Caring your wool

  If cared for in the correct way, wool products can last a lifetime. Whilst looking after wool can sometimes seem daunting, wool is no more difficult to look after than synthetic fibres. 

 Check your machine is set to no more than 40 degrees when washing wool, to help prevent shrinking. Ensure your machine should is pre-set to the wool setting temperature. However some machines have a separate temperature setting. 

 Most woollen products are best washed and spun in your washing machine at around 600 revs per minute. Wool releases moisture much more easily than cotton, and does not need such a fast spin. Check your machine before using the wool programme. When selecting the wool programme, some machines automatically switch to the correct spin speed setting for wool, whilst others will require the spin speed to be set independently from the wool programme. 

 Check your washing detergent or powder is wool friendly, look out for the Woolmark symbol on the packaging. Modern biological detergents, or ones containing bleaching agents, can be catastrophic to any animal-based fabric. 

 To keep your wool products in shape and ensure no shrinkage occurs, high temperatures should not be used when drying. Once the product has been gently spun, pull it into shape and allow it to dry supported and allowing a natural airflow. 

 All wool will pill (or bobble) to a certain degree, it is less common in the stronger yarn of my flock. When pills appear, the product can soon look a little untidy, but pilling balls can be removed easily by plucking the fabric. Once the product has finished releasing these shorter fibres, the longer, higher twisted fibres will remain, and the pilling will cease.