Yes, yarn snobbery is rampant here. I’m working in a yarn store right now, and most everyone there looks down on all acrylic yarns and those that use them. I want to tell them I’m terribly sorry, but I’m a poor college kid that likes making afghans. Not to meantion, why would you want to make a blanket out of yarn that will felt when you try to wash it or when you are allergic to wool. However, being decent at customer service, I smile and nod and agree with them most of the time.
I appreciate it since Wife is knitting sweaters for Pagan Babies (I don’t think Lutherans refer to them like that but we used to buy them–the Pagan Babies, not the sweaters–in Catholic school. I think the intent was mere redemption, not physical purchase, but in my Virginia school it wasn’t clarified.) and after all these years it’s nice to know what she’s talking about without her saying, “Here, I’ll teach you how to do it.”
In my experiene it’s “Gee, Mom, how did you know 25 years ago I’d be that exact size?” Thankfully, what fit my belly then fits her bosom now.
Righto… those are the nouveau yarn snobs. A real yarn snob knows that acrylic yarn (Red Heart specifically… only the finest) is without a doubt the best yarn for making highly sculptured afghans. It is bouncy and full, takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin’. I have watched dear friends and family try to make afghans (the kind with deep patterns… keep yer shirt on if you make flat afghans) out of other yarn, and it only leads to regret.
Will it felt if you hand wash it, or does it only felt up in the washer? I’ve done a bag that I felted intentionally but if I wanted to make a wool scarf can it be hand washed?
Not to mention that a softer acrylic is ideal for warm baby things. It’s completely washable (which most wool isn’t) and it’s very easy care (again, which most wool isn’t). Cotton isn’t as warm and superwash wool is more expensive.
Wool needs heat, water, and agitation to felt. If you handwash it gently and don’t rub it together, you’ll be just fine. You can handfelt things, but it takes a lot of elbow grease. Never throw wool into the dryer. That’s just asking for trouble.
Thank you!
Oh yes. This is how I turned a lovely handmade hat into a skullcap. 
Wait, I’ve thought of more handwashing info!
Never squeeze while you wash. Swirl gently both wash and rinse, and then to get the water out, lay the item flat on a towel and roll it up in the towel, pressing the water out as you go. Lay it out flat to dry on another towel or a sweater drying rack. Don’t hang to dry because it will distort the garment. You can use shampoo to wash wool garments, since wool is only hair after all. Baby shampoo is good for making rough yarns slightly softer.
For the OP: A lot of people dye wool yarns with Kool-Aid or things like Kool-Aid. I’m not sure how they do it, since I’m the sort of person who likes to throw things in pots on the stove and poke them with sticks, but I do know it can be done in the microwave in heavy-duty Ziploc bags.
Also, you can’t felt superwash wool.
I notice no one has mentioned another stash-related acronym: SABLE, or Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy.
I have Pattern Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy, but have managed to keep my stash reasonable.
You can Kool-aid dye in pots on the stove. I’ve done it. The resultant yarn felted nicely, as well.
Um…I see NAYY in my knitting lists frequently: Not Affiliated, Yadda Yadda.
To dye yarn with Kool-Aid, you do one of two things: you can put the yarn, the kool-aid, and lots of water in a pot and apply heat until the yarn has absorbed all the dye. This creates yarn that’s nearly all the same color (the more water you have, the more even the result). Or, you can make small amounts of very strong Kool-aid/water mixture and hand-paint the yarn, by applying just as much of the concentrated solution as the damp yarn can hold. Then you wrap the yarn in plastic and microwave it to set the dye. I did it once and microwaved three times, two minutes each. 100g of wool absorbed ten packets of Kool-Aid completely and could have absorbed even more, I’m sure.
You can varigate your yarn using the pot method, too (that’s what I did) - put Kool-aid & vinegar in water in a pot on the stove, heat to almost boiling, and then lower the yarn in slowly; I did it about every 10 seconds per section (each section being about 1/4 of the skein) and came up with a pleasantly, if subtly, varigated green (which can be seen at my knitting blog assuming it’s not down again).
That’s really cool, guys. Thanks for all the Kool-Aid dyeing tips. I foresee a taste sensation in my dorm room fairly soon.
Thought of another term, too. WIP: work in progress.
Warning: Give your roommates the head’s up that you’re going to be dying (if you do). I didn’t mind the smell, but there are other folks who have found the odor to be…pungent.
The boiled wool smell does have its detractors. If my roommate doesn’t like it, I’ll ask my knitty-buddy if I can do it in her apartment. I can’t imagine her saying no.
Hey, thanks for all your “purls” of wisdom. <snort, snort> I’m so original.
I had that damn gangsta knitters song stuck in my head, dag gum.
Is it kosher to hijack your own thread? Because I find men who knit damn sexy. My SO knits, though he mostly crochets, and … yeah. That’s all I have to say really. Not the most substantial hijack ever, but what you gonna do? I’m tired.
Awww…warm vinegar always reminds me of coloring Easter eggs when I was a kid. I don’t really know how the combination of warm vinegar and hot Kool-Aid and wet, warm wool would smell, but I could probably stand it if I ever decided to dye my own yarn.
I used vinegar when I tried Kool-Aid dye, but I have read testimonials that it is not necessary.
Also: if you choose the pot-dyeing method, DO NOT let it boil and DO NOT stir the yarn. The agitation will felt it!
Another knitting term: “knitter’s butt.” I hope it’s self-explanatory.
I have exactly the same scent association with warm vinegar; I personally found the combination of scents pleasant. 
I find most people who engage in crafts to be sexier than those who don’t. 