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sweaters: wool vs. cashmere vs. blends?

qfbrenda

Veteran

I would like to add a simple v-neck dark gray sweater in the next few months... or maybe next year, we'll see. My quandary involves fabric. I want to buy a quality one that will last for years but can't do weekly dry cleaning. I really need one that can handle the handwash cycle of my washing machine and lay flat to dry.

So I need advice: do I attempt a cashmere or try merino wool instead? Or do I bag the fancy stuff and get a simple blend? Wool usually makes me itchy but have heard merino is somehow less likely to itch. Thoughts?

Shopping

18 replies

Latest reply was from Emily

PJ

Merino is easier to take care of

Aida

Veteran

I like merino, though I also like cashmere. I only get my cashmere cleaned once or twice a season, but I think I am out of the norm there Sweaters get washed once a month. If you want it to last several years with lower maintenance, merino may be the way to go since you wouldn't have to deal with pilling quite as much.

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

I wash by hand merino, cashmere and wool. For you I recommend merino.

Joy

Veteran

What Aida said. I also wonder about a Smart Wool sweater. I've not looked for them but DS with sensitive skin finds even their tees very comfortable. They are pricey but wear well.
Here is one that comes in grey. Size up for looser fit
http://www.zappos.com/smartwoo.....ims_p_ab_1

E

Veteran

Do you have a front loading or top loading washer? I have thrifted regular wool, merino wool, cashmere, and various wool blend sweaters and I always wash them on the handwash cycle on my front loader and then lay them flat to dry. I wash all my woven wool skirts on the same cycle but hang them to dry since they're not knits. I never have problems: in fact sometimes I deliberately try to felt things for crafting and it seems to take ages. I do come across felted sweaters in thrift stores though so others aren't as fortunate!

I do take certain precautions: I only wash them with other delicates so that there's nothing bulky (like jeans) to cause agitation. When I transfer them from the washer to the flat surface I support all of it so nothing hangs down and can sag out of shape. And I don't wash them very frequently: instead at night when I take a sweater off I hang it inside out from a hook over my closet door and let it air out. In the morning I do the sniff test and almost all of the time it still smells clean (and I do sweat under my arms). I've read that wool is antimicrobial although I'm not sure if science backs that up or if it's more of a marketing thing. I just know I don't need to wash my woolens very frequently and I have a sensitive sense of smell!

The softer the wool the more likely it is to pill, because the fibers are shorter. But most of my thrifted sweaters have very minimal to no pilling, so perhaps once you de-pill once you're set? I did thrift a tags-still-on cashmere sweater that I wear as pjs and it's pilled a lot, but I haven't bothered de-pilling and seeing if it happens again.

My mom finds almost all wool itchy, including cashmere and merino. She's had better luck with 100% alpaca, but I'm not sure how common that would be as a sweater in retail! And when I knit a pair of socks out of 'superwash merino' (chemically treated so it can go in washer & dryer like smartwool socks, which changes the fiber's structure), she didn't find those itchy at all. So Smartwool or Ibex or a line like that might be your best bet.

I hope that helps! I really love wool and find it fascinating, but I'm also fortunate in that it doesn't make me itch.

sarah

Veteran

I must say I really love them both - I don't think you can lose either way, so I'd focus on finding the sweater that fits you best and wouldn't limit yourself to either merino or cashmere.

qfbrenda

Veteran

E, I have a front loader so "handwash" really means a handwash cycle. It's weird.... I can wear wool blend socks from Costco with no itch, but my part-wool Gap blazer makes my neck itchy if I don't wear a scarf. So who knows? That supports the theory that there is wool out there that won't driver me crazy.

unfrumped

Veteran

.Merino may be easier to care for. Did you see the team cashmere vs merino blog post?

Word Lily

Veteran

I don't have a handwash setting on my washing machine, but I handwash my woollens (I knit, so I've got plenty) in the sink, including cashmere. It's a little annoying, but it doesn't take long, especially with a no-rinse wool wash.

I've also heard (but not quite yet proven myself) what E said about once an item is depilled it doesn't just keep pilling like that; rather, the pilling is much more minimal.

It makes sense that you can wear wool socks without itching but might still have itching on your neck; it's just a more sensitive part of the body. But I do think you can find one that will work. I'd probably start with cashmere, or maybe superwash wool, if you can find it. (Maybe that's what smart wool is? I haven't read up on that.) In general I think you'd be more likely to not have itching trouble with cashmere or merino than a general wool blend, but there are still tons of factors.

Sarah A

Veteran

I have had terrible felting with one of my smartwool sweaters so i would follow the washing directions carefully if you go that route. The care label goes on about only swishing around in the wtare 3 times and so forth so the handwash cycle in my frontloader was obviously too much (wish i would have read the label FIRST...). I havent had trouble with the handwash on my cashmere or other merino (much....) they all do seem to draw up a little and i will be sure to account for a bit of shrinkage in the future purchasing decisions will size up. My best wearing sweater is a 50% silk 50% cashmere blend so that might be worth looking at if you find it, mine washes like a dream with no pilling or shrinking to speak of after weekly washing.

Joy

Veteran

Sarah's post mentioning a silk-wool blend reminded me that a wool blend with nylon is also usually pretty washable.

E

Veteran

Lily, I haven't proved it either! I just find it mysterious that so many of my obviously used wool sweaters don't have a lot of pilling when I see people on the forum complaining about their brand-new knitwear pilling. I don't know! I keep meaning to get some of the no rinse detergent to try out.

Brenda, yay for front loading machines! No evil agitator. If your socks from Costco are safe to put in the washer/dryer, you could be like my mom and be ok with 'superwash' wool. But as Lily said your neck is definitely more sensitive than your feet! It sounds like you'll just have to try a bunch on: if you have an rei in your area they might carry the smartwool/ibex/etc so you could see if washable wool is itchy for you or not. But from what Sarah says it sounds like not all smartwool is washable! I only have their socks and haven't had any washing problems (though I don't put them in the drier).

Jenava

(website)

Veteran

I think your main issue is finding a quality garment. I recommend Everlane cashmere at the moment! Finding something with a long fiber length can be tricky. If you get something with lower quality fibers then it doesn't matter how you wash it; it will pill!

I wash my sweaters on the delicate cycle of my top load washer, then roll the sweater up in a towel for a day till it's dry. I've never had issues with my good quality cashmere OR wool sweaters with this method; my black cashmere turtleneck is going strong 10 years in!

If you want to avoid itching, I say go with cashmere. I think Everlane is a good value for the money, but caveat that it's a newer company, so no proof in the cashmere pudding, so to speak. But, I have to believe that a company that is as transparent as they are with their mfg process must be good...

https://www.everlane.com/colle.....-dark-grey

ETA - Alpaca might be an excellent option, but I think it's typically pretty expensive, FWIW.

ETA - here is a photo of me wearing my navy cashmere Everlane sweater:

http://outfitdiary.blogspot.co.....e-and.html

qfbrenda

Veteran

Thank you, everyone!

Jenava, is the navy one you have your regular size? I don't mind a little bit of a loose fit but I'm not sure I want it as loose as it looks on the model. Should I size down?

Lisa

Veteran

Thanks for asking as I am struggling with care of my sweaters lately. I usually layer a LS T underneath my sweaters so that I only have to wash the LS T and not the sweater itself. This let's me get away with washing sweaters only a couple times in a season instead of after every wear.

Sarah A

Veteran

I have been thinking about ordering some Everlane garments, thanks for the info Jenava!

Beth

Veteran

I also hand-wash my merino and cashmere knits, and if I had a machine with a hand wash setting, I'd do that. I use Eucalan no-rinse wool wash, which is great. Cashmere seems to dry quickly, so if I wash knits the night before, they're usually ready to wear the next morning.

If you're sensitive, cashmere might be the way to go.

Emily

Veteran

I've had wool-nylon blends hold up beautifully, for years, washed in cold water in a front load machine and dried flat. I'm also pretty happy with the gap Eversoft sweaters, both have mine are holding up well to their first few washings and wearings.