first washcloth - color ran???

[christianmomof3]

Ok, I knitted my first ever washcloth out of this yarn http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog.j...DID=xprd357316
that I bought on sale after Christmas.
Dh used it this morning and now it is pinkish because the red color ran. So did the green so it is like a pinkish color with green blobs in it.
I have never knit with cotton (or much else anyway) and have not washed anything like this before. Should we have washed it with vinegar before using it or something?
Do you need to prewash things like that?
Thanks

[JennP]

cottons fade and bleed I don't know if there is any prevention.

sorry it bleed. It is so diappointing when you put time into something and it just doesn't turn out like you want.

Jenn

[christianmomof3]

I e-mailed the company and got this response:

Hello:

Thank you for contacting our company. We are very interested to hear about your concerns and questions regarding our patterns, and yarns.

Please be assured that we try to take every possible precaution to avoid such problems as you have experienced. Unfortunately, when dying darker shades such as reds, greens, navy’s, or variegated it requires a heavier application of dye stuff chemical and in some instances it is not all absorbed in the yarn which causes it to come off on your hands or when washed. We have had a small amount of dye lots like this.

We suggest to knit your project, then soak it in a solution of equal cold water and pickling salt, for approx. half an hour, then rinse in pure water, then soak again in equal amounts of vinegar and water, for approx. half an hour. This will set the dye.

Once again thank you for contacting our company, If for some reason you are still having problems please do not hesitate to contact us.

Thanks!

Your Friends at Patons, Bernat and Lily.

Doris Erb, Pattern and Yarn Support

www.bernat.com

www.lilyyarns.com

www.patonsyarns.com

so, what is pickling salt?

[Kodachrome]

Originally Posted by christianmomof3

so, what is pickling salt?

Salt sans the iodine.

[mamasthree]

...plus pickling salt is very fine and will dissolve better in cold water.

sorry for your troubles!

[lilyka]

bummer!!!

it never occured to me my cotton yarn would run!

[lovesdaffodils]

Oh wow, I never would've thought that either! Thanks for posting the response from the company.