Using a Wool Wash Bar on Delicate Wool

This method is better for cleaning delicate merino and blue faced lancashire wools.  It is simple with fewer steps.  It will also work well for cleaning wool that isn't very dirty or for that first lanolizing on a new piece of wool.  Felting is caused by agitating the wool fibers in warm water.  Please use cool or cold water when washing your wool.  Allow it it air dry.  Avoid scrubbing with a lot of friction.  The wool wash bar used here is my own Carver Creations bar.

1) Turn the wool inside out. 

2) Rinse the wool in cold tap water.  Swish to remove the urea salts from the fibers.  Pour out the rinse water.

 3) Put an inch or two of hot water in the bottom of your wash basin.  Drop in the wool wash bar.  You need enough hot water to cover the wool wash bar.  Do not allow the hot water to get on the  wool.  Let the wool wash bar sit in the hot water for a while.  Go do something else and come back when the water is nice and cloudy.  I made smoothies for my kids while this was soaking.

4) After soaking for several minutes, remove the wool wash bar from the hot (now warm) water.  Add cold water to the hot/warm soapy water until there is enough wash water to immerse the wool.  The end wash water should feel cool or cold to the touch. 

5) Gently swish and squish your wool in this water to clean it.  Feel free to allow it to soak in the wash water for a few minutes.  If you let hand-dyed wool soak for more than 10 minutes, it will probably bleed dye into the wash water.

6) Spin out the wool in a washing machine.  This needs to be spin only, no water should be added to the machine basin or agitation by the center agitator.  Remove wool promptly after the spin cycle has completed.  Wool left in the machine may be forgotten and felted with the next load of laundry. 

7) Air dry.  Normally I lay the wool flat across the top of my drying rack, but this time the rack was too crowded.  Hanging wool may cause it to stretch.

Note to Self

A recent conversation with a friend reminded me of topic that I had read about in the past.  I found this blog post about the topic http://siarlysjenkins.blogspot.com/2009/09/was-israel-even-in-egypt.html and I wanted to pin it for future reference.  Of course, when I went to pin it, Pinterest told me that it didn't have an image to pin.  So, here you go Pinterest, here's an image, so I can pin this blog post and have the link to the article on my boards. 

Using a Wool Wash Bar on Heavily Soiled Wool

This method is great for wool that is really dirty.  It's also great for wool that toddlers or heavy wetters wear.  It removes urine more effectively than swishing in liquid wool wash.  I want to add a note about felting.  Felting is caused by heat, agitation, and water.  So please, while following these steps use cool or cold water and be gentle.  Scrub lightly without using a lot of pressure.  

The woolies used in these photos are interlock from Wild Child Woolies.  The wool wash bar used is my own Carver Creations bar.  It contains lanolin and a touch of lavender essential oil to ward off the moths.

1) Examine the outside of the woolies for any soil: dirt, mud, food, poo...  Dampen the spots of filth with cool water.  Lightly scrub at the gunk with the wool wash bar.

 2) Turn the woolies inside out.  Inspect the inside of the wool.  Clean any soiled spots of the inside just like you cleaned the outside.  

3) Fill the sink or bowl with cool water.  Rinse the woolies.  Swish and swirl.  Pour out the used water.

4) Gently scrub the wetness zone with the wool wash bar.  (Don't leave the bar of soap in the bowl for step 5.)

5) Fill the bowl/sink with fresh, cool water.  Swish and swirl the wool around to dissolve the lather into the water.  The water should be nice and cloudy. At this point you can allow them to soak for 5-10 min.

6) Dump the wool into the washing machine.  Turn it onto spin only (no agitation or added water).  Spin the excess water out of the wool.  This step cuts drying time.  Make sure you remove the wool from the machine immediately after it stops spinning.  You don't want to forget about it and add laundry on top.

7) Turn the wool right side out.  Air dry.  I like to lay them flat on the top level of a drying rack.

Happy Washing

Motivation

Last night was one of those nights.  Phoenix went to sleep cranky and with a fever.  She woke up crying at about 1:45 am.  She was awake for over an hour before we could get her back to sleep.  This is a coffee morning!  Notice the coffee pot buried behind dirty dishes.  I'm sure that you know what is in the dishwasher.  That's right - clean dishes.  What will motivate me to put away those clean dishes and load the dirty ones?  My desperate need for coffee.

Pricing for Knit and Crochet Wool Diaper Covers

YYMH - Your Yarn, My Hook (Crochet) 

Longies: Small $18, Med $20, Large $25
Shorties and soakers: Small $13, Medium $15, Large $17
Capris and Board Shorts: Small $15, Medium $17, large $19
Skirties: Small $18, Med $20, Large $24.
Additional inch over the maximum inseam at any size $1/inch.
Design work on YYMH will vary in cost depending on what you want so I'll say $0-5 extra.
My crochet pattern is my own design. It's done in tight single crochets with a booty flat to fit over cloth diapers and a gusset for ease of movement.

YYMN - Your Yarn, My Needle (Knit) 

Longies: Small $20, Med $25, Large $30
Shorties and Soakers: Small $14, Medium $17, Large $20
Capris and Board Shorts: Small $17, Medium $20, large $24
Skirties: Small $20, Med $22, Large $26.
Note: I usually do a crochet skirt over a knitted soaker. I prefer the lacy look of a crochet skirt.
Additional inch over the maximum inseam at any size $1/inch.
Design work, ruffles, cargo pockets on YYMN will vary in cost depending on what you want so I'll say $0-10 extra.
 I am a licensed Sheepy Time Knitter.

These prices do not include shipping.

Use My Yarn

I have piles of yarn available at very reasonable prices. Please as about pricing using my yarn. It ranges from $5/skein up to $15/skein.