Scouring Yarn (Before Dyeing) - The Simple Way

I basically scour all my yarns the same way for every type of dye that I have tried so far. This method uses no fancy/specialty ingredients or equipment! Maybe in the future I'll branch out and buy speciality scouring detergents, but for now, this seems to be working:

1. Fill large pot with room temperature water and a generous squeeze of dish soap.

2. Add yarn and gently push it around to fully submerge. Make sure the pot is large enough and there's enough water that your yarn isn't too tightly packed in there or squished on the bottom of the pot.

3. Heat to a simmer for 20-30 minutes. If using wool, do not boil (or you risk felting)! If using cotton, then boiling is less of a potential disaster, but still not recommended.

4. Cover pot and let it gradually cool for 2+ hours (or whenever you remember to come back to it).

5. Rinse yarn thoroughly but gently.

You can either let the yarn dry completely for dyeing later, or keep soaking it in a bucket/tub/pot of clean water if you're going to dye it soon.