I live in NH (USA) and I was wondering if any one had good suggestions on how manys grams each blanket should have after a turnout sheet, such as how many grams should I be looking for for a light turnout, medium, and heavy turnoutAlso any good suggestions on what tempto throw each blanket on? I have a 5yr old QH who i intend to work regularly threw the winter so i don't plan on having a thick winter coat on him.
I go by the simple rule for ever 5 degree Celsius the temperature drops, add 100grams of insulation to the blanketabove 15 C (if windy or raining) a simple rain cover, no filling 15-10 C(59-50 F) 100gram 10-5 C(50-41 F) 200gram 5-0 C (41-32 F) 300gram bellow freezing 400gram You don't have to buy one of each gram of insulation, a horse can be turned out with 2 blanket, one under the other, to achieve the desired insulationThis way the winter coat is not much thicker than the summer coat, great for competitive horses, if you don't work your horse as much and want a thicker coat, simply drop the list 5-10 degrees so you start at 10-5 C with 100grams :)
If your crochet blanket is made of an acrylic type yarn a gentle cycle, cold water and gentle soap like Woolite or the brands recommended for babies should be safeToss the blanket in the dryer using a cooler setting, drape over the back of a couple of kitchen chairs to complete the drying I have a ripple crochet blanket that I even put in the dryer for the full cycle and it looks great (feels even softer)I have a granny square blanket that I need to weave in some ends after its been cleanedBeware of too much agitation and too much heatI think it will turn out just fine.
Machine wash and dry on the gentle cyclesMake sure you have both on gentle or they may pill a littleCold is fine with a little detergent, I use half the amount I normally wouldI wash my afghans and they turn out perfectly fine this way I don't think you have to worry about 100% wool, novelty yarns, alpaca, cashmere etcYour blanket is most likely made of acrylic and most yarn labels have machine washable and machine dryable (gentle cycles) and most wool blends are also machine washable and dryableYou can always ask who made the blanket what yarn they used if you want to be extra careful Don't with afghans: don't use hot water, don't iron, don't hang to dry, and don't forget the gentle cycles.
Well, hand washing seems to be the prefered methodThat said, I use my washing machine on the delicate cycle and for a short wash with a soak and a light spinI also have a newer washing machineWith my old one, I always washed by handI use Woolite to wash in whether by hand or machine and I add a little Downey fabric softener to the rinse whether I am doing it by hand or by machineEverything feels soft and smells so fresh that wayEither way you wash it, you will need to squeeze out the excess water and lay flat to dryI lay mine over the couch and loveseat and turn the heat up slightly ( I usally keep it set at 68 and turn it to 70) and then I place two fans (one next to the loveseat and one next to the couch and turn them on high and blow the air around them You will want to kind of pull it square so that it is nice when dry By taking care of your afghan now, it will take care of you for years to come! Sounds lke you may have the next family heirloomIf it was made specail for someone in your family by someone specail to you or a family member, remember to make sure that everyone know Aunt cindy made that for Johnny at First Communion or whatever the eventThis way, your children can look at it and touch it and remember the story of where it came fromWith so many disposable things in society, it is nice to have something that will last forever Good luck with your afghan and Happy Holidays!
Hello, You can hand wash it and lay it out to dryBe very careful with it! I have found putting them in the washing machine is not the best thing for themSome of the end knots are not done very well and can come undoneI notice this in washing machinesJust be careful :0)
