Reconditioning Wool

Have I mentioned that I’m somewhat impatient when it comes to getting started? I probably have. I want to jump in right NOW. Before I jump though, I’m going to unravel a sweater I don’t wear so I can make one I will wear. If I could, I would undo the cast off edge of this sweater and use it to cast on the new one.

But … that’s not a great idea if I want a smooth finish to my new sweater. So I spent an afternoon getting this wool in some sort of shape to reknit.

This is my quick method. It’s probably not the best way but, did I mention it’s quick?

I unravelled and wound the wool around a large book. Any hardcover book will do, as long as it’s a large one. Tie one end around the skein and pull it off the book (this is the hard part because it’s probably wound quite tightly). Since I am using objects found around the house, I slip the skein onto a broom handle, which is sitting on the counter and weighed down at the broom end with something heavy. Keep winding. Three skeins are ready.

Whoa, a krinkly mess. Now for the secret weapon, the steamer.

This is it. My Little Steamer. It’s small, it heats up really fast and it has a plastic end which you can put really close to the wool. The only problem I have with this little machine is that it leaks like crazy. A towel on the floor fixes that. Now I steam and rotate the skein around the broom handle. Be careful handling the wool. You do not want to squish it while it’s wet and hot, really hot.

One done. It only takes minutes. A few more minutes and …

… done. I readily admit that they are not perfectly unkinked (is that a word?) but they are relaxed and only slightly damp.

I hang them on a hanger and tomorrow they will be ready to wind up so that I can, at last, cast on. Oh boy, I can’t wait.

Cheers, Deb

Gauge-Free and Any Gauge patterns by Deb

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