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Merino wool – lovely material that needs care

Vietto Korpi pocket cardigan is super warm piece of clothing! Model: Piritta Lehtinen

Merino wool is super comfy material in the winter time. Knit is soft and not itchy, and even thin merino wool knit is warm. Vietto is using Finnish made 100% mulesing free merino wool knit made by Orneule. However, merino wool is slightly delicate material and it needs a bit care to stay beautiful.

Generally speaking, the softer the knit the more delicate it is. Friction may cause bobbles to the surface of a soft wool knit. It’s recommendable to avoid rough materials in frequent contact with knit like handbag straps, jeans rivets and such. Bobbles can be removed carefully by hand, with cashmire comb or electronic bobble remover. After mechanical lint removal it’s suggested to iron the knit with steam. Bobbles may occur first, but their number decreases.

If your merino wool knit gets unused for a longer time period, it would be a good idea to store the knit in a lidded close-knit plastic box or in a sealable plastic bag. This will prevent wool-eating bugs attacking your precious knits. Unfortunately insects that eat natural fibers are relatively common in apartments and the first notice of them might be the little holes in merino wool knits. Vietto’s merino wool garments are always 100 % merino wool and they have not handled with pesticides. So if bugs get in touch with your knits, they might happily munch on your cardigan or dress with good appetite! It’s quite easy to recognize the marks, bugs leave small holes that appear after washing or using the wool garment.

Clothing made of merino wool knit do not need to be washed very often, airing them out is proper way of fresh them up. When washing up is needed, carefully hand wash or use hand wash or wool wash program of your washing machine with max 30oC water temperature. Use detergent meant for wool and silk. Vietto merino wool knits are designed in a way that decreases the urge for washing. Sleeves are pretty loose around the armpit, so the knit is not contacted in that area. With adequate care merino wool knits stay beautiful over time and they are always lovely to wear!

In Materials

What is high quality material?


High-quality material, what does it mean?  Is it the one that lasts forever without even wearing out? Or is it material that feels nice on your skin? Is expensive material better quality? Unfortunately, there is no single definition to good quality, but it depends on the purpose and use of the garment.

One definition for high-quality material could be better wear resistance in appropriate use. For example, cotton is more durable if fibers are long, as short cotton fibers get more easily scuffed. Fabrics made of long cotton fibers are smooth and slightly shiny on the surface and they also feel nicer on the skin.

The durability of fabric depends on the thickness and tightness of the fabric or knit. Thin and loose fabrics can easily wear out even if they are made of high-quality material. On the other hand, thick fabric can be very durable even though it’s made of not so high-quality fibers. Different kinds of fabrics are used for different kinds of end products. It’s not reasonable to make clothing for heavy wear with delicate material as it may not be sensible to use thick and stiff material for an evening gown.

In heavy use all the fabrics wear out. The most durable materials can be found among synthetic fibers. For some specific use with heavy wear, synthetic fabrics may be the most high-quality even if they might have a bit of a bad reputation. Synthetic fibers are also added to fabrics among natural fibers to increase durability and often this works  well. Sometimes blended fabrics or knits fade quicker than usual as the synthetic fiber sort of eats the less durable natural fiber. Mixing the fibers also makes the recycling more difficult which is an own point of view on the subject.

Very commonly the fabric that feels most comfortable on the skin does not so well on durability competition. This is the case for example with merino wool knits.  The more comfortable they feel on the skin, the softer their surface is. Unfortunately, the soft surface starts pilling easily when rubbed. However, if warmth and softness of the knit are the most desired features, it makes this kind of knits high-quality for their use. It’s very important to remember that it is possible to affect the durability and tidiness of the merino wool knits by taking care of them properly. You can read more about the care here.

So it is not possible to say that some material is unambiguously high or low-quality without viewing the whole picture. For example, work clothing might have different demands compared to home clothing. Work clothing may encounter more friction and be in a sudden contact with coarse or sharp objects. The fabric can also get a grip by Velcro tape which may destroy the surface of the fabric surprisingly effectively. When choosing the clothing and their materials, it is a good idea to think about where and how you are going to use them.  If you have something to ask on the subject, you may contact via contact form or e-mail without hesitation!