wool/cashmere/angora mix knitwear

[SmokedMackerel]

I want to buy some warm winter cardigans/jumpers for my DC.

I've been looking for wool mix ones because I thought they would be warm.

Most of the ones I can find are mainly cotton, bit of polyamide, and 10 or 15? wool. Will it be particularly warm? It sounds like a very small amount of wool .

Am I better off paying more for a higher wool content? And is wool the best thing to go for, or is cashmere or angora better? I have heard merino being good, but can't find any.

This White Company jumper is 100% wool. I want the navy but could only find the natural colour in store. It felt very soft and has nice detailing in the knit!
You can usually find a 20% code (there'll be one knocking about on here) which would bring the cost down to £76 with free delivery.
www.thewhitecompany.com/clothing/knitwear/fishermans-rib-sweater--navy/
Angora is warm but it's hard to find sweaters with a high angora content. It can be itchy for some.
Here is a Hobbs' 100% lambswool (says it's soft) that you can buy in the sale in cream or mustard (shortish sleeves though). You can get it delivered to your local Hobbs' store for free if that helps.
www.hobbs.co.uk/product/display?productID=0213-9956-2639K00&productvarid=0213-9956-2639K00-IVORY-18&refpage=search/results
Cashmere is pretty snuggly but I have to layer to feel really warm. John Lewis' cashmere is pretty unbeatable for the price. Here's one of their latest (v pretty)...looks much nicer in their winter catalogue, especially love the green and purple):
www.johnlewis.com/collection-weekend-by-john-lewis-cashmere-cable-knit-jumper/p759463?colour=Green
Mohair is pretty warm too... Just got a nice warm Brora sweater...though I have to layer (a bit itchy but I am super sensitive!)
You can get a lot of 'vintage' 100% wool pieces on Ebay.
:)

I actually meant for my kids, not me, but I have totally fallen in love with that purple John Lewis jumper .

So wool is warmer than cashmere then?

John Lewis do some woollen boys jumpers. Gap have some with wool in. Plus Monsoon & Boden, white company usually do some but haven't spotted this year. For proper woollies, Cambridge Baby but £££ as with Brora. I buy on eBay and find merino best as its really soft, easy to wash but very warm.
Cashmere isn't warmer than wool IMO but much softer, doesn't last as long and way more expensive. Have never bought for dc!
If younger dc, JoJo Maman Bebe have lots.

Oops
I think cashmere is pretty warm but I feel the cold (not sure whether wool is warmer...I can't wear it directly next to my skin...too itchy). I think cashmere is warm but the 'ply' (I think that's basically thickness...someone may correct me) determines just how warm. A lot of cashmere is so thin these days unless you pay big bucks (eg Brora...although you can get some good deals in the sale, still £££ though) Boden cashmere is almost see-through and I found it too scratchy. John Lewis cashmere is the best I've found for the price... That purple jumper is nice, isn't it?! :)
Oh, for your DC, why not look on Ebay? Search children's wear for lambswool jumpers and cardigan (also Brora for children, as you may still pay a fair bit but most people who invest in such expensive children's wear really look after it because they intend to sell on and recoup some of their money :)
Do you have any one in the family or in your circle of friends who knits? My dad can recall my grandma knitting him a jumper a few nights before Christmas to wear on Christmas day. Home knitted jumpers in soft lambswool are unbeatable if you know some one who's adept with a pair of knitting needles! :)

Is your DC male or female? Age? :)

Oh fgs get them a fleece. They're kids. You'll bugger it in the washing machine anyway

My DC are girls, 5 and 2.

I suppose I could get fleece, but I just find it is a bit hot and sweaty indoors, and I thought wool would be a bit more breathable. More important for the eldest, who's away from me all day, so I can't tell her to take her jumper off if she gets hot

I will have a look on eBay.

I think there's a reason that a lot of shops don't make kids' jumpers in wool - quite tricky to get them non-itchy, washable and so that they keep their shape. Also they take an age to dry in the winter. We stick with fleece or cotton mix ones and layer up.

If you're worried about cold I recommend merino base layers (Helly Hansen and most outdoor companies do them). Wash brilliantly, dry in hours and lovely and soft.

They are more breathable and warmer for the weight esp lambs wool and merino. I hate wearing fleece and 2 of my dc do better with wool. And for girls fleece looks pretty awful with a lot of their clothes. I machine wash all of their jumpers, thin ones dry pretty quickly.

I would go for merino (as high % as possible) - wool can be itchy and therefore is best on top of layers.

It's not just about warmth, it's softness and durability too.
Merino is softer than lambswool, generally, but depending how it's spun, can be a bit too soft. (I have a Toast sweater where the merino has been spun so well that it never pills and has a great sheen. So it's possible to make it so it'll last.)

Cashmere varies greatly in quality, and tbh most of the cashmere content in chain-store knitwear is not going to be great quality and potentially will shed quickly anyway. Brora have a great reputation and do childrenswear if you fancy spending £££

Angora gives that slightly fluffy halo but can't be spun tight into the yarn, so angora-mix sweaters often pill quickly and wear out.

You're best off going for lambswool and a good quality brand, although it is a bit hit and miss. Basically it's entirely possible to spin it so it never pills and wears like iron, but the fashion is for softer fabrics with more halo so fabric buyers, regardless of brand, pay more attention to that than how warm and durable it'll be.

The warmest addition to wool apparently is mohair: itchy!

Thanks, that's really useful information. I had a bit of a heart attack when I saw the prices on the Brora website .

I think I am going to ask MIL to knit something for them, and try and find a nice, contemporary pattern and some good quality wool for her.

She knitted lots of baby cardigans and booties for them, but I don't think she has any patterns for older children. And she tends to choose very odd wool. It will help if I know what sort of wool to look for.

Thank you again

This is really good quality knitting yarn, in good colours too, very vintagey.

There are loads actually, a cheaper one would be Cygnet, which is wool + nylon and I think is washable at 30 deg.

Hi, sent you a PM....more 2-3 years stuff but hope it helps. Some listings are due to end in two or three hours. :)

Smoked - get on to Ravelry.com = the Knitter & Crocheter's Mumsnet.
Lots of patterns on there - and lots you can download for free.
But even more useful is that everyone loads up pics of the versions they have knitted so you can see what they will really look like.

You have to register to browse - but tis free.
Woolwarehouse.co.uk and hobbycraft (3 for 2) are good for reasonable wool with actual wool in it.

Personally I have DS (3) in fleece jackets as he can take them off if too hot and they wash quickly (he is messy)

But my friend has her DD's (3&18Mo) in alot of White Company and handknit stuff.
W

LeoandBoosMum thank you for sending those links .

MIL is v enthusiastic about the idea of knitting something, so I have told her about ravelry.com, thank you for that recommendation!

And my mum has incredibly dug out an old jumper that my great aunt hand knitted for me, which should fit dd ,so she is going to post it. I had forgotten it, but I think I do actually remember it, it had teddies all round and their scarves stuck out. So dd will be rocking a retro 70s vibe this winter . Bit nervous about washing 30 year old wool though!

I wouldn't choose angora for kids as the small threads come off on everything. Wool is dry flat and so takes a day to be ready after washing.