Washing a Knitted Piece After Knitting / Relaxing Bath

Dear users, dear designers,
how do you handle washing knitted pieces after they’re finished? I’ve heard that there are yarns that actually need a relaxing bath to really come out beautifully?
Do you do that with crocheted pieces too?

Since I don’t know how to crochet, I can’t speak to that, but for knitted items, you should definitely wash and block them.
This is especially important for lace shawls and pieces with lace patterns. These patterns only reveal their full beauty after washing and blocking.

Some yarns don’t look their best until they’re washed. I just finished a project with pure new wool, and it definitely needs a wash. My crocheted blanket also didn’t look its best until after I washed it. 

I currently have a crocheted shawl soaking in a relaxing bath. Afterward, I’ll block it so the pattern and shape really stand out.