How to Freshen Up Your Handknits for Fall

As sweater weather approaches my home near the southern beaches of North Carolina, I find myself wanting to dig out all my sweaters. It’s not quite time to pile on the layers of woolens yet, but preparing my sweaters for the season ahead is half the fun!

Even though laundry is the last chore I usually want to do, there’s something different about washing my handknitted sweaters. It’s fun to remember making each stitch that went into them, and anticipating the coziness they’ll bring all season long is energizing too.

For washing wool sweaters, you can use just about any gentle soap or shampoo, but if you’re wondering where to start, a dedicated wool wash is just the thing. I usually reach for my personal favorite, a bottle of lavender-scented Eucalan.

Eucalan is gentle enough for your treasured handknits.

How to Wash a Wool Sweater

Start with a basin of cool or lukewarm water. I like to use 18-quart dishpans, which are also useful for scouring fleece before spinning it into yarn. The beauty of these is that I don’t have to worry about occupying a sink[PAYWALL] during the washing process—I can fill the pan and then set it on the counter while the garment soaks.

Add a little swirl of Eucalan (about a teaspoon per gallon of water) to the water and swish it around. Now add your sweater, gently pressing it down into the water. Walk away and do something else for 15–30 minutes while the water and wool wash do the work.

Pamela’s sweater-washing bucket of choice is a simple 18-quart dishpan.

To Rinse or Not to Rinse?

If your sweater is not too dirty, there’s no need to rinse with Eucalan and many other wool washes. Proceed to the next step!

However, one of the magical properties of wool is how it manages to absorb dirt, sweat, and odors without feeling dirty or smelly. If you’re not wearing your sweater directly against your skin, you can usually get several wears out of it before it needs to be washed. And, true confession: Some of my more hardworking sweaters might experience several weeks of daily wear as I go about everyday gardening chores and outdoor walks. For sweaters that see multiple wears between washes, I want to make sure they get really clean. I may rinse these several times, until the water runs clear.

How to Avoid Shrinking Your Sweater

We’ve all heard the cautionary tale about a human-sized sweater that came out the washing machine several sizes smaller. This has happened to me—with handspun, no less—when I put a Corriedale wool sweater in the dirty pile instead of the “maybe wear again pile.” Luckily the wash cycle was cold, and all the shrinkage was only in the sweater’s length. It’s still wearable as a cropped sweater over a dress, but only just!

There are essentially three things that cause wool to felt (or full, once it’s knitted): heat, abrasion, and moisture. Generally, you need two out of the three. If you’re careful to use lukewarm water, and don’t agitate your wool sweater while you wash it (like my center-agitator washing machine did in the example above), moisture alone won’t be enough to shrink your sweater. Gently swishing your sweater in the water is fine too.

Avoid heat and agitation when you’re washing your sweater to help prevent shrinkage.

Getting it Dry

One of wool’s many superpowers is its ability to absorb water—it can absorb about 30% of its weight in water vapor and still feel dry to the touch! But when a wool sweater is truly wet, it can be very heavy, indeed.

The first step in getting a washed sweater dry is getting it out of the water. After I’ve poured out as much water as I can from the dishpan, I’ll gently press the sweater against the side of the pan to squeeze out extra water. Never wring your sweater—that’s likely to stretch the stitches out of shape.

Next, gently lift the sweater up, supporting as much of it as possible, and transfer it to a large bath towel on a flat surface. Then, reshape the sweater into its approximate measurements. No need to use a tape measure yet—we’re still getting water out! Roll the sweater up in the towel and gently press out extra moisture. Unroll, then transfer the sweater to another surface, like a mesh drying rack. Reshape to the correct measurements, and let dry completely. If you live in a humid climate like I do, you might want to point a fan at your sweater to help speed up the drying time.

Reshape your sweater to its original measurements before drying.

Wear, Air, and Store with Care

Most wool sweaters don’t need to be washed every time you wear them. Keep your sweaters and other handknits like shawls, scarves, hats, and mitts fresh by airing them out for a day or two after wearing. Then store with care. It’s a good idea to have separate storage areas for garments that have just been washed and those that are in your current rotation.

Store wool garments carefully.

Looking for a Sweater to Cast On?

If you’re looking for a sweater to cast on, you’re in the right place! Explore our recommendations for cardigans and vests for fall in Welcome Sweater Weather! Cardigans and Vests for Fall and find even more sweater patterns in the Farm & Fiber Knits Library.