I have just finished knitting a sweater in undyed yak wool to a pattern I had previously used successfully for a sheepswool one. The sheepswool version came out a little smaller than I had planned, but as luck would have it, it was a perfect fit on my son, to whom I have now given it. For the yak wool version, which I plan to wear myself, I went up one size on the pattern but it ended up up several sizes bigger despite the yarn being more or less the same thickness. I would like to try shrinking it. Any tips?
I now realise, belatedly, that the characteristics of the yarn, not just the needle size and thickness, can have a significant influence on the size.
In the pic the yak wool version is below the sheepswool one.
Those are both gorgeous sweaters. It’s not possible to wear the sweater as an oversize one?
I’ve never deliberately tried to shrink a sweater without felting it. I suppose you could play around with a swatch but yak wool is too lovely and you’ve put in so much work, it would be a shame to ruin it.
Thank you for the suggestion. The yak version is certainly wearable as an oversize one, as you suggest, but with one of my other hobbies being bespoke tailoring (where fit is everything) it rather goes against my instinct!
I bought the yak yarn in Kathmandu and it seems to have been hand spun. It is lovely as you say but was also very dirty so I have hand washed it twice, drying it flat but slightly bunched up. The second time I did so in hot water and it seems to have shrunk a fraction, but not enough. Fortunately there was no felting. I was thinking perhaps of giving it a few more hot but gentle washes?
