Which yarn should you choose for a stuffed toy that needs to go in the washing machine?
A stuffed toy meant as a baby gift ends up in the crib, in the car, and therefore in the washing machine too. I washed three yarns I use often at 30 degrees to see what happens.
I crocheted the same 20-by-20-stitch test swatch in each yarn, using the same hook and the same tension. Afterwards they all went into the machine together at 30 degrees, a short spin cycle, and dried flat on a towel.
Cotton: beautiful, but it stretches
Cotton gives the nicest stitch definition, and you can really see that with amigurumi. Downside: after washing, the swatch was a good half a centimeter longer, which is especially noticeable with a head that sags slightly. That's why, for toys that get washed a lot, I crochet a half size tighter.
Short answer
Does the toy go in the wash often? Choose acrylic or a cotton-acrylic blend. Will it stay on a shelf? Then cotton is the nicest option.
Acrylic: holds its shape best
The acrylic swatch came out practically unchanged. It feels a bit less soft than cotton, but that difference is smaller than you'd think after one wash. I use Scheepjes Colour Crafter most for this, partly because the color range is so wide.
The blend: my choice for baby gifts
A cotton-acrylic blend sits right in between: almost the stitch definition of cotton, almost the shape retention of acrylic. For a toy that's actually going to be used, that's the best choice in my opinion.
Try it yourself
Want to test it yourself? Crochet two swatches from the same yarn, wash one, and lay them side by side. It takes one evening, and then you'll know for all your future projects.
- Always use the same hook and tension
- Wash at 30 degrees, short spin cycle
- Dry flat on a towel
You can find all the yarns I use in the webshop.