NEED HELP WITH A SCARF I'M MAKING!!!!

[Missjay]

Okay well, i've been knitting this scarf with this kind of yarn thats all scratchy and its really itchy.. and i doubt that the person who im giving it to doesnt want an itchy neck. but anyways,.. i was wondering how i could prevent the itchy ness.. like wash it in a machine or iron it or SOMETHING!!!!! and im only 14 so... im not that good of an expert, and i dont know all those other complitcated knitting stuff.. just the basics.. so yeaa.. PLEASE HELP!! my question is.. HOW DO I GET MY SCARF TO NOT BE SO ITCHY1!!!!!!
THaaaaankss in advance

[ArtLady1981]

Why don't you start by knitting a small 4"x4" swatch using this yarn? THEN, Fill a small pan with cool water and just a few drops of a cold water wash. (maybe Woolite from the grocery store) Carefully and gently swish the swatch around in the water. Let it sit for about 5 minutes.

Remove the swatch and squeeze it out (gently) and pat dry between two thirsty terry cloths. Then, fill the pan will cool water AGAIN, and add some fabric softener. Some folks even use hair conditioner. But just a little bit. Mix it in real well. Then add your swatch and gently squeeze this rinse water through and through. Let it sit in the rinse water for about 5 minutes. Remove, squeeze out the excess water, and pat dry.

THEN, lay the swatch out on another terry towel to dry.
You will notice a big difference in the yarn and the knitting!

You cannot expect a (for example) donegal tweed to become as soft as cashmere, but the wash and rinse process will greatly help it out.

I use a professional sweater wash and rinse for fine knits, but you might not want to go that route for a single scarf. I think what I outlined for you will work just fine for your scarf!

After you've tried out whether or not this yarn will EVER make a tolerable scarf, then proceed to finish your scarf with no worries!
Even if you are using a scratchy acrylic yarn, the wash/rinse/lay-flat-to-dry
will improve the feel of the yarn.

[suzeeq]

What kind of yarn are you using?

[Jan in CA]

Yeah, it depends on the yarn. I'm super sensitive to wool and so far I haven't found one I can tolerate, but some are worse than others. Noro for instance.. eek. Do what Artlady said with a swatch and see if that helps.