How do I keep a scarf from stretching?

Question

I knitted a scarf from Patton's Bohemian chennille yarn. It is washable and dryable. Everytime my husband wears it it stretches out! it just keeps getting longer and thinner! How can I get it original shape back and prevent it from stretching more?

Answer 1

You can probably save it when it's done stretching. Iron a strip of interfacing across the center point of the scarf. Cut the scarf in half on the interfacing to make 2 scarves. Line up your 2 scarves side by side and whipstitch them together. Cover the interfaced end and the good end with a strip of fabric folded over and sewn on like a quilt binding. Voila - wider, shorter scarf!

Or, use it as the center stripe of a more tightly-knitted one.
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Answer 2

Now? You probably can't, I'm sorry to say. It's stretching because of the yarn and because of the stitch you used, most likely. If you used a fairly loose stitch (big needles or loose tension) then it will stretch. It just will. In the future, you may want smaller needles or to use a tighter stitch somehow. They stretch less. I'm not familiar with that particular yarn. If it is a naturally stretchy yarn, you may want to knit two strands together next time: one of that yarn and one of a non-stretchy one.

Answer 3

well its gonna keep doing that, but when you wash it, it should go back to its regular size.