Went for a quick trip to Walmart with my family and found my self in the yarn section … and saw “Silky Mercerized Wool”.
Has anyone used this?
I’ve never heard of mercerized wool. Sounds interesting…
I’ve never heard of it, either. I have heard of mercerized cotton, though.
So how is the look and feel of this mercerized wool?
it was squishy and soft … sounds like a loaf of bread :teehee:
i was thinking of getting it to use for DH’s toque.
Mercanizing, I believe, is treating the ‘threads’ with some sort of chemical to make them shinier.
It can potentially wash out.
It can also yield a yarn that is easier to work with, will split less and runs more smoothly through your fingers.
I didn’t double check, but I believe that is what mercanizing does.
Mercerizing cotton is a process by which cotton fiber is placed under tension while it is bathed in an alkaline solution (like caustic soda), washed and dried. The process of Mercerizing causes chemical changes in the structure of the cotton fiber, making it stronger, straighter, smoother and more dye absorbent.
Mercerizing wool still involves the caustic soda bath, but no tension. Mercerizing wool does not cause chemical changes in the structure of the fiber, but does fuse the scales on the outside of the fiber together. Mercerized wool is, in effect, superwash, and can’t be felted. Mercerized wool is also stronger, smoother and more dye absorbent than non-Mercerized wool, albeit for a different reason than the treated cotton.
True Mercerizing can’t be washed out because it chemically alters the treated fiber.
More than you ever wanted to know about this subject can be found in the book [I]The Textile Fibres: Their Physical, Microscopical, and Chemical Properties [/I]which is available to view online through the Google book search thingie.
Was it 100% wool, did it come in nice colors, what was the brand?
I may need to go to Walmart.
candice
Yes it was 100% wool, as for colours I don’t recall, my DS beckoned before I can see them all. I believe the brand was “Georga”
As opposed to mercenerized cotton, which requires mercenary lambs…
They have that at my walmart, and I am always torn. I don’t recall it saying “silky” tho. Just 100% mercenized Wool. It feels soft and squishy but it still has that rough wooly feel. Could be good for a hat.
the colours are beautiful. I always get caught dwindling with a skein of this beauitul rich grass green shade in my hands going hmmm…
“silky” was on the label, where the price is located on the bins
Well bummer, they do not have it at my Walmart. How much is it? I would probaly buy some for a quicky project and wash to test how soft it becomes.
I used Lamb’s Pride Superwash which I thought was also a little rough. I washed it in the machine with some Eucalan and it came out much softer.
Will have to check out some more Walmart stores.
Candice
Anyone else find this at Walmart yet? What is the brand? I need some superwash for toddler sweaters that does’t cost a fortune.
candice
The one at my walmart is called Georga [SIZE=1](or Gorgia? :think: It’s the same name as the state except it is spelled differently) [SIZE=2]and it has the brand name in clear letters. Hard to miss.
It does not say “silky” anywhere on em here. I checked last week. It could be the difference in country tho, as Red Heart Soft in the US is Red Heart Soft Touch in Canada. :shrug:[/SIZE][/SIZE]
it is Georga… “Silky” was noted on they price tag on the labels attached to the bins.