It is starting to cool off in upstate NY. It is only fall but it is time to break out the woolens around these parts! I love wool. If you are reading this and scratching just thinking about it, keep in mind, not all wool is created equal! There are many benefits to wool. It keeps you warm while still being breathable. It wicks away moisture so keeps you dry. It is naturally flame retardant. There are different types of wool. The softest are best for using against the skin. The courser types are fine as an outside layer. Felted wool is awesomely warm and keeps out the elements pretty well. So, let’s explore wool!
Wool doesn’t just come from sheep. Wool is a “blanket” term for animal fiber from sheep, goats, rabbits, camels, llamas, alpaca, bison, and yak! I have only had the luxury of working with sheep, rabbit, goat and alpaca wool. I would love to feel the other fibers! Maybe one day!
Base Layers
My husband works outside. He was the first to get a base layer of woolens. He loved them. A couple of years ago we went on a cool weather camping trip. That inspired me to get the rest of the family a base layer. My babies I have clothed in wool for the last 11 years. I cloth diapered my last two children and used wool covers. I crocheted many and bought some too. I made them sweaters and repurposed adult clothing into clothing for my children. I really enjoy working with wool. Silk and alpaca are lovely too for warmth. I will talk more about that in a bit. I purchased my husband’s base layers from Meriwool. They are merino woolens. Soft and warm. Nice fitting. I purchased mine and my childrens from Mama Owl. They have scrumptious colors and are incredibly soft made with merino and silk. The fit however was disappointing. They are limited in sizes and the tops were way too short for my liking. I have contacted the store owner to request more sizes and suggested lengthening the tops. They said they do not have the demand and were changing the tops length. I still wear them but not as often as my Meriwool. I had tried my husband’s top on one day and loved the fit. My daughter grew out of hers so I purchased Meriwool for her as well. She gets quite cold so I want her to be warm when outdoors for the cold months. She started wearing them for soccer, then just outside play. She wears them as pajamas all the time. Our family gets a lot of use out of these! They are not cheap but are worth it in my opinion. You only need one set per person and they can be handed down if cared for properly. You can hand wash or wash on the delicate cycle on cold and air dry. They are not difficult to care for. I used to hand wash all my woolens. I rarely do these days. They come out fine for me in the wash as described previously. We keep a rack near the pellet stove to dry them. That keeps moisture in the air if you use a wood stove or pellet stove to heat.
This post
I like to be warm. I am not a big fan of synthetics. Wool is naturally flame retardant as I previously mentioned. When I think of synthetic fibers I think of napalm. Plastic…fleece pajamas or sheets or blankets…God forbid you have any of that on you and are in a fire. It is essentially like having melting plastic on your skin. I typically have a wool blanket in every bedroom. Not only are they warm, but if ever needed, you could cover and exit a fire with some protection. Win win. Sorry, that was a bit dark but it is true. I found a box of wool blankets at an estate sale for next to nothing. I look for wool clothing at the the thrift stores. Sometimes you can felt them to make things like mittens or slippers. I like to make jumpers or overalls for my littles. I tend to use softer woolens for the kids. You can make vests or coats after felting knits for little ones. You can make patchwork blankets as well. I like to get them as inexpensive as possible if I am going to cut them up. Some thrift shops have dollar days or bag sales. Some have different color tags that are half off. I gather to have a stash as I see them since finding things at a thrift store can be random one needs to frequent and look to find treasures.
Upcycles
This overall was from an old wool sweater with holes in it I got for free at a thrift shop. The legs are made from the sleeves. I put them together with the waist band upside down and crocheted the top with either merino or angora. More polka dots 😉 I lanolized this and it doubled as a diaper cover for cloth diapering.
Here are some diaper covers I made from wool and lanolized them. I buy undyed wool at Knitpicks for these.
Here are some bought covers that we used. These are both merino and are lovely.
Here is that blanket again and more sheep and alpaca wool in my little ones sweater. My husband is not sure where this coat came from but it is wool. He thinks it might have been his father’s hunting coat. It is currently on my sewing table to be mended. I am thinking about adding a liner of some of those old wool sweaters I keep.
Custom Makes
Here are a couple pics of a custom sweater I made for my daughter. Alpaca for the main & sheep for the color work.
The first two rows here are custom sweaters for my children made from sheep wool. The bottom sweater is made from alpaca wool. I most often use alpaca or merino now with the exception of color work. I use finger weight palette yarn from Knitpicks for my color work. The bonnet of golden rod is also alpaca. The color is ”daisy” and is fingering weight.
I don’t use patterns exactly…as in not a sweater or hat pattern. When I crochet I use basic patterns to get a desired look and shape as I go using whomever it is for to see how big it needs to be. These are the books I use in that way. I do on occasion use a regular pattern. I love these books. They have a visual pattern, a written pattern as well as a finished swatch image. These are great books. Some of my stitches and such have just come over time using various techniques in actual patterns. Everything I do is not in these books.
I hope this has you thinking warm thoughts! I am cold at this very moment. I am working on getting over sickness and am looking forward to my flannel night gown with my woolen leggings underneath right now! Plus a nice warm blanket over top. I have not yet made a woolen quilt but it is in my head for the future. I would like to make wool patchwork quilts for each bed in the cold months. I have more ”want to makes” than I probably could create in this lifetime but maybe just maybe I will get it done! I hope this has inspired you and will help you and yours be warm!