Thank you so much for this video. I am a pretty eco driven new knitter and I had no idea about the impact of the super wash yarn. This will help me make better purchasing decisions in addition to getting my projects correct!
I am glad that the info clicked for you. Make sure to do your research because I hope I made it clear that there are eco friendly superwash techniques, you just have to figure out which one the yarn supplier uses.
Love the way you explain it. Better than me XD I try to learn people about the eco way, the environment en what's out there. Why their project doesn't look the same etc. This should be on the yarn label. Drops yarn uses this quality of wool to "blow" the wool fibers to make it super light and fluffy. Brilliant is it. Thanks for the video Barbara ;>*
This was so super helpful and I wish I had watched this earlier! In hindsight I can see why a couple projects didn’t turn out the way I wanted based on yarn choice 😅
Thank you Barb! I do know that sw Wool will grow/stretch and it is so helpful to know more about the differences in the various fibers and what we can expect when we use them.
I really found this interesting! Roxanne Richardson is very knowledgeable about fibers & has done some spinning. She would be an interesting person to talk to. I'm glad I found this video. I look forward to watching more of your tutorials
Thank you so much for the informative video! I had no idea the process for superwash and your explanation on the difference in the two yarns will definitely be useful for future projects
Wow! I have investigated the superwash process as I am allergic to wool. I discovered that I can use most superwash wool, but not all. In trying to find out why, I discovered that there are differing superwash processes. I still can’t predict whether or not I can work with a type of superwash yarn unless I give it a try. But I had no idea about the properties of regular wool vs superwash. This explains a lot. Thank you so much!, 💜🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
This is sooo helpful 🙌 I do a lot of baby and childrens clothing with eco-friendly superwashed yarns, and I tend to "pad them together" when I block, but they'll still grow a lot, when they're worn 🤦♀️
I just finished a sweater made with SW and soaked and started the blocking----it's 5 times larger. I wish I had come to you before I started this project. Now I know. Once the project dries, I'll frog and wind it up again and make a shawl. Hopefully, this will work better. Thank you very much for your very informative video.
Thanks so much for all that info. I haven't worked with super wash wool yet but I'm glad to know all the info for it. Before making something in it. Thanks for always keeping us informed about all the yarny goodness!
Most of the time yes. But if it is a sock yarn with a high nylon content it is not going to be the best choice for something that needs to be blocked well like lace. Nylon fights blocking.
Thank you!!! I enjoy your videos, they are so informative and helpful to me, I have some limited kitting experience, but really need to learn about yarns ect. Thanks again, I am deeply a fan!!!
Well, it works well for wools that felt. Superwash yarn is still technically a natural fiber (as is cotton, hemp, silk and such) and it isn't going to spit splice. Pretty much you need a high, non superwash wool content to get an effective wet join.
Marvelous video!!!! So informative. I never really knew the difference, but now I will be watching for these details and trying to apply them correctly. Thank you Barbara and I will be looking for you on Zoom in Sept!
I encourage you to do some reading on the subject if that is something that is important to you. There are relatively safe alternatives that can be found.
Thank you for explaining this! Between superwash and nonsuperwash (brand new word all mushed together, there) I've been more confused than anything. It would be lovely to have someone from your local Weavers' Guild chapter to speak in depth about this topic And, perhaps, the use of more than one fiber to help control superwashed wool's proclivity for growing (and invading the earth). I was thinking about bamboo or linen which might help the wool hold its shape a bit better? (I'm guessing wildly here!).
Yes! Fiber blends are frequently created to develop yarns that behave in a certain way, adding fibers to "correct" undesirable traits in certain fibers while retaining the positive ones. Bamboo would not be particularly helpful because it grows like crazy as well. Linen is very strong but has very little memory - that would be something I would need to experiment with to see how it works.
I think, you did a very useful video, and a very good explanation - I'm sure, I will link to this video many times in the future. Thank you very much 😘
Hi. Thanks so for another very informative video. I learned a lot. For example, when I first became aware of and started knitting with SW wool I presumed (wrongly apparently) that it was washable vs regular wool which will shrink big time. So, in the interest of progressive education (at least for me) would you talk about acrylic yarn and maybe compare it to other types of yarn? Since I discovered SW yarn a couple of years ago I have knitted with it alot. I have knitted myself 3 pairs of socks, and would you believe it, the bottoms of the heels have been felting. I actually found that rather amusing. But learning what I have from your current video, I find myself wanting to know more, specifically about acrylic yarn. I see over to the right side of my screen that you have a video about "Understanding Wool, Silk, and Bamboo Fiber; and I plan to watch that too. Again, thank you for all that you do to make us all competent knitters (and crocheters). Terry
If I didn't make things clear - Superwash is indeed washable. I'm sorry if I muddied the waters. But it is still possible to shrink and felt it - it just takes a LOOOOT more effort. I'm afraid I'll have to do more research to talk at any length about acrylic - but the number one thing to know about it is that it is essentially plastic.
Thankyou. Now I know why that one sweater project was a disaster. The garment stretched out of shape while I was knitting it, providing more reasons to dislike wool. Maybe I’ll make a shawl out of it. Also the recipient is a machine wash and dry type. So what type of yarn should I use for his sweater?
I love super wash but can tell you from years of use that I have hats I can no longer wear because they grew so much. I thought acrylic was bad at this but had to find out the hard way. I no longer have a yarn store in my area so feeling a yarn to know if it’s scratchy is no longer an option. As I’ve gotten older my level of sensitivity to things has grown so I need to really check out the processes of super wash wool
I tend to block my superwash wool sweaters as I'm knitting them. That way I make sure the arms don't grow 6 inches. I've noticed the garments stretch more than a blocked swatch because of the weight.
That's a really good plan. One thing you can do to make your swatches more accurate is to hang them and even weight them. If you clip your swatch onto a hanger and then put binder clips along the bottom edge you can simulate the effect of additional fabric pulling. Let it hang in your closet for a couple of days and see what happens. I have even known designers that use the binder clips to clip quarters on the bottom for more weight.
Coming from only using acrylic yarn, I didn't know the difference except most 100% wool was too scratchy & needed more care. Good to know about chemicals as I'm for the environment and will need to research. Do you think you'll speak about bamboo, cotton or linen compared to wool? Thanks again for your videos.
I know I'm 3 years late, but I just wanted to add something here. Not all the wool is scratchy. You can always use nice mohair, alpaca or something like that. Or blend of that kind of wool with like 30% acrylic.
Honestly, the only reliable way to tell is to read the label. Visually there aren't any generalized distinguishing factors. Barring that, you can make a small swatch and throw it into a hot washing machine and then hot dryer and see if it felts/shrinks .... definitely not superwash.
@@WatchBarbaraKnit Thanks for your speedy reply, and for all your videos! I am finding that the wool which is labelled superwash tends to have a somewhat shiny appearance or slightly slippery feel as compared to more natural wool so with the wool which I don't know about (mostly 2nd hand or thrifted) I'm going to guess based on that. I want to make more clothes from wool to avoid plastics so it was a revelation that a lot of wool now is superwash and can include similar polymers / chemicals as plastic yarns.
If you're making a garment with superwash wool should you use smaller needles and knit tighter or use less stitches? And will the swatch increase the same percentage as the finished project?
You need to swatch and block the swatch and use whatever needle size is needed to get the gauge called for in the pattern. In theory the swatch will tell you what will happen with the project.
Not sure if you’ll see this, but I’m wondering if I knit Malabrigo Rios held double with something that won’t stretch all to hell, to make a chunky weight project, will that add structure to help keep the Rios from becoming gigantic the way it does by itself…?
Hi Barbara! I've just started learning to knit and I really appreciate your videos. I've got a 'mystery bag' of misc yarns without labels and I wondered if there is any way for me to try to work out what fibres I've got etc.? I don't know what search terms to use to try to find a video on this! Thanks so much
The only thing I know how to test for is natural vs synthetic fibers. If you carefully hold a flame to the end of a piece of yarn it will either ash or melt. If it ashes and smells like burnt hair - it's natural. If it sort of curls up and melts like melted wax - it's synthetic. If it does a little of both it's probably a blend.
Thanks so much for the video, really good information. I have a lace shawl I made with a merino/silk yarn and I think I may have agitated it too much when I washed it last, because it has shrunk a little bit and doesn't have nearly as much give as it used to. But it's nowhere near completely felted or anything. I can still clearly see the individual stitches and it can still be stretched. Do you know what I can do to make those fibers relax and get the elasticity back?
Hmm, I don't know. You could try reblocking it gently. Soaking in a room temperature bath with wool wash - avoiding all agitation. And then block it out and see what happens.
Hey Barbara! If I use superwash yarn to make a sweater, is it enough to just use thicker pins? Do you recommend using this yarn for a patterned sweater? The original pattern was made for a non-superwash yarn but I chose a superwash one because it was 24/10 like the original and had the colors that I wanted. What do you think? Thanks for the video, hope you have the time to answer my questions! :)
Greetings! I’m a crochet person! So are u saying if I’m crocheting a sweeter with SW yarn I would want to size down? I so wish I more knowledge of yarns. Even where to go to buy. Love to get to know some spinners/and people who color yarns too! Thank u! You have definitely spark me to question about what I’m about to do! Just sought SW merino wool to make me a sweater! So I’m about to embark on what you just talked about!
I am not a crochet person so I am uncertain what you would need to do. What I recommend is that you would need to swatch with your yarn and block that swatch to see if you get gauge and adjust hook size accordingly. Simply crafting the smaller size may or may not work. Crochet lends a lot more structure to fabrics so it might not be as big of a deal.
The more processed it is the less lanolin present, but I am guessing it depends on your sensitivity. I am also allergic to lanolin, but I wouldn't say "very" allergic. I have no problem with super wash or even the majority of non-superwash wools. I've run into trouble with minimally processed rare breed yarns - they make my hands swell. Also - avoid the wool wash Euclan - it has lanolin in it.
Considering the amount of wear and therefore washing a blanket would get - I am all for superwash blankets. It might loose it's shape but it's a blanket LOL!
The most popular sock yarns are typically a blend of wool and nylon with 15 - 20% nylon being desirable. You can do regular or superwash wool depending on if you are planning hand wash vs machine wash. Both work fine.
I tend to think of yarn memory as how fast the loop is likely to disappear if I accidentally pull it off the needle. Wool tends to hold on longer than slicker acrylic yarns.
Wait... you said something I don’t quite understand. You said “I’m obsessed with Yarn”, this seems to imply that there are people who are NOT obsessed with Yarn. Are you sure about that? The entire concept simply boggles my mind! Thanks so much for all of this information about wool and superwash because this actually came up recently when my mother-in-law came over. She has been crocheting for years but she’s never really progressed past the granny square stage. Her understanding of Yarn is rudimentary at best, she calls EVERYTHING wool. Acrylic, polyester, you name it she calls it wool. When she tried to pair some ($30 a skein) wool with some of the cheapest acrylic worsted weight I had on hand simply because the colors looked good together I tried, in vain, to explain why it wasn’t really a good idea. I wish your video had been out then, because I’m not entirely sure she believed a word I was saying about how it wouldn’t really wash well and that the yarns would end up all puckered etc. because they wouldn’t shrink/stretch at the same rate. I also tried to explain to her that wool felts but again I’m not entirely sure she believed me. I will definitely make sure she watches your video because you explained it beautifully. One quick question about superwash though. Back in the day when one wore tight jeans they would stretch over time and then you simply put them into a hot wash and they would shrink back up. I’m assuming from what you mentioned about the superwash that this does not happen to it. If I’m mistaken please correct me. Thanks again for the info and good luck finding a spinner I’d love to see your interview.
Out of curiosity, is she from the UK? It is very common in the UK to call all yarn "wool" sort of like calling all facial tissues Kleenex. But you were right to try and talk her out of a combo acrylic/wool granny square afghan but it would probably be OK as long as she never washed it. The stretching thing with jeans happens because jeans are made of cotton and that is simply a characteristic of cotton - it has very little memory. With superwash yarn I do know people who have knit magically growing sweaters and "fixed" it by "shrinking" it in the wash - but the results are unpredictable. Experimentation is required.
You talked about the risks of using superwash for non superwash patterns, but what about using non superwash yarn for a pattern designed with superwash?
I could have sworn I replied to this LOL! As long as you are getting blocked gauge you should be fine. The drape might not be the same and you might have to go up a needle size to get gauge - but it won't have the same issues as superwash in a nonSW pattern.
Yes on talking to the spinning divas! Talk to Martha Owens who is the John C Campbell Folk School's Resident Artist in Spinning, Knitting & Crochet, Feltmaking, Dyeing, and Surface Design. She sets up all the programs in these areas for the school in Brasstown NC. I have been to the school 4 or 5 times and cannot recommend Martha and the school highly enough. If you want to learn or progress in any kind of making this school can be the place you need to check out! She's wonderful, approachable, knowledgable. She raises Shetlands on her farm! Here's a link to check out - blog.folkschool.org/2020/05/05/shearing-day/
@@WatchBarbaraKnit Also Beth Smith. I think she had an instram feed on spinning today. She's been teaching fibery goodness for many years and might be open to a new knitters platform!
I've know quite a few wool allergic knitters and even one designer. It does put a lot of beautiful yarns out of reach but there is also a huge range of non-wool yarns that are great to work with.
Superwash is coated with the same oil based chemicals as sythetics so is just an expensive synthetic. It is mostly coated these days rather than chemically removing hte scales. Superwash looses ALL of the benefits of wool like its warmth, ability to breath and wick moisture, its odor redardant and fire retardant qualities etc. Many people like it because it can go in the washing machine. But wool like all natural protein animal fibers, doesn't need washing as often and can actually shed dirt as one of its benefits. So a light airing, shaking and spot cleaning can be all it needs for extending the wear. But the superwash plastic coating, like synthetic yarn adds micro plastics to the wash water and is destroying our waterlife. So do consider the environment not just personal preference when making choices for its use. If you really want the benefits of superwash yarn that can go in the washing machine like for children's wear then do consider using a 'natural' super wash . Many of the Down breeds like Babydoll Southdown and even Suffolk does not felt in the washing machine.
Thank you so much for this video. I am a pretty eco driven new knitter and I had no idea about the impact of the super wash yarn. This will help me make better purchasing decisions in addition to getting my projects correct!
I am glad that the info clicked for you. Make sure to do your research because I hope I made it clear that there are eco friendly superwash techniques, you just have to figure out which one the yarn supplier uses.
Thank you Barbara! I always learn something from you and I’ve been knitting for 60 years.
That is a lovely thing for you to say! Thank you for watching.
Love the way you explain it. Better than me XD I try to learn people about the eco way, the environment en what's out there. Why their project doesn't look the same etc. This should be on the yarn label. Drops yarn uses this quality of wool to "blow" the wool fibers to make it super light and fluffy. Brilliant is it. Thanks for the video Barbara ;>*
I love the blown fiber yarns!
This was so super helpful and I wish I had watched this earlier! In hindsight I can see why a couple projects didn’t turn out the way I wanted based on yarn choice 😅
Sorry I was too late for those projects but glad I can help moving forward.
Thanks again for expaining wool vs super wash wool. I learn so much from your channel. I
I am so glad!
Thank you Barb! I do know that sw Wool will grow/stretch and it is so helpful to know more about the differences in the various fibers and what we can expect when we use them.
Forewarned is forearmed right?
I really found this interesting! Roxanne Richardson is very knowledgeable about fibers & has done some spinning. She would be an interesting person to talk to. I'm glad I found this video. I look forward to watching more of your tutorials
Thanks for sharing!
I love your attitude about " you can always learn more"❤😂😊
I know that I never run out of things to learn LOL
Thank you so much for the informative video! I had no idea the process for superwash and your explanation on the difference in the two yarns will definitely be useful for future projects
I'm so glad!
Thank you Barbara!! I'm just getting into knitting with more natural fibers and this was very helpful. Appreciate your time in making this video!
It was my pleasure!
Wow! I have investigated the superwash process as I am allergic to wool. I discovered that I can use most superwash wool, but not all. In trying to find out why, I discovered that there are differing superwash processes. I still can’t predict whether or not I can work with a type of superwash yarn unless I give it a try. But I had no idea about the properties of regular wool vs superwash. This explains a lot. Thank you so much!, 💜🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
It is great to hear that this was helpful!
This was very informative and very well-explained! I wish I’d found this a few months ago. And you are so so charming!
Thank you so much! I'm glad you have found it now.
This is sooo helpful 🙌 I do a lot of baby and childrens clothing with eco-friendly superwashed yarns, and I tend to "pad them together" when I block, but they'll still grow a lot, when they're worn 🤦♀️
Knitting at a tighter gauge might help.
Very informative and well explained. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Love your channel. Felicia from SweetGeorgia is a spinner.
That's right, she is!
I just finished a sweater made with SW and soaked and started the blocking----it's 5 times larger. I wish I had come to you before I started this project. Now I know. Once the project dries, I'll frog and wind it up again and make a shawl. Hopefully, this will work better. Thank you very much for your very informative video.
I'm so sorry that you had that happen. But now you know!
Thank you so much for this information; I was not aware of the sw process. As a newbie in knitting this was greatly appreciated.
Excellent! The more you know, right?
Thank you for this useful discussion of the difference between super wash and non treated wool. I will heed your advice.
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you Barbara for this very informative video.
Thank you for watching!
Definitely learned some valuable information here that I would not have even known to look out for!
That is wonderful to hear.
Great explanation, I now know WHY it felts and just not only that it DOES felt. This is such a cool topic and y ou make it easy to understand, thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks so much for all that info. I haven't worked with super wash wool yet but I'm glad to know all the info for it. Before making something in it. Thanks for always keeping us informed about all the yarny goodness!
I am glad you liked the video!
Thank you so much. I have learned a good thing. Didn't know that.
That is awesome to hear!
Super interesting. I can use my sock yarn on your shawl pattern
Most of the time yes. But if it is a sock yarn with a high nylon content it is not going to be the best choice for something that needs to be blocked well like lace. Nylon fights blocking.
WatchBarbaraKnit I want to do atreides; however I have never done lace. All I have done is 4 pairs of socks and various flat pieces.
Another amazing teaching session.great info.thank you..👍🧶❣
You are so welcome! I'm glad you liked it!
Thank you!!! I enjoy your videos, they are so informative and helpful to me, I have some limited kitting experience, but really need to learn about yarns ect. Thanks again, I am deeply a fan!!!
Yarns are a big part of knitting LOL!
Thank you! Now I understand why spit splicing works well for natural fibers.
Well, it works well for wools that felt. Superwash yarn is still technically a natural fiber (as is cotton, hemp, silk and such) and it isn't going to spit splice. Pretty much you need a high, non superwash wool content to get an effective wet join.
Marvelous video!!!! So informative. I never really knew the difference, but now I will be watching for these details and trying to apply them correctly. Thank you Barbara and I will be looking for you on Zoom in Sept!
Glad it was helpful!
Wow, good info. I didn't realise the negative impact on the environment. I will consider this on my next yarn shop.
I encourage you to do some reading on the subject if that is something that is important to you. There are relatively safe alternatives that can be found.
@@WatchBarbaraKnit definitely important to me. Thanks.
Thanks for your clear explanation!
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for explaining this! Between superwash and nonsuperwash (brand new word all mushed together, there) I've been more confused than anything. It would be lovely to have someone from your local Weavers' Guild chapter to speak in depth about this topic And, perhaps, the use of more than one fiber to help control superwashed wool's proclivity for growing (and invading the earth). I was thinking about bamboo or linen which might help the wool hold its shape a bit better? (I'm guessing wildly here!).
Yes! Fiber blends are frequently created to develop yarns that behave in a certain way, adding fibers to "correct" undesirable traits in certain fibers while retaining the positive ones. Bamboo would not be particularly helpful because it grows like crazy as well. Linen is very strong but has very little memory - that would be something I would need to experiment with to see how it works.
I think, you did a very useful video, and a very good explanation - I'm sure, I will link to this video many times in the future. Thank you very much 😘
Awesome, thank you!
Hi. Thanks so for another very informative video. I learned a lot. For example, when I first became aware of and started knitting with SW wool I presumed (wrongly apparently) that it was washable vs regular wool which will shrink big time. So, in the interest of progressive education (at least for me) would you talk about acrylic yarn and maybe compare it to other types of yarn? Since I discovered SW yarn a couple of years ago I have knitted with it alot. I have knitted myself 3 pairs of socks, and would you believe it, the bottoms of the heels have been felting. I actually found that rather amusing. But learning what I have from your current video, I find myself wanting to know more, specifically about acrylic yarn. I see over to the right side of my screen that you have a video about "Understanding Wool, Silk, and Bamboo Fiber; and I plan to watch that too. Again, thank you for all that you do to make us all competent knitters (and crocheters). Terry
If I didn't make things clear - Superwash is indeed washable. I'm sorry if I muddied the waters. But it is still possible to shrink and felt it - it just takes a LOOOOT more effort. I'm afraid I'll have to do more research to talk at any length about acrylic - but the number one thing to know about it is that it is essentially plastic.
There is ABSOLUTELY always room to learn more about 🧶💞🙏🏼‼💯🥰😘
Thank You Barbara! Always so informative! 🦋#YARNMakesMeHappy🧶 #GPWarrior💚🥄
So true!
@@WatchBarbaraKnit 😘
Super important and so educative and interesting. Thank you🙏🙏🙏
So glad you liked it!
Thankyou. Now I know why that one sweater project was a disaster. The garment stretched out of shape while I was knitting it, providing more reasons to dislike wool. Maybe I’ll make a shawl out of it. Also the recipient is a machine wash and dry type.
So what type of yarn should I use for his sweater?
You can make beautiful sweaters out of superwash yarn - you just have to swatch carefully and use a pattern that is designed for superwash yarn.
I think I’ll stick to acrylic. I know how Red Heart works. These natural fibers are not for me.
Excellent info will lead to more success with my projects
Fantastic!
I had no idea! Thank you for the teaching moment! Love your videos.
Yay for learning!
Thanks for this video Barbara-this was a very interesting topic and helpful information.
Yay! Exactly what I like to hear.
I love super wash but can tell you from years of use that I have hats I can no longer wear because they grew so much. I thought acrylic was bad at this but had to find out the hard way. I no longer have a yarn store in my area so feeling a yarn to know if it’s scratchy is no longer an option. As I’ve gotten older my level of sensitivity to things has grown so I need to really check out the processes of super wash wool
Knit Picks has some very reasonably priced, high quality yarns.
This was SO helpful! Thank you!
Yay! Knit fearlessly!
I tend to block my superwash wool sweaters as I'm knitting them. That way I make sure the arms don't grow 6 inches. I've noticed the garments stretch more than a blocked swatch because of the weight.
That's a really good plan. One thing you can do to make your swatches more accurate is to hang them and even weight them. If you clip your swatch onto a hanger and then put binder clips along the bottom edge you can simulate the effect of additional fabric pulling. Let it hang in your closet for a couple of days and see what happens. I have even known designers that use the binder clips to clip quarters on the bottom for more weight.
This was incredibly informative, thank you!
Wonderful!
Great info! Thanks
Sooooo, one step farther? Does the nylon in the superwash keep it from stretching?
From my experience nylon resists blocking a little bit. So it does help keep things in shape.
Love this vid!
I always learn a lot from you, Barbara.
Thank you so much!
Great explanation 👍 thank you so much. Appreciate it.
You're very welcome!
Coming from only using acrylic yarn, I didn't know the difference except most 100% wool was too scratchy & needed more care. Good to know about chemicals as I'm for the environment and will need to research. Do you think you'll speak about bamboo, cotton or linen compared to wool? Thanks again for your videos.
I'll try and think on how I can discuss yarn more!
I know I'm 3 years late, but I just wanted to add something here. Not all the wool is scratchy. You can always use nice mohair, alpaca or something like that. Or blend of that kind of wool with like 30% acrylic.
How about if it blend with other fiber? Will it be get bigger to?
It depends on the fiber. The only way to know for sure is to knit and block a swatch to see how the yarn behaves.
Really good info-thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Would adding nylon to wool lessen the felting of wool? I’m thinking of socks which may have a tendency to felt due to friction, warmth, and moisture
Very informative. Thank you so much. 😊
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you.
I'm glad you liked it!
Great information. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Really good info but it would be great to see some examples of what they look like. And how do you tell if your wool is superwash or not?
Honestly, the only reliable way to tell is to read the label. Visually there aren't any generalized distinguishing factors. Barring that, you can make a small swatch and throw it into a hot washing machine and then hot dryer and see if it felts/shrinks .... definitely not superwash.
@@WatchBarbaraKnit Thanks for your speedy reply, and for all your videos!
I am finding that the wool which is labelled superwash tends to have a somewhat shiny appearance or slightly slippery feel as compared to more natural wool so with the wool which I don't know about (mostly 2nd hand or thrifted) I'm going to guess based on that.
I want to make more clothes from wool to avoid plastics so it was a revelation that a lot of wool now is superwash and can include similar polymers / chemicals as plastic yarns.
Thank you for this great explanation. I really appreciated this info.
I'm so glad!
If you're making a garment with superwash wool should you use smaller needles and knit tighter or use less stitches? And will the swatch increase the same percentage as the finished project?
You need to swatch and block the swatch and use whatever needle size is needed to get the gauge called for in the pattern. In theory the swatch will tell you what will happen with the project.
Not sure if you’ll see this, but I’m wondering if I knit Malabrigo Rios held double with something that won’t stretch all to hell, to make a chunky weight project, will that add structure to help keep the Rios from becoming gigantic the way it does by itself…?
It should help. Holding two yarns together will bring new properties to the resulting fabric.
Hi Barbara! I've just started learning to knit and I really appreciate your videos. I've got a 'mystery bag' of misc yarns without labels and I wondered if there is any way for me to try to work out what fibres I've got etc.? I don't know what search terms to use to try to find a video on this! Thanks so much
The only thing I know how to test for is natural vs synthetic fibers. If you carefully hold a flame to the end of a piece of yarn it will either ash or melt. If it ashes and smells like burnt hair - it's natural. If it sort of curls up and melts like melted wax - it's synthetic. If it does a little of both it's probably a blend.
It would be great to hear more about fiber. There is a podcaster, Crafting with Compassion, who has a depth of knowledge about fibers and spinning.
I am putting it on my list!
Thanks so much for the video, really good information.
I have a lace shawl I made with a merino/silk yarn and I think I may have agitated it too much when I washed it last, because it has shrunk a little bit and doesn't have nearly as much give as it used to. But it's nowhere near completely felted or anything. I can still clearly see the individual stitches and it can still be stretched. Do you know what I can do to make those fibers relax and get the elasticity back?
Hmm, I don't know. You could try reblocking it gently. Soaking in a room temperature bath with wool wash - avoiding all agitation. And then block it out and see what happens.
Hey Barbara! If I use superwash yarn to make a sweater, is it enough to just use thicker pins? Do you recommend using this yarn for a patterned sweater? The original pattern was made for a non-superwash yarn but I chose a superwash one because it was 24/10 like the original and had the colors that I wanted. What do you think? Thanks for the video, hope you have the time to answer my questions! :)
The only way to know if it is going to work is to do a good sized swatch and to block the swatch.
Good information. I didn't know this. Thanks much.
Glad it was helpful!
Fantastic information. Thanks so much!
Glad it was helpful!
Very helpful...thanks
Most welcome!
Thanks for this it was so helpful
Fantastic!
Greetings! I’m a crochet person! So are u saying if I’m crocheting a sweeter with SW yarn I would want to size down? I so wish I more knowledge of yarns. Even where to go to buy. Love to get to know some spinners/and people who color yarns too! Thank u! You have definitely spark me to question about what I’m about to do! Just sought SW merino wool to make me a sweater! So I’m about to embark on what you just talked about!
I am not a crochet person so I am uncertain what you would need to do. What I recommend is that you would need to swatch with your yarn and block that swatch to see if you get gauge and adjust hook size accordingly. Simply crafting the smaller size may or may not work. Crochet lends a lot more structure to fabrics so it might not be as big of a deal.
Great information!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks again ❤
You're welcome 😊
Does super wash wool still have lanolin? I am very allergic to lanolin and so cannot use any wool except for llama, yak, cotton and acrylic
The more processed it is the less lanolin present, but I am guessing it depends on your sensitivity. I am also allergic to lanolin, but I wouldn't say "very" allergic. I have no problem with super wash or even the majority of non-superwash wools. I've run into trouble with minimally processed rare breed yarns - they make my hands swell. Also - avoid the wool wash Euclan - it has lanolin in it.
Yes, Please do. 🐑
OK, I need that sheep emoji in my life LOL!
I've been surprised to find so much of the wool I've acquired are superwash. Seems difficult to find non superwash perhaps.
Superwash is very common. One reason is that it takes color so much brighter than non-superwash wools. It's a favorite of Indie Dyers.
What are your thoughts on using superwash for a blanket? Would it lose its shape over time? Thanks!
Considering the amount of wear and therefore washing a blanket would get - I am all for superwash blankets. It might loose it's shape but it's a blanket LOL!
@@WatchBarbaraKnit thank you!
How about socks? Should you use superwash or regular wool? I want to make socks but I've been scared. :)
The most popular sock yarns are typically a blend of wool and nylon with 15 - 20% nylon being desirable. You can do regular or superwash wool depending on if you are planning hand wash vs machine wash. Both work fine.
I tend to think of yarn memory as how fast the loop is likely to disappear if I accidentally pull it off the needle. Wool tends to hold on longer than slicker acrylic yarns.
That is a good way to judge LOL.
Wait... you said something I don’t quite understand. You said “I’m obsessed with Yarn”, this seems to imply that there are people who are NOT obsessed with Yarn. Are you sure about that? The entire concept simply boggles my mind!
Thanks so much for all of this information about wool and superwash because this actually came up recently when my mother-in-law came over.
She has been crocheting for years but she’s never really progressed past the granny square stage. Her understanding of Yarn is rudimentary at best, she calls EVERYTHING wool. Acrylic, polyester, you name it she calls it wool. When she tried to pair some ($30 a skein) wool with some of the cheapest acrylic worsted weight I had on hand simply because the colors looked good together I tried, in vain, to explain why it wasn’t really a good idea. I wish your video had been out then, because I’m not entirely sure she believed a word I was saying about how it wouldn’t really wash well and that the yarns would end up all puckered etc. because they wouldn’t shrink/stretch at the same rate.
I also tried to explain to her that wool felts but again I’m not entirely sure she believed me. I will definitely make sure she watches your video because you explained it beautifully.
One quick question about superwash though. Back in the day when one wore tight jeans they would stretch over time and then you simply put them into a hot wash and they would shrink back up. I’m assuming from what you mentioned about the superwash that this does not happen to it. If I’m mistaken please correct me.
Thanks again for the info and good luck finding a spinner I’d love to see your interview.
Out of curiosity, is she from the UK? It is very common in the UK to call all yarn "wool" sort of like calling all facial tissues Kleenex. But you were right to try and talk her out of a combo acrylic/wool granny square afghan but it would probably be OK as long as she never washed it.
The stretching thing with jeans happens because jeans are made of cotton and that is simply a characteristic of cotton - it has very little memory. With superwash yarn I do know people who have knit magically growing sweaters and "fixed" it by "shrinking" it in the wash - but the results are unpredictable. Experimentation is required.
WatchBarbaraKnit She is from Europe, Luxembourg, so maybe that’s it. just drives me insane LOL! But she’s 88 so I let her have her idiosyncrasies.
You talked about the risks of using superwash for non superwash patterns, but what about using non superwash yarn for a pattern designed with superwash?
I could have sworn I replied to this LOL! As long as you are getting blocked gauge you should be fine. The drape might not be the same and you might have to go up a needle size to get gauge - but it won't have the same issues as superwash in a nonSW pattern.
Yes on talking to the spinning divas! Talk to Martha Owens who is the John C Campbell Folk School's Resident Artist in Spinning, Knitting & Crochet, Feltmaking, Dyeing, and Surface Design. She sets up all the programs in these areas for the school in Brasstown NC. I have been to the school 4 or 5 times and cannot recommend Martha and the school highly enough. If you want to learn or progress in any kind of making this school can be the place you need to check out! She's wonderful, approachable, knowledgable. She raises Shetlands on her farm! Here's a link to check out - blog.folkschool.org/2020/05/05/shearing-day/
I have friends who have gone to John C Campbell ... I think that Martha might be a bit out of my league LOL!
@@WatchBarbaraKnit But you will never know unless you ask. If you don't ask, the answer is always "no".
@@WatchBarbaraKnit Also Beth Smith. I think she had an instram feed on spinning today. She's been teaching fibery goodness for many years and might be open to a new knitters platform!
Super wash also removes most of the lanolin so those allergic to lanolin have a better chance of being able to wear products made with super wash.
Indeed! I am actually allergic to lanolin and have found that most wools that have gone thorough the hand dyeing process are OK for me.
Yes I’m starting to stay away from super-wash. I stick with down breeds for their naturally felt resistant wool.
Very cool. Could you name any specific brand?
I am allergic to wool so I miss out on a lot
I've know quite a few wool allergic knitters and even one designer. It does put a lot of beautiful yarns out of reach but there is also a huge range of non-wool yarns that are great to work with.
then just don't block it! hehe
Well, most people have to wash their garments eventually. And then the wool's gonna do what the wool's gonna do.
Superwash is coated with the same oil based chemicals as sythetics so is just an expensive synthetic. It is mostly coated these days rather than chemically removing hte scales. Superwash looses ALL of the benefits of wool like its warmth, ability to breath and wick moisture, its odor redardant and fire retardant qualities etc. Many people like it because it can go in the washing machine. But wool like all natural protein animal fibers, doesn't need washing as often and can actually shed dirt as one of its benefits. So a light airing, shaking and spot cleaning can be all it needs for extending the wear. But the superwash plastic coating, like synthetic yarn adds micro plastics to the wash water and is destroying our waterlife. So do consider the environment not just personal preference when making choices for its use. If you really want the benefits of superwash yarn that can go in the washing machine like for children's wear then do consider using a 'natural' super wash . Many of the Down breeds like Babydoll Southdown and even Suffolk does not felt in the washing machine.
I cannot stand Superwash yarn. I do not like how it washes and the garment turns onto a dishrag.
It does lose a lot of structure.