Boiled wool is a wonderful, soft, durable fabric. It's from a traditional process of boiling and agitating knitted wool with soap to shrink and felt it, making it denser, more wind-proof, sturdier and sometimes even softer.
The wool used is Merino wool, a very fine wool fibre that's soft and springy and is not itchy at all to most skins. The Merino sheep usually thrives in mountainous areas at high altitudes and its wool is naturally brilliant at keeping the body comfortable at a wide range of temperatures.
All certified organic wool comes from sheep which have been farmed organically and with high animal welfare standards. At Cambridge Baby we always make sure that no wool comes from farms which practise mulesing.
Please note that under EU labelling regulations, stating the type of wool is not allowed, only a statement of "100% wool" or "new wool" is allowed. However, this garment is organic Merino wool.
Pickapooh's organic Merino wool is certified to GOTS organic standards by IMO. These standards are so high that even oils that lubricate knitting machines have to be analysed. Pickapooh's whole garment (not just the yarn) is certified as organic, so that you can be assured that their dyes are baby-safe, eco-safe and that all cotton threads and finishes are natural too.
Wool (and thus Merino wool) has many benefits.
Merino wool is the wool of choice for baby and children's clothes, as well as for sportswear, because it's finer than most other wools. It's naturally springy (which makes it softer) and has a tight crimp, allowing it to trap more air, making clothing lighter as well as softer for the same excellent insulation.
Merino wool has also been proven to absorb UV across the whole range of the spectrum, giving excellent lightweight sun protection in the summer too.
In both cases, use a detergent designed for wool which protects and repenishes wool's natural oils. We recommend one of our liquid wool shampoos in our fabric care section here.
To hand-wash your organic Merino wool, dilute your wool detergent in cool water, max 30C (luke-warm only, should feel coolish), in a bowl. For heavily-soiled areas, use a little gall soap on your woollens first, testing on an inconspicuous area first.
Add your woollens to the bowl, gently stirring and squeezing the detergent through. Rinse using water at the same temperature, otherwise your wool will be subjected to "shock" and might felt up. So luke-warm/coolish at 30C again.
Things not to do: Don't wring, soak, brush or rub vigourously as the wool fibres may be damaged and your garment felt up a little and shrink. Just squeeze the water through.
To dry, gently squeeze water out and wrap your wool clothes in a towel to remove the excess water.
Air-dry naturally avoiding direct heat. So, hanging on a drying rack over the bath is good, or on a clothes horse, or flat on a dry terry towel even say Disana. Mine often end up over the back of chairs or on the washing line (I haven't had a problem with the the heat of the English being too hot, yet!).
Re-shape while damp.
"I really like this vest top, but I was a little surprised at the cut - it's quite a rough cut along the bottom of the vest, and even a little uneven. It's also not sealed in any way which makes me wonder about it fraying in time. A bit unusual for a quality product. I got a medium and I am tall but it's quite short in length. None of these these things should put you off buying if you like it, but I was a bit surprised!"
This was washed... not needed washing yet
This was worn by... Me
Sizing: A little small
I wouldn't really recommend this to a friend.
"I wear this over an undershirt or my PJ top and put a sweater over it. I love that it is a thin, unobtrusive vest so it doesn't add bulk or have sleeves that get in the way, but is just enough to keep my core warm and cozy. I'm saving up for a couple more."
This was worn by... an adult
I'd recommend this to a friend.
"I have just started wearing my pullover. It’s great for the early Autumn days when you need something a bit warmer. It looks stylish and casual; I wear it over long sleeved T-shirt’s - looks great!"
"This runs very small, as I am quite short and petite, yet the medium isn't loose. It's darker than the picture shows (mineral green) and very soft. Very warm and made in Germany which is great. It's loose enough to fit over 1-2 thin layers."
This was washed... washed fine
This was worn by... a short woman
"This pullover/ tank top feels fab and adds a great warming layer. Fab colour purple."
Sizing: Feels true to size
"I bought my twin babies boiled wool jackets and was wondering if there was any for adults... and here I found it! I love the texture of the fabric... and both light and warm. And the design is so minimum and simple."
This was worn by... Female mid forties petite
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