Wool

[FlowerBlossom]

Washing several times will also help soften the wool. Be sure to avoid detergents and other soaps (woolite too) that break down lanolin....the oil that makes wool the wonderful stuff that it is.

On the topic of washing wool...all knitted wool can be washed. You just have to do it carefully. You have to use cold water. You can hand-wash, or, machine-wash-on-gentle-in-a-garment-bag (top loaders), or, wash on regular or gentle wash in a front-loader. If you hand wash, blot with towels to remove excess water...do not wring, as it stretches and otherwise wrecks the original shape...you could end up with a lop-sided garment. Block (ie, stretch and form into shape) and lay flat to air dry...do NOT use heat of any type. No blow dryers, not over registers, not matter how many towels are underneath, not near a fire. If in doubt, practise first on a sweater that can be sacrificed. Then, wash your favorite sweater.

[vrkelley]

Wool takes too long to dry. Anyone got any fast drying tips???

[lala]

Everything takes a long time to dry in Seattle! :)

Try rolling up in towels.

[FlowerBlossom]

Use a washing machine...the spin cycle is a miracle worker...just be sure to use the gentle cycle and a garment bag if you have a top loader (otherwise your wool will be stretched into iunimaginable shapes).

Blot with a LOT of towels. And, then, blot some more. Putting smaller towels/face clothes in the sleeves helps. Make sure they are size-appropriate. You don't want to stretch out the arms beyond the original size.

Lay flat to dry on a towel, change the towel regularly (more at first, less frequently as it dries, depending on the weight of the yarn...+/-every 8-12 hours.)

Keep the ambient heat in the house higher while you are drying wool.

If your winters are wet (I know your's is, vrkelley!), a dehumidifier will help dry out the air, which will result in decreased drying time for the sweater. (a bit of overkill, perhaps, unless you already own a dehumidifier.)

Make sure there is good air circulation...there contraptions (names like sweater rack, etc., come to mind) you can buy to air-dry garments. They are just a plastic mesh stretched across a frame. The mesh, obviously, provides a way for air to get underneath the garment. (But, be careful, I know someone whose cats also think this contraption a great toy, preferably with the sweater. :) ) You could also probably make one....just make sure the materials of the frame won't rust or otherwise bleed compounds or color onto your garments! Many of the wood-dowel type air-dryers don't provide enough support for wool. There's too much sagging, resulting in stretching and otherwise wrecking the garment.

[KLW2]

Sears has their 1/4 zip Moreno wool pull over light sweaters (look like a jersey with stand up collar and 1/4 zip but not as long) on sale $27.00 Originally $50.00

[Joe1946]

Icebreaker Pure Merino
http://www.icebreaker.com/site/catalog/index.html

[Redrom]

Target is selling 100% Merino Wool turtlenecks for $20

[sringlee]

Wool baselayer/underwear is wonderful for both everyday use and cycling. It absorbs moisture and does not hold body odors. Washing is simple with a mild wool detergent in cold water, delicate cycle. Wool socks (particularly Smartwool) are essential most of the year and even worth wearing, in lighter grades, in the summer.
Try the following:
Australian merino wool undies:
http://www.wool-underwear.com/
Austrian Medima angora wool blends: http://www.fusaro.de/ (but try Sierra Trading Post for less expensive closeouts at http://www.sierratradingpost.com/)
Italian wool underwear:
http://www.ragnonet.it/
Silk is also a very good winter baselayer, with similar properties to wool but lighter weave and weight:
Silk longjohns and underwear:
http://www.wintersilks.com/default.aspx

[Joe1946]

Target is selling 100% Merino Wool turtlenecks for $20
Thanks for the info, I ordered one.

[Machka]

Wool takes too long to dry. Anyone got any fast drying tips???


Yep ... I throw mine in the drier. It's usually done within an hour.

[Redrom]

Yep ... I throw mine in the drier. It's usually done within an hour.

Uh, some wool says dry clean only. I wouldn't put that in the drier if you want to keep a good fit.;)

Wool dries quickly, I use a hanging rack, but if it's still damp I don't let it keep me from wearing it unless it's too cold.

[CBBaron]

My laundry room is also the heater room (steam heat). I can hang my wool socks or jersey up on a rack in the evening and have dry clothes by morning. My synthetics dry faster and cotton dries slower.
I've found I can wash "dry clean only" wool and cashmere sweaters in my front load washer on the "hand wash" cycle and dry on a rack without any problem. I think top load washers are much harder on clothes and I won't put anything I value in the dryer.
Craig

[vrkelley]

(But, be careful, I know someone whose cats also think this contraption a great toy, preferably with the sweater. :) )

:lol: cats are like that!

[vrkelley]

OK Wool buffs...

I've inherited a sweater from my son with no tags on it. How can you tell if it's wool when there's no tag on it??

[Machka]

Uh, some wool says dry clean only. I wouldn't put that in the drier if you want to keep a good fit.;)


I've NEVER paid much attention to those tags on any clothes. Simplicity, when it comes to household tasks, is my middle name!! :lol: Most of the time (unless we're talking suit jackets or winter coats or something) you can actually wash and dry it, and it's OK.

When I got my first merino wool sweater, I was paranoid about washing it and drying it ... then a friend told me to just toss it into the washer and dryer. He said that's what he did with his. I did ... frequently ... and that sweater looks and fits as good as the day I got it. I've done that with all my merino wool since then. However, it's a good idea to keep the dryer temperature low.

[Bekologist]

how to tell what's wool?

okay, VR. aside from inspecting a fiber under a microscope for microscaling unique to wool and unseen in synthetic textiles-(actually very cool to do if you have a microscope laying around the house!)

you can try the burn test- works for several other things as well- pluck a few fibers out and light them on fire. wool smells like burning hair, and synthetic fibers will melt and "mushroom" and smell like plastic. cotton and linen char and leave distinctive ash patterns but i doubt you are confused about cotton sweaters.

cheers!

[FlowerBlossom]

There's something in Machka's "wool" sweater that is keeping it from shrinking. DO NOT DRY YOUR WOOL SWEATER IN A DRYER UNLESS YOU'VE DONE IT BEFORE

[FlowerBlossom]

dang...hit the wrong button. As I was saying.....

....or it says "wash and dry" or something like that. Wool DOES shrink. Heat does it...hot air, hot water...hot water is used to make felted wool. Perhals the Merino wool that Machka has in her sweaters has been treated w/o her knowing??? Perhaps the wool is from an ancient lineage of Merino sheep that is found only in a small pocket of Canada, and this very special wool is the only wool that doesn't shrink, even if not treated?

Airfluff in the dryer probably won't hurt. Dry at your own risk.

I have an old sweater, 75% wool, 25% acrylic, that is cold-water-washed, spun in the machine, no heat. Ever.

I like Berkologists ideas for identifying wool. Another idea might under cruel and unusual punishment, but, if you know anyone who is allergic you could ask them to rub the sweater against them. (shrug)

[Machka]

....or it says "wash and dry" or something like that. Wool DOES shrink. Heat does it...hot air, hot water...hot water is used to make felted wool. Perhals the Merino wool that Machka has in her sweaters has been treated w/o her knowing??? Perhaps the wool is from an ancient lineage of Merino sheep that is found only in a small pocket of Canada, and this very special wool is the only wool that doesn't shrink, even if not treated?


Merino wool comes from New Zealand I believe. I've got 4 sweaters ... two from the same place (MEC) and two from my local thrift shop. I wash it in warm (not hot, not cold) water, and dry it on the cool or medium settings ... not hot!

I was very surprised too when my friend was so casual about thowing his stuff into the washer and dryer. I watched him do it, and his top came out just fine. I somewhat hesitantly did the same ... and what do you know ... merino wool can be washed and dried!!

My first one, which I've had for two years now, and wore a lot on my tour in Australia, looks like this one, except in black:

http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442618985&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302704071&bmUID=1163831204366

My second one is almost the same. My other two are quite different.

[vrkelley]

I'm really not trolling. Forgive my lack of understanding. I've only worn wool for about a year.

Bek, I will try that burn test.

So another question for the experts. Of the used sweaters, only one is "Merino Wool" and appears to have small holes in it. What are they and how come the better sweater wore out so quickly.

[Redrom]

So another question for the experts. Of the used sweaters, only one is "Merino Wool" and appears to have small holes in it. What are they and how come the better sweater wore out so quickly.

I'd say it's partly because Merino Wool is relatively less itchy and costs more, so products made with it are generally thinner material (and meant to be worn against the skin). Also, the reason it itches less is because the diameter of the fiber is thinner than regular wool; perhaps thinner fibers break easier than thicker fibers (makes sense to me). This might be the reason they tell you to dry clean the items, not just because it could deform the product.

The two items I have that are regular wool are a jacket and a sweater, both of thicker material. I only have a couple small holes in one of my thinnest baselayer shirts which were purchased last year.

[CBBaron]

So another question for the experts. Of the used sweaters, only one is "Merino Wool" and appears to have small holes in it. What are they and how come the better sweater wore out so quickly.
Also Merino Wool is a nicer fiber (more comfortable) but that does not mean it is a better made sweater, and even if it is, it is not necessarily made to be more durable. Like was mentioned becase Merino is comfortable against the skin and more expensive, it is often of lighter weight, with thinner yarns. With cheaper materials you can more more economically make a thicker heavier sweater but with expensive fibers manufacturers often try to reduce material cost by using less.
Craig

[Bekologist]

small holes could be from moths.

[hairlessbill]

I throw my Icebreaker top into the dryer for the last ten minutes of drying and it hasn't shrunk by much. Have also dried it completely in the dryer with no ill effects. The care label does warn against machine drying though and says that it will shrink up to 5 percent. \

I don't pay much attention to care labels either but I usually buy a size larger anyways, just in case.

[nick burns]

small holes could be from moths.

Or carpet beetles. PITA buggers are almost impossible to get rid of once they move in, too. I've had to resort to storing wool and silk items in large zip lock bags.

[balto charlie]

To dry(er) or not to dry:
Wool does shrink BUT if dried at lower temps or it is mixed with lots of acrylic then it MIGHT not shrink. I've learned the hard way. I had a sweater that wouldn't even fit a barbie doll after the drier. I use the radiators around my home during winter and outside on racks during the rest of the year to dry wool. I have also used a drying rack with a fan blowing of the wool during wet springs.

[FlowerBlossom]

Small holes could also be from thinner strands wearing-out. It happens more often with smaller-gauge yarns, less often with a multi-ply yarn, more often with cheaply-made sweaters (not all inexpensive sweaters are necessarily cheaply made), etc.

However, my first thought was moths. What a great excuse to get a cedar chest! I LOVE the smell of cedar in wool. Mmmm!

Carpet beetles are a new one on me; I wonder if cedar repels them?

[Roody]

If you can find a used cashmere sweater, that's softer and more durable than merino. I bought a Brroks Bro. cashmere at Salvation Army for $4, and I've worn it nearly every winter day for the last 4 years. It's still in good condition.

[vrkelley]

Or carpet beetles. PITA buggers are almost impossible to get rid of once they move in, too. I've had to resort to storing wool and silk items in large zip lock bags.

Moths ay? Haven't seen any but it's a possiblitiy. I thought handwashing (but leaving some of the soap in the sweater) prevented moths.

[nick burns]

Moths ay? Haven't seen any but it's a possibility. I thought handwashing (but leaving some of the soap in the sweater) prevented moths.

Keeping clothes clean definitely helps, as the creatures are attracted to sweat and oils we leave behind, but they feast on just about any natural fibers they can find, particularly wool and silk. Moth balls help repel them as do the natural oils found in cedar.

[vrkelley]

Finally found the answer to this question:



OK Wool buffs...

I've inherited a sweater from my son with no tags on it. How can you tell if it's wool when there's no tag on it??


If you bring a mystery sweater home drop an inch of the yarn into a jar and cover it with bleach. Put it in a very safe spot (like a high cupboard above the stove that kids and animals can't get into) and label the jar BLEACH/POISON. Wool will eventually dissolve in bleach. If the yarn has dissolved after a few hours or overnight then you have a 100% wool sweater, if it looks unchanged then it's 100% acrylic.

[FraAngelico]

I've been using a pair of Ibex Energy tights. As a full time NYC pedicab driver, I gotta say, they keep you warm even when wet....amazing. Winter rain is can be a killer, but these tights really work! I hope wool keeps making it's way into the sports clothing world.

[RomSpaceKnight]

There is a sports store here in London, Ontario that sells vintage wool hockey jerseys. Put a cycling jersey on underneath and a good cycling specific breatheable jacket and your good to go.