# Question on boiled wool - newbie



## digApony (Oct 8, 2009)

I have some 100% wool yarn my mother gave me that I want to make mittens out of. Can I boil the yarn first? If so, how would I boil yarn? Thanks!

digApony :hobbyhors


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

welcome digapony - 

a couple of questions:

why do you want to boil it?

Are you attempting to make a more impermeable fabric (akin to "boiled wool fabric")?

Is it 100% superwash* wool? or is 100% virgin wool?

*superwash has had all of the scales removed so that the yarn won't full, felt, or shrink

Personally, I think you will get the same benefit by knitting your mittens larger than you want them -then "fulling" them to fit . I would knit and full a gauge swatch first to see how much shrinkage you can expect.

This is done by washing them in a washing machine with a pair of jeans or something else they will bang against however many times it takes to shrink them down to the size you want - then putting them on and letting them dry (somewhat) to fit you. 

I have never "boiled wool" before- so I will be interested in other's answers to this question.

Seems to me the only difference in boiled and fulled is the temperature of the water?


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## sisterpine (May 9, 2004)

I boiled some old wool sweaters before I made a purse out of it. worked pretty well, my washer water did not get hot enough. Turns out when the boiling wool term is used it refers to a way to make flat sheets of felt as much as anything else. I believe you boil the wool roving and then spread it out and tamp it...in the end you have a type of cloth but thicker.


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## digApony (Oct 8, 2009)

It's wool yarn made in Ireland. It says, 100% pure new wool. Knits to Traditional Aran 
Type Patterns. It looks full, in a worsted weight I'm guessing, only a little more 'hairy'. I am looking for waterproofing and warmth. It's a hand or dry clean wool only.
It was just an idea. I don't know if I need to do it. Thanks.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

I'm sure it will shrink, which is why you hand wash it. I agree with knitting up the mittens larger than needed, then working on the mittens. You can do it by hand with hot water and rubbing. There used to be a book on felting mittens, can't remember the name of it. You can also look up Maine mittens.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

https://home.comcast.net/~pinnah/knit/daves-fulled-mittens.txt
Instructions. She washes them in a machine with jeans, as WIHH does.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/nl6-felted-fulled-mittens
She seems to do it the same way.

http://craftivore.blogspot.com/2010/02/chebeague-island-lobstermans-mittens.html
She fulled the mittens by hand.


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## hotzcatz (Oct 16, 2007)

After fulling, there are some waterproofing sprays and such which might be worth a try, but if it were my mittens, I'd try it on a sample first. Scotchgard by 3M might be something to look at.


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## digApony (Oct 8, 2009)

Okay, thanks. I think I will work a patch of wool and try it first so I don't mess up a week's worth of work.


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## hotzcatz (Oct 16, 2007)

Sampling seems to be a big part of knitting, but I keep thinking maybe we could figure out a way to make all the samples into some sort of a knitted quilt or blanket? Some sort of a knitted crazy quilt of all the little samples made. Then, instead of what seems like a tedious bit of sample knitting will actually be knitting a quilt.

The traditional waterproofing for wool was to just leave some of the lanolin in the wool instead of washing it all out. Has anyone tried putting the lanolin back into yarn or is the lanolin from the sheep different than the lanolin one can get for hand cream? These are mittens after all, if one could condition one's hands while keeping them dry and warm, wouldn't that be a good thing?


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## digApony (Oct 8, 2009)

I had pure lanolin the doctor prescribed me when I started breastfeeding my oldest son. It smelled like wool...


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## digApony (Oct 8, 2009)

hotzcatz said:


> Sampling seems to be a big part of knitting, but I keep thinking maybe we could figure out a way to make all the samples into some sort of a knitted quilt or blanket? Some sort of a knitted crazy quilt of all the little samples made. Then, instead of what seems like a tedious bit of sample knitting will actually be knitting a quilt.
> 
> The traditional waterproofing for wool was to just leave some of the lanolin in the wool instead of washing it all out. Has anyone tried putting the lanolin back into yarn or is the lanolin from the sheep different than the lanolin one can get for hand cream? These are mittens after all, if one could condition one's hands while keeping them dry and warm, wouldn't that be a good thing?


 good idea!


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

hotzcatz said:


> ....... if one could condition one's hands while keeping them dry and warm, wouldn't that be a good thing?


As long as there wasn't so much lanolin that you smear your glasses, phone, steering wheel, etc. 

You can sew mittens out of flat piece of felt if you wanted felted mittens. I'm not sure how well the thumb would move, but I have seen the patterns for it.

One of the characteristics I read about wool was that even if it's wet, it will still keep you warm. I haven't tested that out. Anyone else heard that?


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Oh yes, wet wool will still keep you warm.


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## Falls-Acre (May 13, 2009)

Okay, I'll throw this out there. When cloth diapering a baby, one of the things learned is that the very best 'covers' are pants, shorts, and soakers made out of wool. The idea being that it's a great natural wetness barrier. The only thing is that most of the more experienced folk always recommend returning lanolin back to the wool to improve their ability to repel water (it's not perfect, but can go a long way towards keeping blankets and things drier). There were 2 common ways of doing this. One was to wash in a lanolin infused bar soap (most common) and the other was to periodically spray a liquid lanolin solution evenly over the wool and allow it to soak in. It's meant to be lightly covered, not sticky. It very effectively "waterproofs" the cover/pants.

Now it has been a little while since I've had a baby in cloth diapers, but I'm willing to bet you can still purchase liquid lanolin spray. Alternatively, you can get the lanolin for breastfeeding mothers (baby aisle in most grocery stores), put some on your hands, rub it over your palms to soften it, then pat your hands along the wool garment. That would have a very similar effect.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Welcome to The Fold digApony! Looks like you have a bunch of good advice. Let us know what you end up doing and take pictures.


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

It's very easy to lanolinize your wool! Just get some 100% lanolin (usually it can be found near breastfeeding/baby supplies). You just soak the item in water and then use VERY hot water to dissolve the lanolin, then add that to the soaking water. Here's a website with written instructions. I don't use the wool wash though, I've just done it with lanolin in plain water. I've done this with mittens, and my sister did this with her son's diaper soakers and longies. Works great! It's not enough lanolin to make it sticky or to actually get any on your hands, but it does help keep them water resistant.


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

Hi!

I too have made mittens out of fulled wool.
I use old sweaters, but I don't see why you couldn't turn that yarn into a 'mat' of wool if you wanted.
They are very water proof. Very.


And I wash all of my woolen knitted things in lanolin soap made by a friend.
I prefer it to the way the wool turns out if washed with regular soap.
It's softer.

Keep us informed on how the project goes.


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

I would think you would NOT want to boil the yarn before knitting it- if you boil the yarn, then the yarn's fulling/felting capability STOPS at the yarn level.

If you boil the yarn, then nothing can get inside the YARN.

If you knit something out of boiled yarn, then there WILL BE space between the yarn strands/knit stitches- and even MORE air/water/wind, etc can get between the yarn stands/knit sticthes.

But knit it up- *THEN* boil it/felt it/full it and nothing gets inside the FABRIC. :shrug:

I think you want to SAVE the boiling/felting/fulling for after the project is made- assuming you are NOT talking about SEWING something out of it. Even then, I think you want to make FABRIC out of it first, then boil/felt/full.


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## digApony (Oct 8, 2009)

Wind in Her Hair said:


> I would think you would NOT want to boil the yarn before knitting it- if you boil the yar, then the yarn's fulling/felting capability STOPS at the yarn level.
> 
> If you boil the yarn, then nothing can get inside the YARN.
> 
> ...


Okay, thanks. I will wear the mittens no matter how they turn out.  Unless they are unbearably too small. :hobbyhorsIt's the only way for me to learn and I appreciate the advice.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

I'm not so sure that nothing gets in the wool/fabric/yarn once it is fulled/felted. they can still absorb water, not as easily but it still happens. It will never be completely impervious.


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## hotzcatz (Oct 16, 2007)

I read somewhere that wool can soak up to 35% of it's weight in water and still feel dry. Must be miserable to be a sheep! Can you imagine weighing 35% more and still not feeling damp? Maybe that's why sheep stay out of hot tubs.


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## digApony (Oct 8, 2009)

chickenista said:


> Hi!
> 
> I too have made mittens out of fulled wool.
> I use old sweaters, but I don't see why you couldn't turn that yarn into a 'mat' of wool if you wanted.
> ...


 I thought of that, thanks!  I guess I'm going to have to experiment.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

You can find all sort of free patterns online for both the filled/boiled mittens and for the ones made from old sweaters.


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