The Australian merino wool comes from the Australian merino sheep and is one of the softest and most luxurious choices for jumpers, cardigans, shawls, sweaters and other garments. It is highly esteemed due to its ability to keep your body warm in winter and cool during the summer. Merino wool is a special winter fabric with special qualities hence; it requires special care at the time of washing, so that does not lose its features.

With a gentle detergent and cold water, hand washing is normally recommended on merino wool sweaters. You can hand wash your sweater and keep it away from problems such as stretching and shrinking. Follow these steps to hand wash your Merino sweaters and extend the life of the garment.

Step One: Take the mixture of cold water and mild detergent, but make sure that you do not fill the basin to the top with water. Place just adequate water into the bowl to mix with the detergent. In case, if you have a large or medium sweater, then you can make use of one tablespoon of detergent for cleaning purpose.

Step Two: Now time to swish the merino wool sweater in cold and sudsy water. Whirl the sweater in the soapy water until the garment is fully wet. After 3 to 5 minutes of whirling and soaking of the sweater, remove it from the mixture.

Step Three: After completion of the whirling and soaking process, rinse the sweater in cold water. Empty the basin filled with water and soap mixture. Fill the tub with cold water and dip sweater until it is completely soaked. Wash the sweater to make it free from soap.

Step Four: After removing soap, remove water from the sweater. For fast drying, hold the sweater by its shoulders so that water comparatively drains faster into the basin. Never wring the sweater to remove the water from it, because by doing this, you unknowingly damage its fibers. To remove any residual water, roll it up in a towel and repeat the same step until the sweater is dry. Try to press out any remaining water prior you switch to next step.

Step Five: Keep the sweater horizontal on another towel to dry. Wet cool can easily stretch; hence, make sure that the sweater is arranged with the arms so that it retains its original shape. Depending on the thickness of the merino wool sweater, the drying time may vary from 12 to 72 hours.

If you follow these steps, your sweater will survive for several years. Always remember, never hang your sweater and do not wash it frequently as it may damage the fabric and sweater may lose its shape.

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Source: http://casaveen.wordpress.com/2013/09/20/tips-on-how-to-hand-wash-your-merino-wool-sweaters/

Merino wool scarfs are essential cold-weather accessory, and wearing one nicely is crucial to fashion lovers. Merino wool scarfs come in different patterns and colors; therefore, everyone will find a perfect one that they can enjoy wearing. Whether you will be in a cold weather for just a few minutes or for much longer time, wearing a merino wool scarf attractively is a chic way to go. Here is how you can wear a merino wool scarf, stylishly.

Center Fold

1.       Fold your merino wool scarf in half and hold it in the center where the fold is.
2.       Center the fold over the front of your neck, and let the two long ends hang down your back.
3.       Pull the left end over your right shoulder and right end over your left shoulder or vice versa.
4.       Be sure the tension around your neck is not too tight. If it is too tight, loosen up a little.
5.       For fuller look, fluff up the neck area of your scarf.
6.       Toss one of your scarf’s ends over the opposite shoulder. For instance, toss the right end over the left shoulder.

Side Tie

1.       For side tie, fold your merino wool scarf in half, and place it folded around your neck. The two ends of the scarf should be on either right side or left side; the fold should lie on either the left side or right side of your neck.
2.       Gently slide the two ends through the fold on the left side. (Right side if the two ends of your scarf are on the left side)
3.       Yank the ends, sliding them to tighten the fold.
4.       Adjust the tension around the neck, so that your scarf feels comfortable to wear.

Source: http://casaveen.wordpress.com/2013/08/09/how-to-wrap-a-merino-wool-scarf/

Merino wool is the softest and most comfortable wool ideal for cardigans, sweaters, jumpers, jackets, shawls, and other garments. It has the ability to keep you warm in winter but cool when days are hot. The wool comes from the merino sheep, which is highly prolific in Australia and New Zealand. Considering its special qualities, when washing a merino wool garment, utmost care must be taken. This is necessary so that the garment does not shrink. Here is how you can wash merino wool sweater or other merino wool knitwear.

1.       Fill a basin with warm water and add a pinch of special merino wool cleanser. A dishwashing detergent will also do. Thoroughly mix the cleanser in the water.

2.       Carefully lay your merino wool sweater cardigan or other merino wool knitwear into the water. Allow the water to soak into the garment. Do not stir or move the garment inside the water. Just press the garment lightly with your hands to lay it completely under the water.

3.       Let the garment soak for at least three minutes, but not more than five minutes.

4.       Remove the garment from the water to another sink or a clean pan. Empty the soapy water basin. Rinse the basin and refill it with warm water.

5.       Lay the garment back into the warm water basin without any agitation. Let the soap do dispel into the water. Try not to ruffle the garment around.

6.       Repeat the draining and rinsing until the detergent completely disperse from the garment.

7.       With great care, press the water out of the garment. Do not crinkle the garment in any way.

8.       Place the garment on a clean, dry towel. Cover the garment in the towel. Gently press again, so the towel soaks up water from the garment.

9.       Dry the garment by laying it flat on a clean surface. Avoid hanging it, as this will make the merino wool garment go out of shape.

Source: http://casaveen.wordpress.com/2013/08/06/how-to-hand-wash-a-merino-wool-sweater-or-other-merino-wool-knitwear/

Cardigans are sweaters with buttons, zip, or tie in the front. They are available in a variety of styles and can be made with the help of different materials. Depending on the type of material they are made, you can wash it at home one way or another. The first thing that you should remember is to read the manufacturers tag for washing instruction and information. If the cardigan is not made from a particularly delicate materials such as normal wool or merino, it can be easily washed at home in the washing machine in a regular way.

Yet if it is merino wool cardigan sweaters then there are specially formulated wool wash and wool protector available to keep your garments lasts long and look best for the years to come. If there is a stain problem, depending on the stain you may would like to use a spot remover available commercially. But you need to be careful as it may also take the dye out of the garment. Some stains such as red wine, tea and coffee are unable to get rid-off from merino wool cardigans, so you need to be careful with that.

Machine Wash
Merino wool cardigans can be machine washed easily as they are made from Superwash wool. It is recommend to add wool wash or approved wool detergent and washing on a wool cycle that incudes spinning excess water out. Once washed, when you take out the woolen garment from the washing machine, gently pull the garment back into shape.

Hand Washing
If you are not confident of machine washing your merino wool cardigan sweater then you can opt for hand washing. It is recommend to use wool wash or approved wool detergent with warm water. Place the garment into the water and squeeze the water through the garment. Rinse in cold water several times until there isn’t any soapy water left in the garment. Spin the excess water out on the spin cycle in the washing machine.

If the cardigan is stretched during the spin dry cycle, ensure to pull the sides of the garment out, which will bring back the length to where it should be. Same applies with the sleeves of the cardigan. Also ensure that the ribs of the cardigan are not stretched. If they are stretched, gently pat them back into shape as well.

While drying ensure to dry them flat and away from direct sunlight as it can bleach out the colour. Once the cardigan is dry, use a steam iron on the wool setting and iron it carefully.

A wool cardigan is a type of sweater that has zips, buttons, or ties down the front. They are usually made from wool or cotton; however, merino wool cardigan is considered as the best of its kind. Sometimes they also have pockets, but not very often. For past couple of decades it was associated as a best deal for the old people, however that’s not the case anymore. In fact, cardigans are remarkably fashionable these days. Besides, it’s not only the style, they are also cosy, war, and versatile, available in array of styles, colours, patterns and sizes, suitable for almost everyone’s taste and choice. Most importantly, they are available for people of all ages; men, women, and the children.

Works Great for Home and Office

One of the best thing about women cardigans are that they can be worn almost everywhere. As cardigan is made from wool hence it is comfortable to wear around the house. It is a perfect wear for moving from inside to out as you do lawn work or work around in the garage. You can also button or unbutton your sweater as and when you get cooler or warmer.

They also serve as the perfect wear for office. They can be used as a slipover when you are at your desk. It blends perfectly with your business skirt or a suit. Men can wear them with a tie or underneath a sport coat. Many office employees keep a cardigan on the backs of their chairs all year long. It is ideal for winter of course; however, even in office it could be chilly due to air conditioners.

Additionally, cardigans can be sleek and stylish or more casual, based on what type you would like to go along with it. Hence, cardigans can be good for a perfect evening wear, whether you are visiting a good restaurant, going out on a date or perhaps going out for a walk in the woods. Finally, as far as the kids are concerned, they surely do like wearing them to school as it is easy to slip on and off, and is isn’t as heavy and bulky as regular coat or sweater.

For most people around the world knitwear is something that helps them to remain warm during the cold days of winters. That’s a common perception in almost every one’s mind, associating knitwear with something that is designed to provide protection against the cold. However, that is no longer the case as unlike earlier couple of decades back when knitwear was related to sweaters made by our grannies or a long overcoat, knitwear has now become a new trend of fashion.

Knitwear are now available in variety of styling, colours, and patterns, suitable for all; men, women and children. Ranging from mens vest to mens jumpers, mens jackets to mens cardigans, womens jumpers to womens vests, womens jackets to womens cardigans, as well as womens skirts, and even for children jumpers to children hats and scarves, and much more; knitwear now has a wide range of portfolio matching the taste of almost every individual. In addition to this, knitwear has even hit many catwalk shows.

However, that’s just being about the knitwear in Australia. Now if we look on the other part of the story, when it comes to buying knitwear most people won’t just prefer styling and warmth of the knitwear product, they will also look for comfort, durability and the affordability. But the fact is that knitwear are made from wool, and as far as wool is concerned then it is shred from quiet a number of sheep, which includes cashmere, mohair, qiviut, and so on. This makes it difficult for an individual to decide that which knitwear product or perhaps which woollen knitwear product he / she should opt for. Of course, wool is an eco-friendly product providing superior level of protection against cold but it does comes with it’s limitation and cons such as the itchy feeling, shrinking, sweaty feeling, etc. You cannot literally say each wool is fantastic or superior in quality. So how do you judge that which wool is the best?

Merino Wool

As per the Wikipedia “The amount of crimp corresponds to the fineness of the wool fibres.”  Merino wool is considered as the finest quality of wool around the world, recommended by most experts around the wool. A fine merino wool may have up to 100 crimps per inch, which makes it the finest quality of wool fibre in the world. As the fibres of merino are small as compare to many other wool, hence the merino wool makes the merino knitwear much lighter to wear, proving to be more breathable. This natural crimps of merino is also able to trap air pockets, which in turns insulates the body from cold weather, and keeps it cool during cold winter. Additionally, merino wool is water absorbent, and can absorb up to 30 percent of its weight in moisture, as a result the wearer doesn’t get the sweaty feeling at all. It also won’t keep you from getting soaked in heavy rain, and proves to be great for wearing in slightly damp conditions. That’s not all, it is a unique material which is also liquid repellent and fire retardant; this is because the fibres don’t melt on contact with a flame. Besides, unlike other woollen materials which may lead to rashes or itchy feeling, small fibres of merino makes it a non-itchy wool. This makes it a perfect solution for people with sensitive skin.  

Merino is extracted from merino sheep, which are bred in Australia and New Zealand for their wool. Pure Australian merino wool is considered as the finest quality of wool in the world.

If you are searching for pure Australian Merino Knitwear than www.casaveen.com.au is the right place for you. They feature an array of pure Australian Merino Knitwear products for all; men, women and children, which includes jumpers, vests, cardigans, jackets and much more. Most importantly, unlike others they knit their products exclusively for you based on your preferred style, patterns, colours, size, etc.

Machine Washable Wool
The care of woolen knitwear is really easy and simple. If one follows the correct method, the garment will retain its shape and will last long, season after season. There are specially formulated wool wash and wool protector available for purchase that helps to keep your garments looking best for years.

Stain & Wool
If your garment is hit by a stain, than it can be a problem. A commercial spot remover could be the best option to get rid of such stains, however you need to be careful as it may also take the dye out of the garment. Besides, there are certain stains which cannot be removed or are really difficult to remove, including red wine, coffee and tea.

Machine Washing Your Woolen Knitwear
If you happen to have pure Australian merino woolen knitwear than it is really easy to take care of them. These garments are generally made from Super wash wool, and you are able to wash them in washing machine. It is recommend to add Wool Wash or another approved wool detergent, and washing on a wool cycle that includes spinning excess water out.

After Washing, Getting Your Woolen Garment Back into Shape to Dry
Once your woolen garments are washed, when you take out the garment out of the washing machine, you need to gently pull the garment back into shape. This will not hurt the garment at all.

If the garment has stretched, which happens generally during the spin dry cycle, ensure to pull the sides of the garment out and this will bring the length back to where it should be.

If your sleeves appear to have shrunk, gently pull the length of the sleeve. Also check the ribs of the garment are not stretched. The ribs are the ridged pattern on the garment. If the ribs are stretched, gently pat them back into shape.
To dry the garment, always lie the garment flat and away from direct sunlight as this can bleach out the colour.
Once the garment is dry, using a steam iron on the wool setting, iron the garment carefully.

Hand Washing
If you are not confident about using the washing machine on a wool or gentle cycle, you may choose hand wash method.

If you are using Wool Wash or approved wool detergent, than it is recommended to use warm water. Place the garment into the water containing wool detergent, and then squeeze the water through the garment. Later you need to rinse the garment in cold water for several times until there isn’t any soapy water left in the garment. Finally, spin the excess water out on the spin cycle in the washing machine and follow the instructions as stated above for After Washing, Getting Your Garment into Shape to Dry.

Technology always keeps on moving at a rapid pace. It may sounds a good thing; however, sometimes it just seems that old ways are simply the best in certain circumstances. This is the most apparent thing to happen these days in several sectors, especially in the clothing industry. The number of people prefer to wear merino wool again are increasing day by day, as compared to that of clothes made from synthetic fabrics.

Synthetic Fabrics

These days one would be able to easily find an array of multihued synthetic fabrics in almost any apparel or clothing stores. All of these fabrics will claim to be the most light-weighted and flexible fabric available in the market. They will have labels promising that their fabrics are superior in quality in every terms and are comfortable, keeping you warm always. But the problem is that you cannot recycle these fabrics, and besides these fabrics emit harmful chemicals which pollute the environment when destroyed. Imagine if these fabrics could damage the environment, than not to mention how they would react to your skin when you are wearing them.

Merino Wool Knitwear: Natural Fabric

Merino wool knitwear is entirely different and unique ant that of other synthetic fabrics. The wool itself is unique and one of kind, made from a natural resource that is sustainable. The wool is extracted from merino sheep, which is well-known around the world for producing finest quality wool. The merino wool has 100 crimps per inch ratio, as compared to that of 50-60 of other wools as well as synthetic fabrics. These makes it unique, providing superior comfort and warmth to the wearer during cold winters. At the same time the wool also possess moisture resistant properties, which ensures that the wearer doesn’t get over heated. It ultimately helps the wearer to stay cool during summers.

Earlier, merino wool was associated with elderly people; however, the consumers have learned the benefits and advantages of this versatile fabric, which can be used in numerous ways.  As a matter of fact, nothing is more natural than wool from a sheep, especially when it is merino.

Super Absorbent and Ultra-soft
As the per inch crimp ratio in merino wool is highest, it is considered to be the softest available fabric. With other synthetic fabrics, chances are that your skin might feel itchy and you may get rashes. But with merino wool soft touch, your skill will never feel any itchy or have any rashes, keeping your comfortable always. As said that it is moisture resistant, hence it keeps you warm during chilled winters and at the same time keeps you cool during hot summers. It also keeps the sweat away, hence it is also considered as the best for athletic wear as it allows the athletes to be sweat free as well as to keep the odor away.

Merino wool is Environment Friendly
The production of merino wool is quite different as compared to that of synthetic fabrics. Synthetic fibers are produced in factory using chemicals and other such harmful substances, and on the other hand wool is grown on the back of the sheep. Sheep are living creatures and when sheep ranches and farms are well planned, can contribute much to the environment rather than steal from it.

The Many Uses of Merino Wool
Unlike the traditional thinking, merino wool is just not limited to apparel. It is also used for blankets, super-soft pillows, mattress stuffing, as well as a host of other uses. In respect to apparel it is used in preparing cardigans, vests, sweaters, jackets, wraps, wristwarmers, etc.