The Bleeding Shawl

The final stitch was bind off, the four ends was wowed in. I filled cold water and Soak into the basin - and loaded my shawl into it. At the same time the colors started bleeding. All dark colors like red and brown started to run over the white stripes.

I pulled it out fast and realized that the yarn Drops Delight looks great before washing. And that a lot of hours had gone into a shawl I had no idea what to do with.

As I managed to get it out of the water in an instant most of the white stripes are still somewhat white. In some places they look dirty and that annoys me.

I started experimenting with vinegar, cold and warm water and other detergents. Nothing helped - the bleeding continued.

Well, this was not the worst thing. My scarf Wool For A Star is knitted with the same yarn but in another color way.

I knitted a swatch and dipped it into cold water. Same thing happend. All colors started to run into the water.

That scarf took me forever to knit and I love it. In addition I really started to regret using that terrible yarn.

A friend told me about some cloth called color catcher and advised me to put the scarf in the washer with the cloths.

Saved with Color Catcher.

I was terrified - this was either hours thrown into nothing or keeping my scarf. So I washed it - and the colors were running like mad. But when the machine stopped I saw the cloths had picked up a lot of the colors and the scarf was saved.

I was so relieved - I can see the bleeding on some of the white. But not enough to destroy the work I have done.

The shawl is really not in my colors and were just some mindless knitting. But still, yarn are not supposed to bleed no matter what.

As a comfort I started a new shawl from the same pattern in Noro Silk Garden Sock from my stash and Panda. I love the pattern - totally mindless but fun to knit and Noro makes it shine. I hope it is not bleeding....

The Stitch Story
Yarn: Drops Delight (bleeding nightmare), Pt2 Panda
Needles: 2.5mm
Pattern: Josephine Shawl (free)
My Ravelry Page: Stripe By Stripe

Wrong side of the shawl -  the bleeding is not easy to see...