I wanna shrink a woollen cardigan

bcl999

Lost a lot of weight and have a comfy old woollen cardigan I wear about the house but which is at least 3 sizes too big now.

I've bought 2 different new ones in the M&S online sale but don't like either of them as much and they are going back.

I'm thinking now of washing the old one at 60C or highr. Anyone know if this will work?

LadyDee

bcl999 wrote: »

Lost a lot of weight and have a comfy old woollen cardigan I wear about the house but which is at least 3 sizes too big now.

I've bought 2 different new ones in the M&S online sale but don't like either of them as much and they are going back.

I'm thinking now of washing the old one at 60C or highr. Anyone know if this will work?

Well, it will certainly 'felt' it, which will of course mean it'll be much smaller.

However, won't be comfortable - they felt knitted wool to make handbags and slippers.

If it's comfortable and you only wear it round the house why bother? I must admit that my house cardigan is probably 3 or 4 sizes too large and I've lived in it for the last several years. If it shrunk I'd be devastated:)

bcl999

Thanks for that. Is the "felt" effect the same as what they call "boiled wool".? I've seen a sweater made of that in the Orvis shop so have an idea how it would turn out, if it is. I know I should just let it be.

rosie383

You may end up with a tiny one if you try to shrink it. I accidentally did that with 2 lovely jumpers. They came out 'felted' and just about suitable for an 8 yr old. I wouldn't risk it if I was you. A big sloppy cardigan is lovely.

SallyD

Big,sloppy cardys rule!

Your cardigan won't come out with a boiled wool appearance that is a special process - and generally expensive, yours washed on a very hot wash will probably come out with tighter knit and probably rough and uncomfortable.

bcl999

Thanks, everyone, for your comments.

Sloppy, it is then!

LadyDee

bcl999 wrote: »

Thanks, everyone, for your comments.

Sloppy, it is then!

A convert - whee-hee!!! Join the comfy comes first club.

Barneysmom

You might not even have to wash it as hot as 60. My hubby wears army socks and I only wash them at 40 and they shrink.


Can you unpick and reknit it?

jenniewb

RE: the shrinking of the cardigan- glad you decided on the over-sized look (which is trendy atm). The boiled wool effect you talk about? not wool, its made a different way, felted would likely make it itchy as aside from the felting, many of the fibers simply shrink which makes them smaller and they feel harder, jamp packed together unless it was the silkiest of wool beforehand, its likely to be too itchy to want to wear.

Another option would be to take it to a dry cleaners who offer alterations and see if they will take it in for you. Or buy a pattern yourself from a dressmakers/habadashary and make up your own following the pattern (you'd need to unpick all the seams and lie flat first). This would probably only work if the knit was fairly small (as oppose to being chunky) in the first place though.

bcl999

No, it's a sort of Shetland -type wool. Also, even if it did shrink, I've realised the sleeves would shrink as well as the body and the sleeves are OK in length right now. I don't think I thought it through properly at the start.

jennyjelly

LadyDee wrote: »

Join the comfy comes first club.

Been a member for years, best club in the world!