Restoring knitted wool

[Mark Keeney]

I found this interesting.

"FAT Lanolin 25g

Sachet of Lanolin (wool fat) for restoring the natural water and wind resistance of knitted woollen garments.
Dissolve a pea size quantity of wool fat in a cup of boiling water then add to cool water, wash garment and leave to soak in the solution for a few hours, wring out and dry flat, blocking the garment to the correct size.
This treatment only needs to be done every 8 to 10 washes so this quantity will last for some time."

Credit This website.

[Galician]

Again a great find, Mark! I also have to thank you for that tip about the NYC tartan which was on sale on Ebay.

[Knitknut]

Another tip that is more readily available is to use a dab of hair conditioner in the rinse water after handwashing your woolen items. Restores moisture to the wool, like it does to human hair. Using the lanolin as mentioned is of course the exact match to what the wool had to begin with, but a bit of conditioner is easier and more convenient.

When I handwash my wool knit items (like the kilt hose I just finished knitting for my son's prom outfit) or other non-handknit delicates, I wash with a product called Eucalan. It cleans gently, and doesn't require rinsing, leaving your wool nicely conditioned with built in conditioners. I've used it for years, like many other knitters I know (I like the lavender scent). You can get a free sample pack with a SASE, info on site. And with this stuff, a little bit goes a long way, it's highly concentrated.

There are other wool washes out there, this has just been my favorite, as it leaves the wool nicely conditioned with less work!

And last tip: When washing small items (like kilt hose), a salad spinner is a great help. I use an OXO brand one, so I can first soak the item in the basket with the solid outer bowl serving as the "wash basin", then drain out the water, and spin at great speeds to remove excess water (be sure not to agitate the wool, just spin it, and it's fine). Then I lay the item flat to dry. I have a salad spinner just for my fiber type use, so it's actually a fiber spinner!

Dawn
www.dawnadcock.com
www.3gcs.com/adcock/knitting.htm

[thistlelass]

I had not heard of this item before and it might prove useful for restoring some of my handspun yarns that are in the natural state,not dyed, which I often work with as I am a spinner as well as a knitter. However, for wool I've purchased that is commercially spun and dyed, I also use Eucalan for the reasons mentioned in Knitknut's post. I like the smell also-very light, not perfumey and it really softens the wool so that it can be worn next to the skin.