We’ve all felt it. It happens at home, at work, while driving or walking. An unintended slight. A harsh word of criticism. A rude gesture flung from the window of a passing car. Generally, we are able to return to our earlier state with no visible change. Well, perhaps another minor scar on our psyches. Our treasured objects can also get “bent out of shape.” Frequently this means the end of the item. But, just like us, some of our fiber objects can be restored to their original shapes with the application of some attention, a warm bath, and a gentle massage.
This little brown sweater had an unfortunate encounter with the agitator of the washing machine. Not that I would machine wash my sweaters. But sometimes a sweater can slip in unnoticed, by clinging to other garments on the way to the laundry. Notice that the left edge has been dragged down several inches, pulling the neckline with it. The fiber content is cotton and cashmere, so there is hope that the remedy will be sufficient.
- Fill a sink with tepid water and add a small squirt of mild soap. I use liquid dish detergent or sometimes shampoo. Drop the garment into the water. Let it get thoroughly wet. Now, squeeze the garment, working the entire thing gently without a lot of pulling.
- Drain the water out. Squeeze out the excess soapy water. Draw another basin of water, also tepid. Rinse the sweater by squeezing the water through. Drain water away, squeeze out excess water.
- Lay the sweater on a bath towel, roll the towel up, and massage the roll for a minute or two.
- Unroll the towel, remove sweater to a flat space. I lay mine on the guest room bed. Gently pull the misshapen sections back into alignment. You may insert small towels into the sleeves to help with shaping.
- Leave alone until thoroughly dry.
It worked. Those tiny wrinkles can be pressed out with an iron set to low.
Daily Fiber 