neighbourhood gal
 
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BC CANADA
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Date: 1/27/12 4:40 PM Hello everyone!
I have been hunting on the internet for 100% wool jersey and coming up empty handed. A friend of mine was recently visiting New Zealand and said that may folks there wear base layers made by the Smartwool company. Their shirts and leggings are 100% merino wool. She would like me to make her some shirts, but with more open necks so she can wear them under regular clothes without them showing.
Any clues? We'd even be open to a blend, so long as the wool content was pretty high (70%+) and the other fiber wasn't acrylic.
I did find one purple stripe wool/poly blend on Fabric.com, but I was hoping for a couple of choices to offer my friend. |
lareine
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NEW ZEALAND
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Date: 1/27/12 6:00 PM I don't know anything about this Smartwool company and have never heard of it before, but merino base layers are extremely common here. Merino is soft, warm, not itchy, and comes in various weights so it's easy to wear under other clothing without anybody else noticing. I wear merino all the time! Of course it's easy to get yardage here, and not too expensive either -- in fact I picked up enough yesterday to sew myself a couple of t-shirts. It's lovely to wear and doesn't get smelly like synthetic fibres can do when worn as underwear.
I don't know what online fabric shops would sell it. Have you checked on etsy? I just took a look there and they do have some.
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marjoriekh
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VA USA
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Date: 1/27/12 6:49 PM A search on Gorgeous Fabrics for wool jersey yields a fair number of results. Check each individual listing for the precise fiber content, but many of these are 100% wool.
Not inexpensive -- was just mulling over a purchase myself. There's a knit sale on this weekend, too. ------
marjoriekh |
Margasweet
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IL USA
Member since 2005
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Date: 1/27/12 7:07 PM I bought 2 wool jerseys last year, from Vogue Fabrics and from Fabric.com. One of them is thin and drapey and soft... one is quite thick, almost coat weight, and scratchier. I don't remember the descriptions telling me anything about how thick each wool jersey was, and they certainly didn't tell me the breed of sheep!! For underwear, you do want merino or possibly ramboillet. The micron count of their fleece is quite low, so the fibers are soft and not scratchy.
Also, Smartwool may treat the fabric somehow; it seems to me that their clothing is washable and possibly dryable. ------
2007 fabric in: 7 1/2 yards; sewn: 7 yds
2008 fabric in, 23 yards; sewn 20 yds; given away 6 yds
2009 fabric in 41 1/4 yds, sewn 29 yds, given away 22 1/2 yds
2010 fabric in 91 1/2 yds, sewn 27 yds, given away 1 1/2 yds;
2011 fabric in: 55 yd.; sewn: 21 yd; given away: 20 yd
2012 fabric in: 32 1/4 yd.
2012 fabric sewn: 16 1/2 yds
2012 fabric given away: 13 yds (and thrown away--scraps--3 yd)
2012 projects completed: tunic (3 yd), velvet dress (3 1/2 yd), star backdrop quilt (4 1/2 yd), gift bags & fabric-wrapped boxes (2 1/2 yd), satin bias slip (3yd), drapey vest (1 1/2 yd)
2012 projects started: gray tunic, gray pleated T shirt
2012 UFOs completed: 6 (Father Christmas kit, 5 dishcloths) |
becca a
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VT USA
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Date: 1/27/12 8:07 PM Over the past few months I have gotten merino wool jersey from Fabric.com and from Fabricmartfabrics.com If you keep checking you may be rewarded. Gorgeous Fabrics also has wool knits and so does Emma One Sock. Nature's Fabrics also carries wool knits. Sometimes they have merino wool. |
redhotpepper
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WA USA
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Date: 1/27/12 11:07 PM I am a lover of all things Smartwool and have many, many pairs of their socks. Luckily (or unluckily) I have very small feet and can wear a size small socks. I seldom find them at local stores but often find them at Sierra Trading Post online for a significant discount.
I recently bought some merino wool at Fabric.com for a great price. It was green so not a great color for everyone but I'm a redhead. If it was for an underlayer, who cares what color it is.
Search on merino wool and I'd bet you'd find something. |
Nancy K
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USA
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In reply to Margasweet
Date: 1/28/12 6:04 PM I wear Smartwool socks and yes, they are machine washable and dry-able. ------
www.nancyksews.blogspot.com |
lareine
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NEW ZEALAND
Member since 2006
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Date: 1/28/12 7:25 PM I did some research on this Smartwool company. Seems it is not a New Zealand company at all, it's American, but they do source their merino exclusively from New Zealand. The same merino supplies many other brands (
The New Zealand Merino Company partner brands), including Icebreaker which is a very familiar name to me. I have several Icebreaker wool garments and they have gone through the washer and dryer more times than I could count, with no ill effects whatsoever.
Of course, none of this is very helpful for somebody who is looking for yardage, not finished products  |
Sew4Fun
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AUSTRALIA
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In reply to neighbourhood gal
Date: 1/28/12 8:21 PM If you are having trouble finding yardage, an alternative might be to buy RTW then cut and re-sew a new neckline. You could finish the neckline with a foldover elastic. Just a thought. ------
Belinda. Melbourne, Australia
http://sew-4-fun.blogspot.com/ |
micheleb
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MN USA
Member since 2007
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In reply to neighbourhood gal
Date: 1/29/12 10:09 PM Smartwool is a type of wool yarn that is treated so it (or garments made from it) can be conventionally laundered without shrinking or felting. Normal merino wool is excellent for felting projects but (I guess), neither you nor your friend probably want felted base layers (i.e. underwear). Assuming this is correct you may want to avoid conventional merino fabrics that haven't been treated to prevent felting (such as Smartwool). If you do use conventional merino your friend should plan to cold water wash (either by hand or in the machine, gentle cycle), then block and air dry the garments each time she washes them. |
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