[GoodWillHunter]

soften up wool that seems... Hard? It's scratchy and not kind... I don't like it, but I have a ton of it. Suggestions?

 

[Aurora]

I have soaked scratchy wool yarn in hair conditioner before and it has helped soften it up.

 

[2devils_1angel]

Hair conditioner!!!
My mom has always done it

Its tried and true... and works great for pulling slightly felted soakers back into shape as well.
but beware some brands are not as good as others. Make sure you have a low ph and little to no fragrances. I prefer organic type conditioners ...my favorite for soakers is MOP (modern organic products) but my mom thinks Sauve does well too, but as a hair dresser i have issues about sauve.
Aveda conditioners just make the yarn stink, i dont recommend it. And never ever use Pert, Prell or Pantine

ok sorry but my profession closely parallels wool yarn. Hair is hair (sheep have lanolin we have sebum...same stuff different name)

 

[amey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2devils_1angel And never ever use Pert, Prell or Pantine

Can you expound on this even briefly (if you know it's a hot topic, feel free to PM me)? I'm just trying to figure out if your point is that they're crappy for hair or if they're crappy businesses or what.

~amey (who should know more about her hair care products - current Nature's Gate and those TIGI products)

 

[2devils_1angel]

Pert and Prell have a ph of 6.8 -7.2.... pure water has a ph of 7.0. so you are basically not washing your hair at all, hense this is why you hear those who use these say their hair feels greasy b4 the end of the day. Pantine is just plain ole bad cuz the Pro-V is not actually vitamins it is a vinyl extract, that can indeed make your hair silky and shiny...but it seals your hair shaft never letting it open up and get clean. it also prevents colors and pems frtom being their best. so if you are using this conditioner basically you are trapping the urine absorbed inside the soaker.never washing it out fully.
How does this relate to yarn.... simple.
All hair regardless of human hair or animal fur should maintain the proper acid balance . Your shampoo is "basic" while your conditoner is "acidic" this opens and closes the hair shaft properly.
Ok so about conditioner on wool. Since many types of wool have scaled cuticles like ours ( which in yarn if the scales are open...then you feel the roughness or scrathiness of wool)
I always choose organic conditioners for myself and my wool because i do not want the extra ingredients that can cause build up and i do not want chemically fragrances
(ugg in a pinch i have done this before soakers+urine+stinky conditioner=

) . Also my boys have had bad chemical reactions to some with their super sentive skin.
I myself love tigi too but there is no way i can stand it on wool (you really dont wanna smell wet wool + dumb blond conditioner)
One thing i have found that i am loving is not actually conditioner at all, but Shea butter is yummy on wool too. you can get it like at bath & body works and its cheaper than some preofessional shampoos. so not its nothing about thew companies themselves, they have been around for many many years. It is they have an inexpensive product...not quality

 

[ZeldasMom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2devils_1angel Hair conditioner!!! And never ever use Pert, Prell or Pantine

Ah, Prell! I didn't know they still made it! Maybe it's like Tab, you think it's gone, but it's still out there if you really look. I remember that big ol' green tube sitting in the shower at my grandma's house. When I was in high school people used to say if you got a perm you didn't like you should go home and wash your hair with it. :LOL