Without proper care, sweaters become unbearable and unfit to wear. Some points on how to take care of sweaters are:-

• Drying – Laying a sweater down to dry helps the sweater to retain its shape and size. After a wash in a washer a sweater should be laid out on a towel and rolled to get rid of the excess water. Once roll-dried, it should be folded into the shape wanted and only then put away. The easiest and fastest way to dry a sweater is to lay it between two chairs.
• Reshape – Sweaters often loose shape due to various circumstances. To get a shrunken sweater back in shape, it should be soaked in a tub containing hot water and hair conditioner. Another way to stretch a sweater is dissolve one ounce of borax in a bucket of lukewarm water, immersing the sweater in it, and gently pulling it back in shape.
• Loose threads – A loose thread should never be cut. Pulling it through the back side will help in evading the problem.
• Deodorize – After each wearing, a sweater should be deodorized. This helps in minimizing wrinkles and makes the sweater look and feel good and fresh.
• Moth damage – If moth damage is found on a sweater, it should be immediately cleaned and the moth damage should immediately be repaired to avoid any more harm to the sweater.
• Storage – While storing the sweater, it should be made sure that the sweater is cleaned properly and stored in a cool, dry place. Also care should be taken that clean sweaters are not mixed with used sweaters to avoid cross contamination of the sweater.

Woolen or wool sweaters are those which are made of wool. Wool is basically a derivative fiber of the hair of mammals in the Caprinae family. Wool mainly comes from sheep but a particular kind of specialty wool can come from a goat too. Sometimes specialty wools also come from llamas found in South America and rabbits. Merino wool, alpaca wool, lamb’s wool, Shetland wool and mohair wool are types of wool used to make sweaters.

Shetland wool is from a pretty coarse fiber, and very good for sweaters. Merino is a much finer and comfortable fiber and it is preferred more than most other wools. Merino wool sweaters itch the least which also makes them more preferable. For knitting sweaters at home, Alpaca wool is recommended. Alpaca wool is a strong variety of wool and the sweaters knitted out of it are also usually found to be of good quality.

Lamb’s wool is a finer wool than Alpaca wool. Lamb’s wool is also softer and much more comfortable than Alpaca wool. However, Mohair wool is the one that is softest to touch from all the other wools. Mohair is also aesthetically beautiful. These both qualities make Mohair wool a very luxurious wool and the most sought after.

It is a common misconception that woolen sweaters are very difficult to be taken care of. The only care you need to take care is about following directions properly and once the directions are followed properly, one can be rest assured that the woolen sweater will be long lasting and remain the same beautiful self as it was when first worn!

Some of the directions are:-

• Shake – To remove settled surface dust and detach fiber clusters, shake the wool sweater. This process should be done after very wear.
• Sunlight – After the shake process, proper sunlight should be given to the wool. By this process majority of the body odor or moisture gets evaporated from the wool sweater.
• Remove fuzz balls – After each wear, one should “remove” all the fuzz balls that are caused by normal wear. This process should be done with the help of a small scissor. “Pulling” the fuzz balls off will only displace the other fibers that are attached and it is advised not to try and pull them off just calmly remove them. This will help the sweaters to not get unbearable in future.
• Do not hang – Once all the above directions have been properly carried out, the sweater is ready to be folded neatly, and properly kept in a cool, dry place. The sweater shouldn’t be hanged else, because of the heavy weight of wool, the sweater will lose shape. Woolen sweaters need to breathe and so, they shouldn’t be Read the rest of this entry »

Two of the most famous cultural specific sweaters are Norwegian and Irish sweaters. Norwegian sweaters are a classic. These sweaters are authentic and are highly popular all over the world, especially in cold-weather climates and mountainous regions.

The extreme thickness of Norwegian sweaters distinguishes them the most. It is a style that originates from the extreme cold in the country of Norway. This style mainly helps people like hunters and fishermen who get warmth, thanks to the thick cable knit style of the sweater.

Norwegian sweaters are usually made of wools that are cream, black, brown or navy in color. Sometimes they are also made with wools that are white and red in color giving a very contrast effect. The buttons are made of metals like silver or pewter. These are the authentic features of a real Norwegian sweater.

Irish sweaters or Aran sweaters as it is also known, are highly popular the world over especially in European countries and America. The uniqueness of Irish sweaters lies in its complex stitching patterns which often have a cultural and sometime religious significance. Like for example, a basket stitch is a gesture of good luck and fortune, a honeycomb stitch is for hard work and dedication.

Originally Irish sweaters were made with unwashed wools that contained natural oils that repelled water, which made them ideal for Irish fishermen. These sweaters are made from undyed wool from sheep which gives the sweater its unique look. Another feature that makes these sweaters unique is its pattern of stitching which is symmetrical i.e. a true Irish sweater will always have a design going uniquely symmetrical to the central axis both front and back sides.

So, to look truly in Irish wear, one should dress up in similar design sweaters, socks and Read the rest of this entry »