Full Cycle

The boxing kitty has been getting a lot of use.



It has been playing in the dirt.



It has been climbing.



And, at the end of a long day, it has taken a nap on the couch. Yes, I dress my son like a circus performer. No, I did not intend for his pacifier to match his long johns. A sweater that gets this much action needs a wash.


For those of you who aren't already in the know, wool sweaters can be washed very easily. Here's how to avoid a nasty felting incident. Fill up sink with hot, but not scalding, water. Add a small amount (dime sized) of no-rinse wool wash. Obviously, the amount of soap will vary according to the size and filthiness of the garment. Babies are extremely filthy. I use Eucalan wool wash, but there are other brands. Swish the soap around gently, and then VERY gently push the sweater into the soapy water. Agitation is the enemy. Any real agitation at this point, will cause felting. Let sit for ten min, or however long it takes you to remember that there's a sweater in the sink. Drain the sink, and VERY gently squeeze the water out. Do not wring the sweater. Wringing it will cause it to go all wonky. You can lay it on a towel and roll it up like a jelly roll to really get the water out.


When you've gotten a good bit of the water out, lay the sweater out to dry. I dry mine on a towel if the weather is bad. If the weather is good, the sweater ends up on a picnic table outside. You'll probably have to flip it a couple of times. While the sweater is wet, you can mould it like wet clay. Straighten out all of the ribbing, and press the cables into shape. If the sweater is big, you might want to try washing it in something other than a dinky little bathroom sink. For my husband's sweater, I used the shower basin. It ended up looking like Hans Solo frozen in carbon.



You know you're taking sweater washing too seriously, when you start making a high pitched sweater voice, that's begging you to let it out of the wash.