Washing & Drying
The Color Change
Organic Color Grown Cotton (like Pakucho) is grown naturally in Peru. All the colors will darken when washed in very hot water and machine dried. The heat is what changes the color. If you would like to keep the color the same I would suggest washing your items in cool water with gentle biodegradable soap. Then lay them out flat to dry. Do not put the yarn in the sun for prolonged periods of time or the color will fade over time.... specifically the color grown green shades. If you expose the green to anything acidic, like lemon juice or vinegar it will turn straight to a tan color. BUT do not worry....All you have to do is wash the item normally and it will turn back to the original color. Just as the acidic liquid discolored the green yarn it will go right back with a biodegradable alkaline soap (like most soaps are). The green also fades into the tan color over time in the sun as well, so just take a little precaution and your greens will always wear as beautifully as the other shades. Also, if you wonder about the color change over many washings and dryings then knit up a small sample to test what it will look like over time before washing your finished project. To speed up the color change you can boil the cotton in a roomy pot for about 20 minutes. If your water is acidic in anyway you can add a bit of baking soda to make the water more alkaline.
Shrinkage
Typical color grown organic cotton yarn will shrink in length by 10%~15% if you wash the item in hot water and then machine dry it. If you choose to do this then take the shrinkage into consideration with patterns, unless the patterns were made with the organic cotton yarn in mind (see our patterns). If you do not want shrinkage then wash in cool water with gentle biodegradable soap and lay out flat to dry. Testing a small sample will help you determine the results you want.
Light Brushing
The organic cotton yarns brush up nicely if you want a fluffier effect, especially with the roving yarns. Just go lightly and have fun with it.
Natural Veggie Dyed Yarn Care
We would suggest that dry cleaning is not a good option for any reason, BUT if you can find a cleaner that uses solely eco-friendly & natural dry cleaning practices then go for it. Otherwise we would suggest either hand washing it or putting it in a roomy lingerie bag in a washing machine set to the gentle cycle with a little biodegradable soap & a little vinegar (optional). Then lay out flat to dry. Avoiding the dryer will help the yarn to hold its beautiful color. The dryer is what makes most all colors fade over time (especially cellulose based fibers of all kinds), except for color grown cotton colors that is.
Note: The vinegar is added to help offset the alkaline nature of the soap. It will also help to prevent color bleeding if any. Some colors may bleed in the washing process a bit, though not very often. Especially the Indigo. Just like blue jeans it may take a washing or 3 for it to subside if it bleeds at all. The vinegar will help in this regard.
Button Care
Always wash your garments inside out to protect all buttons from regular abuse. The buttons will last for years with simple preventative care.
