If you are an experienced knitter, you know how luscious non superwash wool yarnsare. But, if it’s your first time working with non-superwash wool yarns, you might worry about the special care your finished project will need.  All my Annual Blue Faced Leicester wool yarns are not superwash and therefore require just a little more caution while washing.  Below I’ve spelled out all the crucial points and one of my favorite tips for caring for non-superwash yarns

Difference between superwash and non-superwash yarns

Since a non-superwash wool yarn is not machine-washable, you need to treat them a bit more gently during the washing process. My Backyard raised yarns have been minimally processed and are not superwash treated.  Therefore, they will take the dye differently than their superwash counterparts.  They can be hand dyed but be aware the dye absorbs slower allowing for more mixing of colors.  The colors are also softer and less vibrant than the same colorway on superwash yarns.  The intensity can be increased when I dye the yarn by using more dyes, but they will have a different look that suits the yarns in my opinion.  Especially when a natural BFL yarn is overdyed.  The resulting color will be more heathered due to the slightly different colors in the natural yarns. 

New Garden Yarns Annual Yarns.

Next time you start a new knitting project with hand dyed wool, please don’t overlook a yarn just because it is non-superwash.  There are many benefits to these natural wool yarns.  All wool is naturally antimicrobial, so most items do not need to be washed every time they are worn, making care even easier.  Non superwash yarns feel slightly different than superwash wool yarns.  Some claim they can tell a superwash yarn by the way it feels.  

Caring For Your Non-Superwash Wool Yarns

  • Most garments made from pure wool only need washed after several wearings.  
  • Be sure and wash all wool garments after the season is over and before storing to prevent attracting wool moths.
  • Hand wash your wool garments in the sink or washbasin.  Fill tub with lukewarm water, add wool wash and then the garment. Let soak for a few minutes, then squeeze the water out.  Do not wring or twist. If you’ve used a wool wash like Eucalan there is no need to rinse.
  • After washing roll garment up in a large towel and press excess water out.
  • Lay flat to dry reshaping garment.
  • Occasionally use a Gleener or sweater stone to remove pills from your garment.

My Top Tip to make caring for non-superwash wool easy

  • If your sweater or scarf just needs to be freshened up, hang on a hanger and place in a shaded place where it can catch some fresh air for a few hours. Even better if you can place in a protected place overnight where the morning dew will hit it.

 Find the perfect yarn for your project! Contact me if you’d like help finding the perfect yarn for your project.  New Garden Yarns has many options in both superwash and non-superwash yarns.  Hand dyed wool or natural BFL, custom dyed yarn or superwash hand dyed yarn in pure wool, wool/nylon, silk blends and more.  I am sure to have the right yarns for your special project.