Many years ago I heard about a product that could un-shrink wool sweaters you could get it from a pharmacy. My husband just dried my new lambs wool steater in the laundry it will now fit a small child anyone out there know of any way to reverse this let me know. thanks

-- ronda (thejohnsons@localaccess.com), March 24, 2001

Answers

I have a book that talks about care of fibers. The author is Bette Hochenberg I believe. Off hand without looking at the book the quick and easy method is soak the shrunken wool in hot water and then while it is still damp pull it back into shape and let air dry, checking to pull back into shape as needed.

-- R. (thor610@yahoo.com), March 24, 2001.

Ronda, go to the Archives under Laundry. Someone asked the same question and I posted a recipe for relaxing the fiber/yarn from a book I have that I know works. If you can't find it, email me and I'll look it up again.

-- marilyn (rainbow@ktis.net), March 25, 2001.

Ronda:

I have a somewhat similar problem. Most of the clothes which fit me a couple of years ago don't now. Has to be something in the wash water.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), March 25, 2001.

Ken Oh oh, Ken, It might be something in the soil!

-- woodsbilly (coleenl@penn.com), March 25, 2001.

Ken, I figured out what was doing that to my clothes - may be the same problem for you.

You've heard how they they put "sizing" on fabrics (and sometimes on paper) - sort of a surface treatment. Well, I'm convinced that all the size has been washed out of the clothes now, and that's why they're smaller.

As for wool - I don't like your chances, but try as above, only use warm water, not hot. I've heard that borax and/or glycerine in the water will help the wool fibres let go of each other while you're (trying to) stretch the knitted fabric back to size.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), March 25, 2001.

I suggest you make mittens and a hat out of the sweater! Good luck!

-- Debbie T in N.C. (rdtyner@mindspring.com), March 26, 2001.