You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, Here's How to Keep Your Pillows Fresh and Clean, How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies, Once and for All. If it’s still on the large side, put it through another wash/ dry cycle. The following techniques work best with wool sweaters. If it’s a regular wool or cotton sweater, on the other hand, you’ll find subjecting it to a high heat the easiest and simplest way to shrink it. So, first thing's first—take a deep breath, and hold off on dumping that hoodie in the donation pile just yet. Pull the yarn through, leaving a tail about 1 inch long on the inside of the sweater. Is it possible to alter a sweater? Fill the sink with warm water. Just bear in mind that some fabrics don’t take kindly to this kind of treatment, so don’t risk it on a particularly precious garment. Fill a sink with lukewarm water, and add about 1/3 cup of hair conditioner. If you're unshrinking a wool sweater, you may need more conditioner—about 1/3 of a cup. While it’s still wet, wrap it in a towel and towel dry to remove any excess water – you want it to be damp but not soaking. Some people say no. Altering a knit sweater can seem an intimidating task, but providing you know how to operate a pair of scissors, it’s easier than it seems. We hope you haven't tossed it yet, because this works. It will get more holes and I will fix them until it’s too threadbare to hold together. Some of the alterations that can be made to a wool sweater include: Shortening: Cutting a sweater’s hem can be done easily, instantly transforming a too-long garment into a more desirable length. Fill a sink with lukewarm water and a capful of baby or hair conditioner. Country Living editors select each product featured. Once it's fully drained, gently squeeze the garment, removing excess water. How to Bleach Bamboo Sheets, The Sears Kenmore Sewing Machine Model 5186 (Review, Manual), How to Take in a Sweater That is Too Big, How to Alter a Sweater That is Too Long, How to Alter a Sweater That is Too Small. Method 2- Sew it Smaller - If you can thread a needle, you’ll find this simple method of taking in a sweater a breeze. Depending on just how much time you have on your hands (or just how much effort you’re willing to put in), you’ll find any number of temporary and permanent ways of altering its size… take these two methods as a case in point. Method 1 – The Boil Wash - Take a look at the care instructions on the sweater’s label. You can also use a gentle wool wash like Eucalan or Woolite for delicates. The fabric shaver in action. Use a container deep enough for the sweater to be completely submerged in the water and detergent. Another video tutorial demonstrates how to fix a snag or pull in a sweater … Sweaters can last generations, but those handmade sweaters of yesteryear (or even last season's purchase) can look the worse for wear. Voilà! Step 3 Or, maybe your spouse assumed laundry duty this week and accidentally put something in the dryer that wasn’t supposed to go in there. You can shrink sections of a sweater, like … If your sweater’s too big, too small, too long or too wide, you’re not stuck with it. Yolanda Zaragoza Cano/Demand Media Providing you know your way around a sewing machine (or can at least thread a needle), you won’t have too many problems in making some basic alterations at home. When you find a hole in a wool sweater, it doesn't mean you need to throw the sweater away. If you’re tired of constantly hiking up dangling sleeves, tackle the problem once and for all with the quick sleeve-shortening method. Roll up the towel and sweater from the closest edge, like a jellyroll. How to Fix a Pull in Your Sweater. For smaller apparel items, including wool hats, use about a dime size of conditioner. To repair knits, you need to learn how to darn. Soak for 10 minutes. If you don’t have a serger (and don’t want to invest in one), it’s still simple enough to narrow a sweater with the right cutting, pinning, and sewing technique. The garment should be damp, but not wet. I remember once when I was little, I was spending the night with my grandmother and snagged my sweater. The nature of knit material makes it difficult to simply stitch up a hole. If you happen to find yourself in this situation and are frantically Googling “how to unshrink a sweater,” not all hope is lost. If you are looking for a free and easy gift, this would be a good one. Unroll the towel, lift the sweater off, and lay it flat on a dry towel. Do not rinse it with clean water or wring it dry. Roll the towel up, with the clothing in it, to absorb more water. How to Fix a Sweater This is a 4-minute YouTube video that shows how to repair a hole in a knitted sweater. Carefully bring the sweater back to … ... Then sew the sides as well; keep your stitches on the underside of the sweater for the most part to keep them hidden. The process of cutting a sweater to make alterations is known as ‘steeking’ – here’s how to do it. We fix … The method is simple enough: simply pop the sweater in the washer, wash on the highest heat you can, then dry it on a high heat in the dryer. If your sweater’s neckline is letting it down, a few small alterations should soon bring it up to par. I really wasn’t sure this laundry tip was going to work but IT DID and it’s totally worth using!. How To Use A Fabric Shaver To Save A Sweater Using this fabric shaver is quick and easy! stitch one end to the left shoulder seam and one end to the other shoulder seam (across the back of the neck.) Fix a sweater snag in two quick steps, and avoid sending it to the tailor—or the donation pile. These DIY Chicken Sweaters Are Going Viral, 10 Crafty Ways to Dress Your Home In Cozy Sweaters, Twosie Christmas Sweater Is Made for Best Friends, Here's How to Hang a Hammock in Your Backyard, 30 Best Ugly Christmas Sweaters for Men and Women. Shrinking Sections of a Sweater Prepare a basin of water. The blades will make short work of all those pills, and they will get sucked up into the lint holder that surrounds the blade. Some people say no. The brilliant quick fix for sweater snags only takes 3 steps, as demonstrated by Marie Claire's Fashion Editor-at-Large, Zanna Roberts Rassi. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. ). Keep it flat until it dries, preferably on a drying rack. You can also use a gentle wool wash like Eucalan or Woolite for delicates. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. A hip-length sweater is fine. More about us. Then ignore them. All you’ll need is a little courage, a pair of scissors, a handful of pins, and a needle. You can also use a salad spinner either before or after this step to dry the sweater even further. To neutralize perspiration odor, add 3/4 cup of white vinegar. Sew a new seam using the mark as your guide. Neckline: Cutting into the neckline of a wool sweater can transform a turtleneck into a crew neck, or a crew neck into a boat or v-neck. There’s the classic "turning your white sheets pink from a leftover red sock," or "mistakenly taking the 'dry clean only' tag as a suggestion." If you know of anyone else in need of some handy tips, please feel free to share the post. Watch this video to learn how to fix a snag in any sweater or knit. If you're unshrinking a wool sweater, you may need more conditioner—about 1/3 of a cup. If your sweater’s too wide, don’t relegate it to the back of the closet just yet. As in the last step check that they are in a safe place, but not so… If it fits, great. Because this is what we do in my family. We’d argue though, that shrinking your clothes takes the cake as one of the most frustrating things to happen in the laundry room (yes, worse than learning how to clean an iron, how to clean a dryer vent, or—gasp—how to clean a washing machine). When sweater sleeves are too long, check the shoulders and neck opening first. See how Larissa turned her old maternity sweater into this darling … Soak for at least 30 minutes or up to two hours is fine. Slip the tip of the embroidery needle through the closed stitch just to the left of the top row of open stitches. @larissaz. Add the sweater and gently swish it through the water and shampoo or fabric softener solution to be sure that all fibers are thoroughly wet. How to Restore Faded Clothes. Use matching thread, and whip-stitch any tears from the backside of the bedspread or fabric. Try this simple trick to bring wool, cotton, cashmere, or any other natural fiber clothing item back to life. Use a Crochet Hook to Capture the Snag Start by inserting the crochet hook from the wrong side of the sweater through to the front side of the fabric or sweater at the snag. Piece the torn fabric back together without overlapping any of it for a better look from the front. While you're at it, you can give the clothes you live in a … First of all, work out whether you want to add to a too-low neckline or make a too-high neckline lower, then choose the appropriate altering technique from below. Then let the sweaters air dry. You can repair a wool sweater in a variety of ways, depending on the size and severity of the hole. Place the sweater on top and gently pull it into the right shape. But it needn’t be. Step 1 - Wash the sweater in cold water. One that’s grazing your knees might need a little help. If the arms of your sweater are long enough for a monkey, or maybe the whole thing is a size too large, you might be able to get it back down to size. This squeezes out any excess water. It takes less than half an hour, but it’s like getting a whole new sweater. Make sure to sew tightly around the perimeter of the patch to keep the knitting stitches from unraveling. But don’t believe them. By now, you should know how to alter a sweater six ways to Sunday. If you don't have much experience with knitting, consider sewing a … Submerge the sweater in the water/conditioner solution completely, and let it soak for about 10 minutes. Making alterations to an expensive fabric like cashmere can be a little nerve-wracking. Even if your favorite cashmere ends up looking like it belongs to your six-year-old niece after a wash or dry, don’t toss it or buy a new one. The stitches will not be seen from the front, and the bedspread or fabric will be stabilized. How to Take Pleats Out Of a Skirt, Dress, or Pants Easily, How to Remove Waistband From Jeans Easily (Pants and Hoodie), Expand Jeans Waist: How To Make Pants Bigger Around The Waist. Wool sweaters can be altered using the same method of ‘steeking’ as described in the previous section. According to Wool Me, you can also toss in a bit of mild detergent to help freshen up the fabric. Just lay your sweater out on a flat surface, turn the shaver on, and run it over the surface of the sweater. Cut away any excess fabric, flip the sweater right side out, and voila – job done! #zerowaste. Take a piece of ribbon about a foot long. Your sweater will have the aroma of the conditioner after (until you get it professionaly cleaned), so make sure you like the scent before adding it to the water. If you’re going to try the boil wash method of shrinking an oversized sweater, you’re going to have to forget everything you’ve ever been taught about proper care techniques. Perhaps you even got distracted and didn’t hear the timer go off. Let the conditioner sit on the sweater fibers for 30 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with cold water. Darning is an old technique that is most often used to fix and reinforce holes in socks. The sweater is sun-faded in many places, but it’s his favorite. Step 4: Lay the sweater flat on the towel and roll the towel and sweater into a roll to get out even more moisture. Some fabrics are inherently prone to pilling and no matter what you do, eventually those little fuzz balls will appear. Both natural and synthetic knitwear is prone to pilling, but it is more common with garments made of looser and soft fibres, such as cashmere and mohair or mixed-fibre blends. Stretching the Sweater by Hand Lay a towel on a hard surface and then place the sweater onto the … 3 shares. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Soak the sweater in the water for 10 to 15 minutes. Wondering how to unshrink wool socks, or maybe even your favorite merino wool throw? Flip the sweater inside out and mark the areas you need to take in using a fabric pen. It’s a lazy laundry day as normal as any, until your heart sinks as you fold your go-to merino wool sweater and it’s a third of the size it was before the wash cycle. How to Fix a Hole in a Wool Sweater. Dry your tears, because there’s a magical solution for stretching your best knitwear back to its former glory (even more magical than a laundry egg!). This will help soften and relax the wool fibers enough to allow for reshaping. If your sweater’s too big, too small, too long or too wide, you’re not stuck with it. Clever Ideas. Mending a hole in a sweater is a simple sewing project. Sew a premade patch over the hole as an alternative if the hole is very large. T-shirts and shirts are all easy enough to alter, but what about sweaters? Making minor repairs to sweaters at home is easier than you might think, and can save time as well as money. Jul 6, 2015 - What to do with your old wool sweater. Adjusting a cashmere sweater is really no different from adjusting any other kind of knit– although you’re likely to be a lot more upset with yourself if you slip up with the scissors. I’m SO excited to show you how to restore color in clothes and make them look brand new again! This content is imported from {embed-name}. Accidents happen, and we’ve all unfortunately had our fair share of clothing washing woes. If they were dried in the dryer, the color may be set, but it is worth a try. Try it on for size. As for a larger piece of knitwear, depending on the size, consider moving to the bathtub for more room. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Style: If you’ve got a wool sweater but would really prefer a cardigan, you can easily change the style by cutting straight up its middle. Another method you could try is soaking each sweater by itself over night in warm water with powder dish washer detergent dissolved in it. Fill a tub or sink with tepid water and a few drops of mild detergent, such as dishwashing liquid. But don’t believe them. You will, however, need to step carefully – get to scissor happy and that’s the end of your sweater. Immerse the sweater, and swish gently, taking care not to stretch it. We show you how to fix those sweaters so it'll be almost as good as new. If your sweater’s several sizes bigger than you are, don’t despair. Unfortunately, there’s no magic way to fix pilling once it’s begun, but there are a couple things you can do to improve the appearance of your clothing: Tie a knot around the closed stitch with the tail of the mending yarn on the inside of the sweater. Start by measuring how much you need to take the sweater in by (it may help to find a well-fitting sweater and use that as a template). Country Living participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. With some basic stitchery, you can darn a hole, replace a button, reinforce a buttonhole, or fix a pulled thread. Give it a fighting chance to reclaim its place in your closet with this easy hemming method. All it takes to smooth out pills is a light touch and a little patience. And it’s a safe bet you already have the sweater-saving tools on hand at home. Brian Bennett/CNET My fix is the $13 (roughly converts to £10 or AU$17) Evercare Fabric Shaver. I’ve mended a open knit sweater and a tightly knit sweater, and it works on both. It’s not perfect. With most off-the-hanger options seeming to cater to the type of ‘average’ body that, in reality, is anything but average, there’s certainly a call for it… but is it possible? Gently stretch the sweater to its original shape while it's still damp. Because those parts lay on the crosswise direction of the sweater, they can almost double in size. Last winter I cut off its raggedy, stretched cuffs and knitted new ones. No need to toss those sweaters just because you have a small hole. » How to Alter a Sweater That Is Too Long or Small (Easy Tips), The Antique Domestic Rotary Sewing Machine 153 and 151, Can You Bleach Bamboo Sheets? Add the sweater and let it soak for 10 minutes. Stitch around the hole like the on the image below. The same process holds true—you'll just need to adjust your water and conditioner ratio accordingly. How to Fix Pilling. Step 2 - Lay a dry towel over a flat surface. If your sweater’s a little too snug for comfort, stretching it to fit should be easy enough if it’s made from a knitted fabric. Braided Sweater Scarf. If you want to give your old turtleneck sweater a brand-new look, try this simple method of re-fashioning it into a crew neck. (That includes cotton T-shirts, many sweaters, and jeans, all of which you should be able to bring back to their original, stretched-out state—but note that you'll have less luck with material blends and synthetic fibers.). See more ideas about wool sweaters, old sweater, recycled sweaters. Here’s what happened: I bought the cutest yellow sweater about a year ago (yes I know, a year! Sweater … 10 Houseplants That Can Survive the Darkest Corner, 93 Best Easy Low-Carb Recipes With Tons of Flavor, Ben & Erin Napier Talk 'Home Town' Season 5. Leave the clothing item inside the sink during this step. If you’ve got a serger, you can simply narrow the sweater by serging it smaller. Remove the Sweater Without Rinsing Take it slow, take it steady, and don’t get too carried away as you cut.