Does wool dissolve in bleach? (Identifying random yarn)

The story so far:

£1 ball of yarn, unlabelled except for price.
Purty colour, using to make slipperses.

Questions raised:
Of what is this yarn made?

Experiments done so far - set fire to some of it, results inconclusive.

Possible further investigation:
The internet says, that wool will dissolve in bleach, and acrylic won't. Dissappearing yarn (overnight) in bleach=wool, unchanged=acrylic and, presumably, wobbly yarn=mixed.

Does anybody have any thoughts on this? (Could the internet *lie* to me?)

Does anyone have any other suggestions for identifying yarn (felting seems to be an option but looks like hard work and must compete against much more fun options which involve chemicals and flame)?

wellington womble

Knit a tension square, put it in the washing machine, and see what happens? I guess you'll find out if it's wool, and at least know whether it's washable. Why else might you want to know?

Oh - what slipper pattern are you using? Must finish unfinished things first, must finish unfinished things first, must finish unfinished things first...............

sally_in_wales

protien fibres like wool and silk should dissolve in bleach. silk definately works well that way. What happened when you flame tested it?

Also, got a pic of the ball of yarn, there is a random chance it will ring bells with someone Smile

Bugs

Thanks comrades, will have a go with the bleach.

Re washing/wearing - I finished the slippers and have worn them - I was a bit worried that if it were acrylic it wouldn't be very nice on my paws but they are comfortable as well as pretty (and popular with puppies Confused

). Washed a few times on 30-40, if anything they have stretched a smidgeon so certainly not pure wool?

Sally, when I burned a piece of the mystery yarn at the same time as a definite acrylic, pure wool and sock wool, I'm afraid I couldn't establish a real difference between any of them Embarassed

- I think perhaps I need to be braver with the amounts so I can tell if the acrylic really does curl up.

WW the pattern is from Let's Knit magazine, a few months ago - I don't think it's online but it's very simple, starting with a stocking stitch rectangle which forms the sole, you join it in the round and finish the toe like a sock, then you fold the end of the rectangle to make the heel, about two inches to sew up, and no seams to tread on. Very quick even for ol' Ten Thumbs here. There's a strap you sew on as well but it seems mainly decorative and I think you could adapt it for slip-ons. They would probably be cute Christmas presents, quicker than socks.

I will try to post a picture of slipperses and wool alike at some point.

KrisWW

Try breaking a piece of yarn with your hands. Wool snaps very easily, but acrylic will not!

Then try biting it with your teeth. Acrylic is horribly squeaky, like nails on a blackboard. Wool is just fuzzy.

When wet, how much does it stretch? Acrylic doesn't stretch much - wool will, and cotton will too.

sally_in_wales

KrisWW wrote:

all depends on the actual fibre and twist- I have wool yarn that is harder to snap than silk, I've had acrylic that parts like cotton. The burn test is usually pretty helpful, but it probably helps to compare to some known fibres the first few times you do it

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