Scratchy Wool -- How to "fix"?

[summerblu]

Hi everyone,

I have soakers made from Bartlett yarn. They are thick and scratchy. Do you know how to make them come up softer? Is there such a thing? I was think about using hair conditioner???? Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

[FillingMyQuiver]

: I have some itchy wool too.

[WhimsyTyme]

In my experience...

Yuk! Itchy wool! I'm sitting here scratching, just thinking about it! (I need a scratchy/itchy emoticon here!)

But this does happen, sometimes it's just from long time use and oftens times it is just the wool itself!


I have found lots of washing and maybe even over lanolizing once or twice to help!

HTH!

: I'd be curious to hear what other mamas have to say, especially about the hair conditioner! : (This is still warm caramel corn if anyone would care for some! )

..

[Pridelandsmommy]

me too (wanting to hear about good solutions)......I hate itchy wool....gives me the heeby jeebers

[lifetapestry]

Usually washing and lanolizing (and wearing) will make wool somewhat softer. IME scratchy wool will always feel scratchier than wool that feels soft. And whether or not something feels scratchy is usually a personal thing-- although there are some folks who think Bartlett's is scratchy, other people don't.

Beware of hair conditioner-- a treatment for shrunken, felted wool soakers is to soak in hair conditioner and pull back into shape. Hair conditioner makes the wool fibers stretchier (not necessarily softer), and what you may end up with is a soaker stretched out of shape. Then you'd need to lanolize anyway, and that process would wash away the leftover conditioner. So I don't think there would be any benefit to such a treatment.

Karla

[summerblu]

Thanks!

Thanks Karla. So, wash and lanolize, wash and lonolize, etc. etc. I'll let everyone know how it goes. If anyone else has tips, please let me (and the others) know. Thanks!!!

[Francy]

i'm itching just thinking about it.

it seems hard to add stuff to the wool to make it softer. just doesn't work well.

one thing i did when i needed to use an itchy soaker was to cut a gigantic fleece liner. i put the liner in the diaper as usual, and then made sure the fleece overhang the waist and leg holes of the soaker. since the fleece is nonabsorbent, it won't transfer moisture out of the diaper and to the clothing unless the diaper is super, super saturated. (like, after 13 hours of sleep, the fleece might start feeling moist, and if the baby is sleeping in cotton, some might wick. if baby is sleeping in fleece, the jammies will stay dry.)

make sense? i'm hurrying b/c dh wants me to take the baby now, and i want to read mdc!!

[LuvMy2Kidz]

What Karla said. The Bartlett does feel a bit scratchy at first(but trust me, I've felt worse LOL) Just wash and lanolize and it will soften up

ETA:

Usually washing and lanolizing (and wearing) will make wool somewhat softer.

^waswhat I was agreeing with, I haven't tried conditioner for softening, just for stretching shrunken wool back out :LOL

[Sleepy Owl]

Ugh, I bought a hand sewn recyled soaker on ebay, and it is so scratchy. I tried washing and lanolizing it, and it didn't help at all. Worse yet, it is newborn size, and there is no way I am putting that on my newborn!

Some help I am, huh? LOL

[ScotiaSky]

:

[LittleIslandMom]

I've a soaker made from Bartlett's that felt scratchy to me too. I did the conditioner routine based on advice from one of the mamas here, and it did work. The soaker softened up very nicely and is no longer scratchy. It's kind of fluffy now I guess. Mind you, I did the conditioner routine about 4 times and then lanolised it - without rinsing away the conditioner. And I didn't rinse away the conditioner each time I washed it either.

[FillingMyQuiver]

So what exactly did you do?? How much conditioner? Dry in between? What's the process?

[scrappinmomof3]

Lanolize and washing... it will soften up over time, but it won't be buttery soft.

[LittleIslandMom]

I squeeze some conditioner in about a quarter basin of lukewarm water, make sure it's all dissolved (this is important cos you don't want clumps of conditioner in your soaker) then put the soaker in and squeeze the water through it, and swish it around a little, let it soak for about 5 minutes.

Take it out, roll up in a towel to squeeze out the excess water, and lay flat to dry, ensuring it's kept in shape.

For the initial conditioning, I didn't wait until it was totally dry, just kind of about half dry before I repeated the whole process another 3-4 times. Then lanolised.

[FillingMyQuiver]

Thanks a bunch

[mum2tori]

Using hair conditioner helped with one of our soakers (Picklepants) that was kind of rough. I did the same thing that Daph did, I only did it twice but I'll probaby do it again before I lanolize it again. I didn't rinse the conditioner out and when I lanolized, I don't think it removed the conditioner. It wasn't like I was washing it will wool wash, I soaked it in some liquid lanolin. It's an awesome night cover.

It has started softening even more with use but it isn't as soft as some of our other soakers but it's bullet proof. :LOL

[Knittin' in the Shade]

I have to disagree with Karla and Jess. I'm the one who originally suggested hari conditioner (can't even remember how long ago it was now, LOL!) becuase that's waht I do for scrathy wool, and it's always worked for me. Wool is just sheep hair,a fter all

I'll explain though, why Karla's theory isn't quite on target, and why you can use conditioner on (unfelted) wool without it stretching. First, a bit on how wool felts. Sheep hair, when exposed to temperature changes and agitation, will grab on to each other and basically knot and twist around each other, thus shortening the overall fibers until they are one big mated, knotted mess (AKA, felt!)

Hair conditioner works to stretch felt, becuae essentially what it does is help to coat the hairs so that you can gently pull apart the knots without breaking the fiber. It works essentially the same as that spray-on detangler stuff you can use on your kids :LOL

Now, it doesn't make unfelted wool stretch because in unfelted wool, the fibers aren't matted and knotted/tangled, so there isn't much to stretch out. Granted, the fibers are twisted together to make the yarn, but they are not enmeshed nearly like they are in felt.

So, in short, you can use hair conditioner on wool that is scratchy to try to make it softer. However, IME, the Bartlett's yarn gets much softer all on it's own after a few washes and general wear

nak a teething babe, so forgive typos!

[Kristen]

Originally Posted by Knittin' in the Shade

I have to disagree with Karla and Jess. I'm the one who originally suggested hari conditioner (can't even remember how long ago it was now, LOL!) becuase that's waht I do for scrathy wool, and it's always worked for me. Wool is just sheep hair,a fter all

I'll explain though, why Karla's theory isn't quite on target, and why you can use conditioner on (unfelted) wool without it stretching. First, a bit on how wool felts. Sheep hair, when exposed to temperature changes and agitation, will grab on to each other and basically knot and twist around each other, thus shortening the overall fibers until they are one big mated, knotted mess (AKA, felt!)

Hair conditioner works to stretch felt, becuae essentially what it does is help to coat the hairs so that you can gently pull apart the knots without breaking the fiber. It works essentially the same as that spray-on detangler stuff you can use on your kids :LOL

Now, it doesn't make unfelted wool stretch because in unfelted wool, the fibers aren't matted and knotted/tangled, so there isn't much to stretch out. Granted, the fibers are twisted together to make the yarn, but they are not enmeshed nearly like they are in felt.

So, in short, you can use hair conditioner on wool that is scratchy to try to make it softer. However, IME, the Bartlett's yarn gets much softer all on it's own after a few washes and general wear

nak a teething babe, so forgive typos!

ITA with Theresa!!! I couldn't have said it better myself... what a great explanation!

[MissSugarKane]

I soaked my Pickle Pants in wool wash and some conditioner.It worked great

[LittleIslandMom]

Thank you Theresa... yes, it was your advice I took, I had asked about this on one of the other forums and the conditioner was your very useful suggestion.

Our Bartlett's soaker is our fave nighttime soaker now.

I just want to say that although it may well have softened up over time and use, the conditioner routine is very helpful for those who, like me, can't stand to wait and can't stand the feel of the scratchy wool on the skin at all.