Ha, seems like a no-brainer question, I just want to see how people treat their yubikake. Of course, if not soaked with beverages by accident, I don’t see the need to wash it. As it gets worn, it represents a sign of progress.
But my yubikake is so stretched and loose now, which is uncomfortable and disturbing. So could I try to shrink it by putting it in the dryer?
If it is all wool, you could try the dryer, but if it is the type with elastic fibers woven through it, it might get ruined. Yubikake don’t last forever, though - next to strings they are probably the thing you need to replace most often. When I was studying shamisen in Kyoto I went through them so fast that I started cutting my own out of the thumb and index finger of cotton work gloves, which were much cheaper and lasted longer. Other people knit them - I think there was a pattern floating around this site a few years back, which you could look for if you know any knitters.
Thanks for your response! I washed them (actually I have two, seem to be different kind of non-synthetic material) and put them in the dryer. They turned out fine, just a bit stiff at first. I don’t think I practice often enough to ruin them yet! But it’s good to know that they don’t last forever… I thought they do!