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Pilling

De-pilling wool and cashmere

What changes on wool and cashmere. Wool pills are dead fibre that has already left the yarn, so unlike synthetics they come away for good.

The method for wool and cashmere

  1. 1Use a sweater comb rather than an electric shaver on anything fine, cashmere especially. A blade cuts a hole in a loose knit faster than you can react.
  2. 2Lay the garment flat and hold the fabric taut beside the area you are working, never underneath it.
  3. 3Short strokes in one direction, following the knit.
  4. 4Stop when it reads smooth from a low angle rather than chasing every pill.
  5. 5Steam afterwards to lift the surface back up.

What ruins it

Do not shave a cashmere knit on a high setting, and do not de-pill while wearing it. Both are how a jumper acquires a hole instead of a smooth surface.

The general case, and what it costs you

The general method, the detection notes and what this does to a garment's resale value are on the pilling page.

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