I would like to unravel and reknit an old sweater. I tried steaming the old sample I still had. It remained quite kinky. Should I try washing it instead? Its one of those heavy tweeded types that i think has a lot of natural lanolin in it. I seem to remember reading long ago that woolite washes out the natural moth proofing qualities of lanolin. Any thoughts?
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If the sweater has been around a few years, washing it gently would freshen up the yarn and make it more pleasant to work with, in addition to removing the kinks.
I have knit, unknit, and washed lots of yarn, including Scottish yarn that was loaded with lanolin, and have noticed no increased moth activity, even after many years. I just wind the yarn into loose hanks, tie them in a couple of places, soak them in Tide or shampoo or Eucalan (depending on what's on hand), rinse, roll in a towel, and then drape over fresh towels until they're dry.
No problem.
thanks- I'm now emboldened to go ahead and rip. Whats to lose? I never wear the sweater, I love the wool, and no money is spent.
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