Merino wool FFS grrr

[thenightsky]

Washed a lovely merino wool jumper that was a Christmas present. Did it on coolest wash, gentle, bla bla.

Just taken it out of washer.

Fecking thing would now fit a 6 year old.

If I stretch it like mad while wet, will it go back?

desperate bump before fecking jumper dries

What do the washing instructions say? I would expect anything bar seversl hundred quidd worth of hand knit to survive a 30 degree cycle in a pillowcase...

I hate to say it but I think it might be a fruitless quest trying to get it bigger . Happened to me once so I feel your pain

no advice here except to say I've been wearing an extremely tight, slightly cropped, somewhat felted fairisle cardigan all day in the hope that it'll stretch. Can barely lift my arms...

Try soaking it in borax overnight then get really brutal on restretching it - if it has felted then you can be really savage trying to reshape it while it is still wet.

If it has felted beyond a joke then cut it up the middle to make a cardigan/ shrug.

I'm told that hand-washing in shampoo (!) helps relax the fibres

I'm afraid that if it's felted then there's no point, it's irreversible.

Also I'd say 30 deg is too hot. Better to hand wash - you can still pop on the washer to spin out the water.

Also use a special wool wash like Eucalan which needs no rinsing. (sorry, I keep thinking of stuff!)

If you washed it according to the instructions can't you take it back?

what does 'felted' mean?

felted is when the knitted fibres bond together a bit like a piece of felt.

Did you use wool wash?

Lots of wool will felf and shrink if you use ordinary detergent.

If it is really shrunken it is buggered, sorry.

The action of the machine is almost more improtant than the temp its washed at, too much agitation during a normal wash cycle causes the wool fibres to knit together and become felted and solid rather than fluffy and stretchy.

Washing powder is alkaline which is also bad for animal fibres like silk and wool, you have to use the wool cycle or handwash and soap flakes or special woolwash. (Fibre geek!).

Thank you all for the replies. Looks buggered

I washed it at 30 degrees on a 'dark' wash. It was in with my delicate lace knickers and best bras. I used Waitrose special liquid for dark clothing.

It was a gift and I don't know where it was purchased from, so no hope of returning it.

Felting is a good description... it looks like felt now. It crackles when I try to stretch it.

Really sorry thenightsky

I'm sorry but it's gone now.

woolens should be washed on the wool cycle, fine wool without spin (or you get the felting)

also, wool detergent or shampoo should be used as normal detergent (bio) "eats" the fibres and leave holes.

you can still make yourself a pair of felt slippers.

I think if you are in doubt. It is probably best to forget the machine and hand wash it yourself and use a towel to dry it rather than a spin. It will take a while to get dry. My handwash cycle is ok on this new machine and I use it otherwise I would be forever washing my DD's handwash only bras as they never bother.