?

[isambardo]

I made two crochet blankets using Debbie bliss cashmerino wool. I’m positive I’ve washed one in the machine a couple times and it’s been fine, but washed both this morning and they look like they’ve been felted!

Is there any fix?! Absolutely gutted.

I had a similar thing with a cardigan I knitted in the same yarn. DH boil washed it! Muppet. I've found that it washes very well but only at a low temperature and you can't tumble dry it at all, although I did put my cashmerino baby things on top of the tumble drier while other things were drying so they dried quicker.
I'm afraid that if it has felted there isn't much you can do about it, sorry.
However, it might be worth waiting a bit before you panic. All of my cashmerino blankets looked different after a couple of washes, but were fine. It seems to be fairly normal, just as fabrics change with washing and wear. See what they look like when they are dry.

Sorry that wasn't clear- the cardigan was ruined because of the hot wash, but the blankets were fine, just not exactly the same as when I'd knitted them.

You could try pulling the out to size and pinning them there until they dry but, if they look felted, as DontDribble say I think they’re unlikely to recover.

I accidentally washed a wool shawl and had this. Soaked in warm water with fabric conditioner and gently stretched it - took a while - then rolled a towel to dry it a bit and pinned out flat to dry. I use those interlocking foam mats for pinning crochet etc. You won't get it back to its original state but you might be able to improve it.

Thanks all. I’ve seen on the internet that a cool bath with lots of conditioner in will relax the wool then I’ll try to stretch them out. They aren’t totally felted so I have some hope! I’ll report back.....

Yes, pin them out whilst damp to the shape and size you want (like you do when blocking a blanket) and that should help some..I do it on top of a couple of bath towels on the dining table.