Can anyone tell me how to shrink (not just block but really shrink) a wool sweater so that it is less baggy, but still just as long in the body and sleeves?
My favorite sweater is now way too big around. (it's an XL, and these days i really need a M) But the length is perfect.
Should I just wash it and throw it in the dryer? Pull on the body and sleeves every so often as it tumble-dries so they don't shrink lengthwise?
Seems like I've gone through life trying NOT to shrink wool stuff, and now I need to know how to really do it!
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Thread: Need to shrink a sweater
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10-18-2006, 09:32 PM #1
Don't whine
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Need to shrink a sweater
"If Americans want to live the American Dream, they should go to Denmark." - Richard Wilkinson
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10-18-2006, 11:03 PM #2
Team Cheetoes
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KNY,
I don't think you can selectfully "shrink" wool -- if you shrink it a significant amount, it will become "felt."
And that's just not the same fabric at all!
Maybe someone else has better advice. If not, you could either keep the sweater as a reminder of good days gone by, or pass it on to a friend that would appreciate such a gift.
annieTime is a companion that goes with us on a journey. It reminds us to cherish each moment, because it will never come again. What we leave behind is not as important as how we have lived." Captain Jean Luc Picard
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10-19-2006, 05:10 AM #3
Sell crazy someplace else
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Knot-wool felts. Do not dry a wool sweater. If blocking is out, then I suggest keeping it as a memory and a nice cozy sweater for around the house or pass it on.
Jennifer
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10-19-2006, 07:41 AM #4
Crone on Wheels
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Seems to me that things that have gotten inadvertently shrunk in our dryer shrunk in the length but not so much in the width, so that does not bode well for your project. On the other hand, the things I'm talking about were cotton, not wool. Some wool items are made to be machine-washed and dried, but not all, so check the care label first. The intermittent tugging thing might work, or it might not. I'd go with BikingMom's idea if I were you.
Bad JuJu: Team TE Bianchista
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10-19-2006, 07:45 AM #5
I like bikes
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I must pipe in here, It will get SHORTER!! I promise!!
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10-19-2006, 08:03 AM #6
Registered User
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Um... what is "blocking"?
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