Caring for crochet projects
The best care instructions for anything you make are on the yarn label. Here's how to use them, plus a few habits that help handmade pieces last.
Start with the label
Care varies a lot, even among yarns that look alike. Among the chenille yarns we checked on Oct 22, 2026:
- Lion Brand Cover Story: machine wash, machine dry
- Lion Brand Cover Story Posh Twist: machine wash cold, lay flat to dry
- Bernat Future Hope: machine wash cool on delicate, tumble dry low, do not iron
- Hobbii Toucan Fine: machine wash 40°C (104°F), do not iron, dry flat
Two similar-looking skeins can need different care, so keep a label from every project.
Good habits
- Mixed yarns? Follow the gentlest label. If one yarn says hand wash, hand wash the whole piece.
- Test first. Wash your gauge swatch the way you plan to wash the finished piece.
- Dry flat when in doubt. Hanging wet crochet can stretch it.
- Store folded, not hung. Hanging stretches crochet over time. Keep pieces clean and dry.
- Gifting? Tuck a care card or the yarn label in with the gift.
Sources
- Lion Brand Cover Story · Cover Story Posh Twist
- Bernat Future Hope (Yarnspirations)
- Hobbii Toucan Fine (all checked Oct 22, 2026)