Looking after wool

[tracey]

My wools are on display, tied around my upright clothes airer actually! very handy.  I know that older wool starts to felt itself and was wondering if putting it into sealed plastic storage containers (I think Marilyn does this perhaps due to moth problems) keeps the wool 'fresher' forever or longer, or makes no difference at all to the wools freshness longevity. 

[lyn]

There are probably lots of correct answers to the storage of wool but there's a couple of things I think are important:

The wool should be removed from the tight plastic bags it comes in. During transit the wool can be exposed to different temperatures and the plastic can 'sweat'- I've had a few bags of wool that felt damp upon opening.

The wool should be kept dry and (as much as is possible) in an even temperature away from direct sunlight.


Your system sounds good and if it works for you then carry on! The rate you are felting I doubt your wool will have a chance to get old anyway.

[tracey]

Excellent Lyn thank you. Haha, yes I didn't think about my wool not having much chance to get old!

[Shepherdess]

I have mine in bags and bins and in bags in bins I have never had it felt just siting there. Having said that if the bags get compressed and rummaged around a lot then the movement will start them to felt. You can felt something quite a bit with just agitation and pressure. I always dry felt snakes and spikes by rubbing hard and fast before wetting.

there are several reason I use bins mostly. We get moths here and mice. Mice can get through the plastic bins if they really want to but it hasn't been a problem so far. another reason is ease of storage. Stackable clear bins make it easy to find what you are looking for.

[tracey]

That's interesting Ann, the method with you use with snakes and spikes.

[MTRuth]

I have had wool sitting around for years with no apparent detrimental effects.

[lyn]

I wonder if that's because you dye your own wool Ruth? The commercially dyed merino tops certainly does go a bit 'matty' after a few years.

[MTRuth]

Could be, I do have a few bits of commercially dyed wool but I don't use it very often. Maybe the bleaching process that they do before dyeing affects it?

[Pandagirl]

Tracey, I use plastic bin drawers. Half the time they are left open. I've never had moth problems.

Lyn, thanks for the tip on the plastic bags.

[tracey]

When I first started felting a friend gave me some of her old wool and yes it's definitely matty as Lyn says, this is what prompted me to ask my question.

[Shepherdess]

Can you pull it apart easily? sometimes if its not bad you can shake it and it will fluff up again. If it's really dry feeling try taking it into the bathroom with you when you have a hot shower.

[tracey]

Oh it's still usable, just not the lovely soft wafty feel of new out of the bag wool!