Non-super Wash Wool Vs Super Wash Wool

In my opinion, Mother Nature needs no improvement, especially when it comes to wool. Pure wool has a reputation for being finicky to care for but that’s mostly because we expect to be able to throw it in the washer and have it come out the same. While it is true that you must hand wash pure wool, I would argue that anything you’ve spent hours and hours making you would want to take the time to care for.

Wool fiber has outer scales that give the wool its ability to trap air and thereby regulate temperature but also its tendency to want to felt when the scales of one fiber cling to scales of another fiber. Though you also need heat and agitation to make wool felt, it can happen easily with washing and is often viewed as an undesirable trait of pure wool if felting was not intended. Fun fact: Fulling is a term used for intentionally felting finished woven woolen fabric. It strengthens the fabric and makes it more useful. You can make socks from knitted non-super wash yarn and a little bit of fulling will help make these socks last for ages!

The super wash process reduces the ability for wool fibers to felt but also produces a luster that non-super wash sometimes doesn’t have and makes it much easier to dye. It does make the fabric stretch a little though. Super wash yarn is made by one of several chemical processes, typically involving chlorine, that all strip the outer scales from the fiber’s cuticle (outer covering) and adding a synthetic polymer resin in some way. The process uses harsh chemicals and disposal of wastewater from this process is heavily controlled for its effects on the environment. While this process makes the yarn smooth and more resistant to felting, the finished objects must still be washed and dried at low temperatures to avoid the resins from melding with the natural wool fibers and ruining your beautiful work. 

I use only non-super wash merino wool in my yarn to preserve the benefits of the whole fiber and to not contribute to the environmental impact of creating super wash yarn. It does make it a little trickier to produce dramatic hand dyed effects and it does mean your finished objects must be hand washed, however. Here’s my system for washing woolens. Fill a tub that allows for plenty of water to garment ratio with lukewarm water. That’s water that just barely feels warm. Add a small splash of a mild liquid soap. You can use special wool wash, but pure castile soap is perfectly fine. Add the finished object and let it sit to absorb the soapy water. Then give it a few gentle squeezes or presses if it’s a large garment, and let it sit again for at least 15 minutes. Gently press out the water and repeat with a good quality hair conditioner if you like, and two good rinses with just water using the same press-soak process. Lastly squeeze the garment out gently and place it in a thick towel folded over so you have a towel above and below the garment (use two towels if it’s a large garment). Press firmly making sure you don’t rub the garment. Lay flat to dry, shaping the object to the correct size and shape.

An advantage of having non-super wash wool at hand means an abundance of materials for intentional felting! Check out the dryer balls and cat toys made from felted fiber.