About our Merino Possum Knitting Yarn
( from a customer's point of view)
Our customer, Jaye Sudar, is by far a more highly skilled knitter than I, and in April 2007 she posed the question:
"My partner gave me some of your lovely wool and I have a question. Just how easily does it felt or shrink when washed? I knit
socks, so I don not wish to underestimate the possible shrinkage".
It's not often I can't answer a product question, but undaunted, the lovely Jaye did the research for me, and has very kindly
allowed me to print her findings here. Here's what happened:
"On size 4 (3.5mm) needles I cast on 48 stitches and knitted a swatch that was 2.75" (7 cm) by 3.5" (9 cm). Used both a rib stitch
and stockinette stitch. I also left a 4.5" (11 cm) long tail on the piece.
The first few washings made almost no measurable difference. There was less than a stitch difference in depth and none in
width. After several more washings I stuck it in the dryer. The piece compacted/ felted down 0.25 of an inch and didn't change measurement in width. The
string shrank an inch.
It's lovely stuff and I'm pleased to find that it has a very slight shrinkage rate. Attached is a pic of the finished
socks.
Regards
Jaye
As a graduate of Otago University, where I studied textile chemistry, I'm astounded that the socks didn't shrink/ felt to any great degree when
put in the drier. That is usually a no-no for wool. The heat setting might have been a factor. I'm very grateful to Jaye for her research and am highly
impressed with the socks she knitted. Perhaps she should be supplying us with them???
Best wishes to all the knitters out there!
Regards
Lesley
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