Quote Originally Posted by Brandi View Post
Well now that we are on this subject maybe one of you can suggest something for me. My dh wants a sweater as I wrote above. He wants a chunky yarn ,tweed like with specks of color(good for hiding any stains). What yarns would you suggest i take a look at. I don't think wool will work unless I can machine wash it. I don't like washing things like that by hand. So any suggestions on this....
If I am going to make asweater and put in the time I want it to be special.
Brandi I would suggest a "washable wool"- some call it "superwash" wool. It's 100% real wool that has been treated so it will not shrink badly in the wash cycle like other wool. But you should still avoid hot water and don't dry it in the dryer- lay it out to dry.
Real wool cannot be treated roughly like acryllic yarn. But the beauty and specialness of real wool is worth it. Real wool keeps you warmer than acryllic wool, it breathes better, wicks sweat away better, and doesn't get BO. It's natural lanolin repels dirt and rarely has to be washed.

I strongly suggest you go to an actual yarn store and they will help you with finding a pattern you like and finding the appropriate weight and type of wool, and they'll also calculate how much wool you'll need and what size needles, etc. All this help is invaluable. Often a good wool store will let you return any unopened/unused hanks of yarn you have left over (don't take off the labels or roll into balls until you are sure you will use that next hank). Usually if you have bought the yarn there, they will also help you with any problems you encounter while knitting the sweater.