Service to 'stretch' shrunken wool jumpers?

[Optiks232]

I've shrunken a couple of expensive wool jumpers which have been sitting in my drawers for the past year or so!

I've tried stretching them using over the counter solutions to no avail.

Does anyone know of a "service" which could do this for me? For example, a dry cleaner which I can post my jumpers to?

Odd question, but I really don't want to throw them away!

Thank you!

I don't think it'd be possible if they are properly felted, it's not a reversible process. You might get a tiny bit of stretch out but I'd be surprised if it'd be enough to get them back to wearable

I’m afraid @woollyfoolly is correct. If they have felted then there is nothing to be done.

Thank you! That's a shame. I guess it's a lesson learnt :(

I wonder if I can recycle them somewhere (my next mission!)

The only thing worth trying is soaking them in a bottle of cheap conditioner. If they're not completely felted it might loosen the fibres

Thank you.

I might try this again as a last hope. Do you know if I'll need to "stretch" the jumpers manually after I soak them?

I think the recommendation is to pull them a bit and then hang them but if you look on pinterest there are quite a few pins with instructions on how to do it.

I'm sorry; if it's bad there's nothing to be done. Felting's a one-way street. What might work - no guarantees, but what do you have to lose? - is running a sink full of hand-warm water with a teaspoonful or so of shampoo in it and plopping your sweater in. Leave it until it sinks - that's when it's completely wet - then pull the plug out and gently squeeze the water out of the sweater. Run another sink full of warm water and this time add LOADS of conditioner - just hair conditioner, and if you have one with silicone in it (anything on the list of ingredients that ends with -one) so much the better. Add the sweater, squeeze gently, leave for an hour or so.

Remove the water as before and wrap the sweater up in towels to partially dry it, then lay it flat. Pull it out to its original size as much as possible and leave it to dry.

Hopefully, the conditioner will encourage some of the scales on the outside of the wool fibres to release their grip.

I wonder if I can recycle them somewhere

Can you sew? Would you like some new cushion covers?

Bags. I've made bags out of felted jumpers.

I was also just going to suggest making bags