Wool for soaker

[ikis84]

I am enlisting the services of my MIL to knit Olivia a soaker. However, she has boxes and boxes (and boxes) full of wool, so she would like to use some of the wool she already has.

I read that it needs to be 75-100% wool.
Can it be brushed wool?
Is it okay if it has merino and alpaca components?
Some info on wool for soakers would be muchly appreciated :thumbsup:

[HoopDeeDoo]

I guess one that washes well. The pattern usually says which wool to use. I learnt that one asked for a wool that felts, which I didn't realise til my MIL had akready made three with non felting wool. oooops

[drewid]

I've heard of some being made with a small alpaca component. Only a small component though, I think theres something about it thats not as good as 100% wool. But as long as you've still got 75% + wool, I reckon you'd be fine.

[Sheer Bliss]

Sorry to crash the post - but what is the difference between felting/non-felting wool? I don't knit - but my mum is knitting me some covers.

[shed]

charlis mum, felting wool will turn into felt if you, um, felt it. Like if you brush it to turn it into felt, it will felt. You know felt? that material stuff (that is actual brushed wool?).

Okay, someone intelligent better take over explaining that one I think LOL!! Basically some soakers have a bit of it felted, for absorbency, and some don't.

ikis: merino is wool? from a merino sheep isnt it? so merino is...wool. :confused:

Alpaca is beautiful to knit with and apparently very absorbent. My watermelon soaker has alpaca in the watermelony part because it was all I could find that wasn't too "pink". So I think a bit of alpaca would be okay.

Lucky you, getting spoilt!!

[mama anne]

hey
basically as long as its about 80% wool it will be fine and work like any 100% woolen cover.

you can knit soakers with acrylic, but they will work like any other non-woolen cover (need to be washed after maybe 2-4 uses, may smell faster than wool would) and won't have the absorbtion properties that wool has.

if your mil isn't sure what some of the balls are, a test to see if the yarn is woolen or acrylic is:

burn a small section of the wool (in a safe place! i do this in the kitchen sink). if it smoulders and self-extinguishes it's wool; if it catches alight and stays alight its acrylic

hope that helps :)

[kymmy]

Different yarns will create a different feel and all have a good purpose.
Acrylic can be used but will need to washed each time as a fleece cover would.
Merino is a type of sheep. It is quite soft and tends to pill easily. It also stretches easily.
I have used alpaca wool blends. Alpaca is very soft yet a lil hairy! They make great soakers though.
A superwash yarn will not felt. So a soaker made with this yarn will be easy to wash. A felting yarn is good for soakers in the way it wears the better it works.
:ecomcity: Can I keep talking wool?

[cheezelkat]

I've got both acrylic and wool soakers. Although the acrylic gets washed after every use - its already waterproof and can be machine washed and is durable.