What makes superwash wool washable

To answer that, let's take a little step back and revisit what 'superwash' actually is:. Superwash yarn and fibre yes, there's also superwash fibre for the spinners out there!

Wool shrinks because it felts: The tiny scales that contribute to so much of the awesomeness of wool They trap air to keep you warm! They increase the surface area of the fibre so that it can hold more water! As they hold on to each other, the fibre becomes smaller and smaller, denser and denser - it felts.

So to make yarn machine-washable, you have to get rid of the scales. There are - generally - two ways to do this: You can either strip the scales off the fibre, or you can coat it in something to flatten the scales. The most common superwash process - used for approx. As a first step, the fibre is chlorinated, i. In the second step, a polyamide-epichlorohydrin resin - more commonly known as Hercosett - is applied to the fibre.

The removal of MEA and the edges of the scales helps with the distribution of the resin; the application of the resin creates the 'superwash' coat that helps prevent felting and shrinkage. The resin itself is a type of plastic which is why you'll also find superwash yarn described as 'plastic-coated'. The yarn that comes out of this process has a few distinct advantages:.

Or the thought of finding a place to dry a sweater etc was too much to think about. She wears it in cooler months and now to find a place to dry a long cardigan?? It will be dry cleaned, and sitting around not being worn as often as my daughter envisioned. After growing up with sheep and shearing sheep, washing fleece, spinning wool and knitting handspun …. That thing where it stands away from my skin just a little and gives me breathing space? I love that about wool.

Anyway — this description will help me predict what the different yarns will do so thank you! Thank you so much. This is a lot to digest, but so very helpful. With a big family and friends to knit for, I want them to enjoy wearing the knits and not worry about care of them. Mindful of the processes to. Who says knitting is just an art? Obviously it is a science too; the whole enchilada!

I simply and wholeheartedly appreciate your posts. So science-y, thorough, and thoughtful. Thank you. What a great explanation- especially regarding the grist involved and drapiness of superwash.

Thank you! I am a very tactile person. So why is the combination of merino wool and cotton so washable and delightful to work with…i. Spud and Chloe worsted weight. The price is high but the quality is worth the price?

Once again, a fascinating article! I thought all polymers were plastics. I went to a talk last week when the chemist speaking referred to proteins as polymers … I was just as surprised as you! I cannot reshape it, even to proper measurements, and instead of blocking a shape, I end up throwing the garment in the dryer, only to have it come out exactly as it came off the needles — good or bad.

How I love the tweaking that is possible with wet wool, or steam, and the ability to shape either stretching or pinching the individual areas of a sweater or dress or skirt. Give me old fashioned wool every single time! Thank you for another very informative article. Many years ago, when I started knitting I stocked up on super wash wool. I was enamoured with the colours, soft touch and washability.

To find out what different fibers can withstand during washing, I made a number of swatches in a variety of yarns: generic and single-breed untreated wool; superwash wool; alpaca; llama; and the synthetics viscose and acrylic. Then I put them through progressively more demanding washing cycles. The results are shown below. All the hand-wash-only swatches were improved by the washing process, just as they would be by hand washing in a sink.

Of course not all machines are the same as mine for the record I have a front-loading machine, I used wool wash and no fabric conditioner so experiment with swatches rather than garments! I have never previously felt confident putting a handknit in the washing machine but seeing how well the swatches fared, I put two hand-wash jumpers through the gentle cycle.

They came out perfectly. Knowing how to care for a range of yarns means you can choose the right yarn for your circumstances. The first is to use a chlorinated acid bath that removes the 'scales' from the fiber. Unfortunately, the use of chlorine also results in the creation of chlorinated compounds, including dioxins, which can be deadly to humans at levels below 1 part per trillion.

Because the wastewater from the wool chlorination process contains these toxic chlorinated chemicals , it is not accepted by the majority of water treatment facilities in the United States.