Wooly jumpers and the itch!

[OohThatCat]

Has anyone out there ever successfully managed to soften a 100% wool jumper to the point it no longer itches?

I have three I'd love to wear come winter, all Icelandic wool but they all make me want to scratch my skin off. I'm not allergic to anything, just the fibres are so itchy. I can't wear anything long sleeved under them as I get too hot!

Just wondering if there's any way I can salvage these as they are so beautiful, I'd love to wear them.

Why not just put a tshirt underneath. That's what I do with my Icelandic and Aran knit jumpers.

My experience is that not everyone can wear wool or even cashmere. You can be allergic, which I am, and an under layer won’t help.

Nope. I can't stand it, even with a t shirt under it still itches. Merino wool blend I can sometimes get away with but it's not that important to me.

I have a wool skirt which is fully lined and I itch like crazy even if I'm wearing 80 denier tights.

this drives me insane. I love wool but it itches so much, I never thought I might be allergic though, I just thought maybe I was not as used to it as other people or something? I have to wear some kind of underlayer or else I just scratch all day, so it has to be mega mega cold before I can wear wool stuff.

I can't wear anything with even 10% wool in it and can usually tell just by trying something on if it's even been sniffed by a sheep. It's a shame, no cuddly angora, no soft cashmere just synthetics for knitted stuff.

@ZaraW

Why not just put a tshirt underneath. That's what I do with my Icelandic and Aran knit jumpers.

Because my arms would still be exposed, the itch is all over. And as per my post, long sleeves underneath makes me too hot.

Damn, at least I'm finding out it seems quite normal to get the itch :(

Are you any good at sewing, OP? Are they the sort of style that would still look nice if you cut them down the middle and turned them into jackets/cardigans?

I think actual Icelanders wear long sleeved shirts underneath as it can be cold enough for that there.

There is a knitting technique called steeking which does exactly what Time40 describes. You make a whole jumper in the round, then you make a button band/edging and cut open the front of the jumper. I’ve never done it, it looks terrifying, but I’ve seen it done and it comes out very well.

I have to wear a shirt under wool jumpers. Even 5% is too much.

I can't wear wool, it's itchy and prickly, it actually hurts my skin. I have a couple of old American Apparel cable knit pullovers in cotton ( bit like cricket jumpers in style), which are lovely but past their best shape now.

I once had a merino wool cardigan, very fine soft weave, I could wear that but then a hole appeared which may have been caused by moth.

I can’t wear wool or cashmere. It’s the cheaper and more flammable the better for my skin

I have a couple of jumpers I can get away with a long sleeved high neck tight t-shirt/thin polo neck from primark/Uniqlo underneath in the really cold weather. But some thicker ones still itch thru the undershirts.

Alas no good at sewing, although I did google steeking and it looks nice! I could perhaps find a local seamstress who might be able to do it for me, but they are pretty thick jumpers, I don't know how well they would translate well into cardigans.

Maybe a super thin shirt, thinner than t-shirt material might be the answer... I shouldn't have bought the things in the first place, looking back, they were beautiful, I was in Iceland and it was cold! I never get that cold here, even with the heating off! Perhaps they will just become a very fancy gourmet for moths...

Another can't wear wool here. It's getting worse the older I get. I wonder if a silk jersey long sleeved vest would be any good.

Same here, even cashmere is too itchy. Luckily I don't feel the cold much so I don't really need it, but the idea of being snuggled in soft woolly jumpers somehow appeals.

I wear uniqlo heatech long sleeved tshirts under my jumpers. I don't feel too hot but I am generally quite a chilly person.