Yarn question!

[fire_my_spirit]

I heard recently about blocking acrylic yarns with an iron, and found instructions for it here (you'll have to scroll down a ways) that sound rather promising. I was just wondering if anyone had tried anything like this, and had tips or horror stories?

I ask because I am allergic to animal fibers and don't really have the budget for them anyway, so I am generally happy to stick with acrylics, and have thus never bothered to learn to knit lace. But I just found a really pretty shawl pattern that I'd love to make if only I knew it would come out looking like it's supposed to -- but if not, well, I don't want to get my hopes up.

Thanks much in advance!

Comments

[neotoma]

Might I suggest you try knitting with linen instead? Euroflax is a lovely brand, and once you finish your lace project, you can throw it in the washing machine and dryer and it will only get softer and shinier.

[synecdochic]

I absolutely love Louet's Euroflax, but for a shawl, it would probably be kinda pricey :(

I've done amazing lace with Blue Heron's mercerized cotton. It blocks really well, comes in eighty gajillion colors, and you can usually get a shawl out of a single skein! (It comes in 1000-yard skeins.) I wouldn't call it cheap, but it's generally retailed from between $37-$42 for that 1000 yards, and I really enjoy working with it.