Blooming Isn't Just for Flowers: Wash That Wool!

               It has been wonderful, getting the opportunity to expand our community not only among dyers and spinners and other wholesalers, but also among hobby crafters. The latter expansion especially has brought in some wonderful personalities- and some questions from those new to wool or just new to yarns that aren’t pre-softened. So, We are here to help answer some of the questions we’ve gotten about yarn texture, washing, and bloom!

 

Why is my yarn “crunchy”?

               When you open up your first, long awaited skein of “super soft” merino or merino blend wool and it feels a little stiff or dry, it can be disappointing or underwhelming whether it’s your first skein ever or just one from a new supplier. If you’re used to synthetic yarns, cotton, or even fibers like bamboo, you know you can trust your yarn to show up immediately soft and relatively stable against change. On the other hand, if you typically buy your wool skeins hand-dyed or from some large commercial operations, you may be used to skeins that are pre-softened- the fibers are already open and soft to the touch, offering immediate comfort and little change with the first wash and block.

               Industrial and mill-spun wools, or high-tension hand spun wools, with minimal finishing, however, are a little different. Because the fibers are compacted, restrained in the twist, you don’t immediately have the same comfort and softness. In the case of industrial and mill-spun yarns, a thin layer of dried lubricant from the spinning process is also likely present. Together, these factors create the “crunchy” feeling some wool yarns may have in the skein.

Like the Title Says: Wash That Wool!

               Now how do you get rid of that crunch? Sometimes the simplest answer is the right one- you wash it! A little more accurately, you soak it (don’t agitate those fibers or you’ll end up with felt!). There’s some debate, mostly down to preference and results, about when to wash your wool, but we’ll get into that in a moment when we break down how to get it done!

“Washing” or soaking your wool yarn for the first time starts a process called the bloom or blooming of the fiber. During this, fine hairs emerge from the surface of the yarn, air is trapped between the fibers as they relax and open- increasing softness and warmth, and the natural crimp of the wool returns. The change is especially noticeable in non-superwash wool yarns. Subsequent washes also offer or preserve some of these changes, but the first bloom creates the most visible (and tangible!) change in your fiber.

Easier than Blooming Flowers

               Finally, it’s time to get down to the when and the how of washing your yarn. Wool yarn can be first bloomed in the hank or during the wet-blocking process when your project is done. While there is a consensus among crafters to bloom when blocking, it really comes down to preference and how you want to gauge your results as both options have their pros and cons.

 

               Washing, either way, is fairly straight forward. Because there are a few differences, we’ll share how to wash your yarn still in the hank and how to wash for blocking your project for those new to wool.

 

               Washing Wool in Hanks

                              You’ll Need:

·       Hanks of Yarn

·       Vessel for Water (bucket, tub, sink, stock pot, etc)

·       Wool safe soap (wool wash, dish soap, baby soap, etc)

·       Large bath towel(s)

·       Way to hang your hanks (hangers, clothes line, etc- avoid things like pins)

     Instructions:

1.       Check your yarn! If there are water temperature instructions, use those. Otherwise, fill your vessel of choice with cool to lukewarm water and add about 1 tablespoon of your soap per gallon of water. Your water shouldn’t feel too soapy and you should avoid using products with fabric softeners or bleach.

2.       Add in your hanks one at a time, gently pushing them down into the water so the soapy water can permeate the fiber.  Be careful not to agitate the yarn as this could lead to felting.

a.       Avoid overcrowding your hanks and allow the fiber to freely float: for example, the average sink can usually wash 3-4 hanks at a time

b.       If you have multiple hanks of different weight or fiber blends that look similar, you can use a piece of colored yarn that won’t bleed as an extra tie to help you differentiate yarns

3.       Let the hanks soak for around 10-15 minutes.

a.       If your wool is very dense or extremely tightly twisted, it may take 15-20 minutes to fully and thoroughly soak into the core of the fiber. However, even for very dry fiber, such as long-stored wool, 30 minutes is the longest you should let your hanks soak, unless you are dealing with very dirty/smokey/musty fiber.

4.       Drain/pour out the water and rinse your hanks one at a time to remove all residue. Gently squeeze the yarn, without twisting or agitating, to remove as much water as you can.

a.       Unless you are working with dirty yarn, have color bleed/dramatic difference in color batches you are washing, or the water becomes extremely cloudy/has debris- you may reuse it if you have multiple batches of hanks to wash. Just move your soaked hanks from the wash vessel to a secondary location- another bucket, sink, etc- for rinsing one at a time.

5.       Lay out your large bath towel and place your hanks in the center. Roll the towel around the hanks, pressing as you go to remove as much water as possible. As before, avoid twisting. Use the towel to press out the water.

a.       Depending on your towels, you may need more than one and you may need to do only one or two hanks at a time.

b.       If you are concerned with agitation from rolling, you may fold your towel over the hanks, pressing down with dry areas of towel to remove excess water.

6.       Hang your hanks to finish drying to help your yarn dry straight. We recommend using something like hangers, a coat rack, or drying rack where you can avoid any pinching to hang the fiber.

a.       If you need weight to get your yarn to hang straight, you can slip a bottle of water or can into the bottom of the loop created by the hank as it hangs to dry.

 

                  Washing Your Finished Wool Project

                              You’ll need:

·       Your Project

·       Vessel for Water (sink, tub, pot, etc)

·       Wool safe soap (wool wash, baby soap, dish soap, etc)

·       A towel

·       Knit blockers

·       Blocking Mats

Instructions:

1.       Check your yarn! If there are water temperature instructions, use those. Otherwise, fill your vessel of choice with cool to lukewarm water.  Add about 1 tablespoon of your soap for every gallon of water.

2.       Gently place your project into the water, pressing it down to ensure it is fully submerged. Be careful to avoid agitating or wringing the fabric.

3.       Let the project soak for about 10 minutes.

4.       Lift your project out and carefully squeeze (do not wring) the water from the yarn, holding the weight of the project to protect its shape. Drain/empty the soapy water.

5.       Carefully rinse your project fully, squeezing to remove excess water when done still taking care to avoid wringing or agitating the fibers.  

6.       Place project flat on your bath towel in its general, appropriate shape and roll it up, pressing to remove excess water.

a.       When pressing firmly, you can even kneel or lean on the towel to ensure excess water is properly removed.

b.       You should be aiming for damp before moving to blocking mats. Using this method will help without distorting the shape of your project.

7.       Holding the weight of your project, move it to your blocking mat and shape. Set knit blockers/pins and allow to finish drying fully.

 

Final Thoughts

               Whether you’re new to wool or new to wool that hasn’t come already opened up and softened, it can be pretty startling when you don’t get what you expect. Don’t panic, though, and hold that judgment just a little longer because there’s hope. Give that yarn a chance with a quick wash and see what changes. When you do it is up to you, based on how you view the pros and cons for your crafting style, but letting that yarn take the plunge may be how you discover a new favorite base.

               If you’re interested in checking out the change a wash can make, here at the Mill House we have some great wool bases you can try for yourself. You can even compare our superwash and non superwash if you’re feeling a little froggy! If you do, let us know how your experimenting goes and we’ll see y’all again next month!