Darn Good Yarn for Kid's hat? (knit/crochet)

Yarn: DGY Silk Roving Worsted Weight yarn in colorway Phenomena. (But really all of them.)

Question: I’m afraid to use this yarn for a hat for a child. Do the colors bleed? Like onto their heads if they wear it in the rain? I’m already on the fence as it will need hand washing and gentle care in that regard and 3 year-olds are not delicate. At least not these 3 year-olds whose heads are the intended. Could you/would you maybe use it to thrum some “hearts” into a hat made with another yarn?

Any advice or experiences shared are welcome. And @MistressJennie @AIMR any thoughts?

I don’t even knit or crochet, and am not familiar with this yarn, but here are some general crafty suggestions:

You can test colorfastness by dunking a sample in water, then laying it on white cloth or paper.

If you’re worried about sturdy, choose something you know will hold up. You don’t want to put a lot of work into something, then have it fall apart.

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Thanks!
I think I’ll test a bit of it, like you say. If it wasn’t a gift for another household I’d be less concerned with just giving it a go. I appreciate the tip, thanks!

I’ve used the worsted weight silk roving in a pair of mitts, and in a pair of slippers, and both have been plenty sturdy. I haven’t had issues with those bleeding, but I also haven’t washed them. Remember that the yarn was washed during the dyeing process, so most of the stray dye has already been washed out. Beyond that, if you’re worried about color bleed, put the hat in a bowl of lukewarm (not hot) water, with a drop or two of gentle detergent, or even Dawn if you don’t have a gentle laundry detergent around. Then after it soaks a bit, gently squeeze out the hat (just a bit), then wrap it in a bit of paper towel, inside an old cloth towel. The paper towel will show you any color bleed, and the cloth towel will absorb most of the water. Then just let the hat dry on a rack.

Hand washing gets a bad rap, but it really isn’t hard, and only takes a minute or two, and lets you keep precious handmade things in good condition. I’d go for it if I were you. Especially since something like a hat doesn’t need to be washed often.

Meanwhile I’m considering turning my two cakes of Phenomena into a sweater for a tiny human. I have some of the worsted weight sparkle in blue that I think would make a great edging paired with the multi colored Phenomena.

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That does sound like a cute sweater. I don’t mind the idea of handwashing in my house but I’m not sure the recipient is keen on it so it gave me pause. I saw one project on Rav that used a solid other-yarn as a base and the silk roving for accents. When you do a stitch here and there it looks like little hearts and that seemed cute. I think I’ll just work it up, like you say, and see what happens. The kid’s birthday is later this month so I already don’t have much time to get in all my usual overthinking and procrastinating!

(But now that you said slippers I’m wandering down that mental garden path as well… Geez Louise, it’s a miracle I ever make *anything!*lol)

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I got some very brightly colored DGY as a gift from a friend and had to wash it after I made my creation because the dye was getting on my hands when I was crocheting. Testing a bit is a good idea. Mine washed right out with dish soap and warm water. The yarn was less vibrant but it wasn’t bleeding color so it was worth it!

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