Concerning our blend Sprout, it has been through the Superwash process, so YES, you can machine wash your finished pieces... BUT do so on the gentle cycle. Take care of your items, remember all the time it took to make!

Psst... see below for soap advice.

DRY FLAT... for best results.

Lay the damp piece on a clean towel and roll it up, like a jelly roll, to extract the water. From there, unfurl it and let dry on a new towel or mesh rack. Place it over a heat vent or in front of a fan for quicker results.

Don't rush it, good things take time!

It may need to be reshaped, or "blocked," but that's another conversation.

Don't miss this!

There are organic detergents that utilize natural enzymes that WILL break the bond between our dye and the wool... DO NOT USE THEM on our yarns! They are safe and great to use on your typical household laundry, that is cellulose (cotton, flax, etc.) or manmade, but not for anything made from protein fibers that are acid dyed. "Acid dyed" refers to the ph of the dye bath to set the color, we use citric acid, which is environmentally safe.

For best results, use a wash intended for wool. We recommend a solid bar wash from Tuft Woolens, but others, like Eucalan, work well too.

First off, the superwashing process keeps the wool from felting. So you can easily make that non-superwashed wool item felt (some times that is intentional).

Do not be afraid of wool. Understand how it works.

Small, barbed scales cover the surface of wool fibers. When wool is machine-washed and dried, these scales can become interlocked, causing the wool to felt and shrink. To prevent interlocking, wool is usually dry-cleaned or hand-washed.

If it's non-superwash don't agitate. Gently hand wash your item, by pressing it into tepid water, that has wool wash mixed in, or if you don't have any wool wash, a quarter cup of vinegar in your basin will do the trick. Let it soak for a little bit and then follow the drying recommendations above.

Superwash does not infer it has been cleaned. Superwash wool, or washable wool, is in reference to the treatment the wool has gone through that allows the user to machine wash the item without it felting.

Machine-washable wool was made possible by pretreating the barbed scales with chlorine, then, applying a thin polymer coating. This makes wool fibers smooth and allows them to slide against each other without interlocking.

The polymer is from the Mead Paper company, the same polymer on paper that keeps it from falling apart when it gets moist.

The chlorine treatment is a low dose of chlorine, less than your average pool, and is completed by the only Superwash facility in the US.

The Superwash process for wool has been scrutinized and has given superwash a bad name in certain circles. Garments made from chlorine-treated wool do not pose any risk to the wearer. The final product is not the issue, but rather the environmental impacts of producing it. That is why we use an American company that is responsibly taking care of their waste. Unlike the other processors in China, our processor is regulated for enviromentel efficiency.

The wool we buy is processed in Jamestown, SC at Chargeurs Wool, an international leader in wool top processing, the only wool combing mill in the United States, and the only Superwash facility in the United States.

Chargeurs employs the best management practices across all areas of environmental concern. Closely working with regulatory agencies (such as the EPA), specific technical training for employees, and utilizing outside experts for assessments, testing, and planning, all ensure the lowest possible environmental impact. Their processing facility employs it's own water treatment facility, with 400,000 square feet under roof, on a land surface of 500 acres.