making wool soakers

[uumomma]

HI
I would like to make wool soakers out of a wool sweater...i got one today from the goodwill 6$!
does it need to be felted first?
TIA,
Erika

[georgannemomof6]

yup! wash it on HOT, dry it on HOT, then you'll need to lanolize it..there are several ways to do this, the easiest is to melt a good sized dollop of lanolin in a cup of hot water, the spray it on the cover (with a plastic spray bottle)

I just soaker the soaker (lol) in a pot or sink with the lanolin/water, then roll up in a towel, squeeze out excess, then hang to dry!
Can't wait to hear how it works out!

[mommy2abigail]

You don't have to felt it. You can, it will be more bulletproof, BUT it looses most of it's stretch. I prefer not felting them, because they are softer and more stretchy (comfy) that way. HTH

[twilight girl]

uumomma, hope you don't mind me jumping on your coattails ....

Does the sweater have to be 100% wool? What is the minimum percentage of wool that will work? DH hit the thrift store in the states, and brought back some wool blends. One is mostly wool and angora with something else added. The other is a wool/something blend.

Will these work for sweaterpant longies?

[uumomma]

thanks!

where do i get the lanolen?

erika

[Teddy'sMom]

If you have any Lansinoh (sp?) left over from those early days of breastfeeding you can use that. If not they carry it at Target and some drug stores. I am sure you can get lanoline online or something, but I have just used Lansinoh, so I don't know. Anyone else?

[~Stephanie~]

I prefer my soakers unfelted. They fit better with the little bit of stretch. Sometimes I make them two layers to give them more "ooomph" while still having some stretch.

[milehighmonkeys]

I love using old wool sweaters. I find that I can make a pair of longies from the sleeves and then have enough in the body of the sweater to either make a soaker or another pair of longies. They're so cute, too!

[medaroge]

yup, I have donte sleeves as the legs and it works great!

[beepsmnms]

Originally Posted by twilight girl

uumomma, hope you don't mind me jumping on your coattails ....

Does the sweater have to be 100% wool? What is the minimum percentage of wool that will work? DH hit the thrift store in the states, and brought back some wool blends. One is mostly wool and angora with something else added. The other is a wool/something blend.

Will these work for sweaterpant longies?

They don't have to be 100% wool but need to be at least 70% in my experience. Most wool blend sweaters are part wool, part angora, part nylon or spandex. etc. It can be any combination of those .

Also, I don't felt wool either, it really does shrink it and make it lest stretchy and thicker, harder to sew.

[~Stephanie~]

Originally Posted by beepsmnms

They don't have to be 100% wool but need to be at least 70% in my experience. Most wool blend sweaters are part wool, part angora, part nylon or spandex. etc. It can be any combination of those .

Also, I don't felt wool either, it really does shrink it and make it lest stretchy and thicker, harder to sew.

I think as long as cotton isn't in the "mix" it should be just fine. Cotton/wool blends do not work because the cotton wicks the moisture though.