# Wool longies seem scratchy to me?? Help!



## Preston00 (Aug 17, 2006)

I've read such great support for wool on this board so decided to take the plunge and purchased some Lhamajama longies online. I've washed and lanolized them but have yet to try them out. I keep slipping them over my arm and they just feel "scratchy" to me. I'm a bit hesitant to put them on dd. Are they supposed to feel this way? Can anyone recommend a very soft, comfy brand of longies/shorties I can try? I've noticed Aristocrats mentioned frequently. They are pricey but if they are very comfy, I'd be willing to give them a try. I really want to try wool!







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## my3punkins2005 (Apr 8, 2006)

bjm /kozy designs are soft but they are really day weight longies..usally the softness depends on the wool merino and my organic treslike malbrigio too name a few are very soft..Llamajama longies are very soft to me what blend are you working with the alpaca seems to make them a bit rougher..


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## mimid (Dec 29, 2004)

Which LJs did you get? We have merino soakers and alpaca longies and a soaker and I prefer the alpaca ones. Also, the more they are worn, washed and lanolized, the softer they become.


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## bamamom (Dec 9, 2004)

I would relanolize them very carefully, and make sure to handle them gently.

go ahead and try them on her . Its likely that she wont even notice.

We have recycled longies , we have knitted shorties, and they are just a teeensy eeensy bit not soft, but the older they get they do get softer and more stretchy.


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## Preston00 (Aug 17, 2006)

Thanks for the responses. I have the alpaca longies in a cider color. When I just hold them in hands, they seem very soft. But when I will slip my arm into a leg, it feels a bit scratchy on my arm. Maybe I'm oversensitive







. I will try to lanolize them again and just try them on dd. I was able to feel a pair of Kozy Designs wool shorties and them felt sooooo buttery soft on my hand and arm. Has anyone used this brand before?


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## clovergirl (Dec 1, 2001)

i like the kozy designs longies i have, but i don't think they'd work for a heavy wetter or overnight (unless you had a seriously absorbant diaper underneath!). they're more of a light weight, daytime wool.


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## Carolinamidwife (Dec 18, 2001)

IMO alpaca can be itchy. I'm very wool sensitive and I used to test and retest all the wool dd wore. In the end I realized I was only going to be happy with merino so that was all I bought or knitted. For the stuff I already owned and didn't want to part with I got a couple of pairs of very thing interlock wool pants to put under them. They protected her from the itchies and also added an extra layer of warmth and wetness protection.

If you're sensitive to itch factor Blue-faced Leicester and HPY merino are good wool choices.


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## *clementine* (Oct 15, 2004)

TRY LANA SOAKERS!!!!
Buttery soft.


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## mommyto3girls (May 3, 2005)

You can also soak them overnight in a mix of water and hair conditioner


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## maternus.aeternum (Aug 19, 2006)

there's a seller on etsy and hyena cart named fair trade family, and they make REALLY lovely and SUPER low priced wool out of peace fleece, which at first can be a tad rough, but after a wash or two becomes lovely and soft.

she is really great to work with. and can use 100purewool too, which is a lot softer and lovely colourways, but is more of a daytime weight.

the llamajama's will soften up too. i've had some for several months and they're a fave around here, all nubby and soft now.
hehe


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## Carolinamidwife (Dec 18, 2001)

Honestly, I have tried every trick in the book to soften scratchy wool and none of it has worked. The only solution for me was to only buy wool I knew was soft to begin with. I'm sensitive to itchy wool and sometimes I wonder if there are infants out there in Peace Fleece who can't speak up to say that they're itchy.


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## Steve's Wife (Jan 19, 2006)

I've never even tried woolo b/c even cashmire itches my neck and back. If dd is like that, it would just be a waste of money.


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## maternus.aeternum (Aug 19, 2006)

yeah i think it might have to do with individual sensitivity levels...
i have worn woolen clothes my whole life and none of it bothers me.
baby boy pulls and tugs at the back of a shirt if the tag is itching him, so i imagine he would do the same should a pair of longies irritate him also.
he doesn't, so i'm pretty sure he has no sensitivity to them.


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## art4babies (Mar 6, 2004)

I think one of the reasons Alpaca is so soft and good for sensitive skin is that it is low in lanolin. ???

Anyone else hear this?


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## mamasthree (Jul 15, 2006)

Quote:

_Blue-faced Leicester and HPY merino_
I second these two yarns--I love them both and they are the softest yarns I've dealt with (well, besides cashmere, of course). I've had & made longies from both, and the BFL holds up great. It's my favorite yarn.


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## Carolinamidwife (Dec 18, 2001)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *art4babies* 
I think one of the reasons Alpaca is so soft and good for sensitive skin is that it is low in lanolin. ???

Anyone else hear this?


I don't think so. The softness of the wool depends on the sheep breed. Lanolin is what makes the wool waterproof and sometimes actually softer.

I, personally, find alpaca itchy, lol.


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## ~Megan~ (Nov 7, 2002)

It totally depends on the yarn. There are some yarns that I'd be shocked if anyone found them scratchy. BFL for example, its so incredibly soft and not a bit scratchy.

Perhaps try it on your dd and see how she likes it. She might have a different perception of it than you do.


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## birdiefu (Jan 19, 2005)

The softness of the wool really does depend on the size of the fiber. Certain breeds will have a much finer wool, reducing the itch factor. For example, Merino is usually the king of fine-wool breeds and other breeds are compared to that for fineness. But at the same time, the fineness can vary within the breed- you can have coarser Merino or superfine Merino. There are various wool classification systems, nowadays it is usually classed by the micrometer diameter of the strands. Here is some info on grading wool: http://www.oregonwool.com/cgi-bin/wo...rint.cgi?ID=20

Another thing to take into consideration is the species. Sheep wool generally has a cuticle that splays outwards (enabling felting), which can make it feel more itchy or coarse despite the micrometer count of the fiber. Alpaca or Llama generally have a more smooth cuticle (and are less likely to felt), so may feel softer in comparison than a finer wool fiber.

But, there are other characteristics of the fibers to take into consideration for your final product. With soakers, the higher crimp count per inch of wool helps create more air pockets and loft, which can help trap moisture (along with lanolization). Suri Alpaca is a very straight fiber, while Huacaya Aplacas tend to have more crimp. It can vary by the individual animal, but in general fine wools still have much higher crimp than Huacayas.

Sorry if that was boring info







, but thought I'd put it out there. So I guess the short story is it depends on the breed, but for soakers you probably want to have at least 50-70% wool for best waterproofing abilities. I like extrafine Merino, Cormo, and BFL for softness and usually spin my own.


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## celestialdreamer (Nov 18, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *maternus.aeternum* 
there's a seller on etsy and hyena cart named fair trade family, and they make REALLY lovely and SUPER low priced wool out of peace fleece, which at first can be a tad rough, but after a wash or two becomes lovely and soft.

I know this is an older post on this thread but I just wanted to say that I actually think peace fleece is *not* a good idea for little ones or anyone sensitive to wool. I'm not really sensitive to wool and I can't even stand to knit with it! I had a whole stash of the peace fleece yarn and got rid of it all. I only knit for my kids with super soft merino because I know I wouldn't want scratchy stuff against my skin. We have had good luck with the yarn from Irish Baby Knits. Maybe you can find someone to knit you some longies from that? Or maybe try a cashmere wool cover like a KiwiPie (not knit, but still wool)? I started out using KiwiPie covers because I was worried about the scratchiness factor and they are definitely not! If you go the non-knit route, Little Beetle merino covers are nice too.


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## Carolinamidwife (Dec 18, 2001)

ITA! Peace Fleece is soooo itchy I actually wish people would stop making baby stuff out of it. I shudder when I see little newborn size PF longies. Poor itchy babies can't speak up about it.

I also want to add that you cannot gauge a wool's itch factor with your hands alone. Put it down your shirt or tuck it into your waistband for a while. If you're knitting with it first braid a length into a necklace and wear it around your neck for a while, that will really show you whether or not it's itchy.


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## fromscatteredtribe (Mar 27, 2003)

i spend a few hours a day with peace fleece in my hands and i used to have the worst skin and cannot even TOUCH a wool sweater from the gap...lol... without itching up a storm. the lanolin in peace fleece and the minimal chemicals actually made my hands softer and smoother and healthier.

i still say peace fleece or targhee for nighttime soakers and longies for toddlers

100purewool is great for newborns

and there are so so many kinds of wool out there.... a family full of wool allergies and terrible skin made me think i would itch so badly and now I can spend the majority of my waking hours surrounded by wool


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## Carolinamidwife (Dec 18, 2001)

Wool to your hand feels A LOT different than wool on your delicate body parts. I urge people to put their arm through the leg hole of their child's longies and wear it around for a while. I think people will be surprised about what actually itches.


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