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USE AND CARE OF HANDSPUN/HAND KNIT WOOL
SOCKS
Handspun and hand
knit wool socks are a delight to wear! They will give you years of comfort
and pleasure if you know how to care for them, and if you know a few tips
that will prolong their life.
Wool fibers are
unique in that each strand of fiber is covered with tiny scales. These
scales are what make wool versatile and ideal for warm clothing. Wool is
the perfect material for socks. When you wear synthetic socks, your feet
can sweat. The synthetic fiber does not absorb the moisture well, so your
damp feet will feel colder. Wool will allow your feet to “breathe”, and
will absorb any moisture, keeping it away from your feet.
Note that these same
scales on a wool fiber will also cause the fibers to lock together. This
can be good, or bad. It is good in that the soles of your handspun socks
will meld together with use, making a solid fabric that is more resistant
to holes and comfortable for your feet. The bad part is that this locking
of fibers, also called felting, will cause your socks to shrink!
There are two causes for wool felting; friction and temperature
change. These instructions should help minimize shrinkage of your
socks.
Washing handspun hand
knit wool socks: (Hand wash warm, dry flat)
·
Fill a sink or pan with
fairly warm water and put in enough dish soap as you would for dishes. You
may also use shampoo, as wool is similar to human hair. I prefer a mild
dish soap.
·
Put the socks into the water
and let them absorb the water slowly. You can help them out a bit, but
don’t shock them. Let them soak for 20 minutes or longer, depending on
soiling.
·
Remove the socks from the
soapy water. Replace the soapy water with warm, clear water. DO NOT RINSE
IN COLD WATER!!!
·
Place the soapy socks in the
clear water and let soak. You may repeat the rinsing if necessary.
·
At this point, you may put
your socks into the washing machine to spin, as long as there is no cold
water that will blast them during spinning!
·
If you don’t spin them in
the washer, you may squeeze them out a bit and put them in a towel. Roll
up the towel and squeeze out as much water as you can.
·
Lay the socks flat and place
them in a warm, dry place until no longer wet.
·
If your socks are made from
a dyed wool, it is best to wash dark and light colors separately.
Wearing handspun hand
knit wool socks:
·
Wear wool socks as you would
any other socks! Take note, if you tend to wear just your socks around the
house, nylon carpet is much stronger than wool and your socks will wear much
faster! In the war between wool and nylon, nylon wins every time!
·
If the wool is a bit
irritating, or the knit stitches seem a little big on the soles of your
feet, you can first put on a thin pair of cotton socks as a “liner”, then
pull your wool socks on over those. This double layer of absorbent cotton
and warm wool make a great combination!
·
Your socks may develop small
balls on the surface, or “pills”. This is very normal. The smaller fibers
in the wool yarn work their way up to the surface of the knitting and felt
into these pills. They can be easily removed with a fabric shaver or
sweater stone. You will probably notice more pilling when the socks are
newer, and less over time as the smaller fibers decrease in number.
·
Should you develop a worn
spot or hole in your sock you can repair it in different ways. You can use
a strand of wool yarn and darn the area (there are many good articles on
darning on the internet). You can also take a layer of some natural wool
fiber and use a felting needle to cover the worn spot or hole.
Enjoy your wool
socks. With good care and knowledgeable use, your socks should last you
for many cold winters!
Stay warm!
Grannie Linda
DARNING SOCKS:
http://www.hjsstudio.com/darn.html
http://www.tutorials.com/06/0632/0632.asp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nY1jTVyBE0&feature=related
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