Wool question?

[LadyShadow]

Should you prewash/dry wool fabric?  Or just use it as is?  What about shrinking?

[isabelladangelo]

Yes!   Pre wash it with cold water and then let it air dry.   It will shrink!  But it's better to shrink before you cut it rather than after you've started...

[act2redux]

I bought and used tropical wool this spring for my tudor garb- shoved it in the dryer as well...I knew that if it got full of mud on a sat. that I would have to dry it or wear it dirty for sunday.  It didn't shrink noticeably, but as previously stated- better to let it shrink BEFORE you cut into it!!

[gem]

I always do SOMETHING with my wools, depending on what they are and how I plan to use them.

My standard is to throw the fabric in my dryer, on high, with a WET (not dripping, but not wrung out) towel, and let it steam in there for about half an hour. I've been doing this for years, but I recently saw it recommended on one of the prestigious sewing blogs!

If the fabric is a worsted and has a very smooth hand, like tropical wool, I will wash a test swatch with Woolite and see how it behaves (probably cold/delicate). Generally things come out fine.

[LadyShadow]

Great, thank you all.  Into the wash it will go 

[Cilean]

I wash in very hot water, and dry in the drier with a pair of jeans, then I do not dry with my dryer ever again. It will full or get the threads tighter so it will not fray.

Cilean