XP-help with wool

Amy8880

I have some sewing skills but I know nothing about wool.  I found a wool blanket (a Troy Robe) at a resale shop for $3.  I would like to use it to make some soakers and longies.  I want to clean it before I use it but my guess is not to wash it in the washer right?  What should I do to get it clean or should I make the woolies first and then wash them.  If I wash them in washer it will shrink and felt and that is bad? Please walk me thru this.....

gollywollypog

Wash first. In the washer is fine.  If you wash in cold and tumble dry it will only shrink/felt a little bit.  If you wash in hot and dry on hot it will shrink up to itty bitty, which is fine if that's what you want to do.  It's kind of fun and it always makes me and my kids laugh our bums off.

The good thing about shrinking/felting before you make your soaker is that if you wash accidently or soak in hot water it won't shrink your soaker to doll sized proportions.

The down side to washing on hot and shrinking/felting a lot is that you lose much of the stretchablity of the wool.  But some stretch is still there, it's just much tighter.

Hope that helps! 

yodasmistress

Must upcycled wool is LIGHTLY felted before sewing. It needs to be at least 80 wool to make a good diaper cover.