care of sweaters are:-

• Drying – Laying a sweater down to dry helps the sweater to retain its shape and size. After a wash in a washer a sweater should be laid out on a towel and rolled to get rid of the excess water. Once roll-dried, it should be folded into the shape wanted and only then put away. The easiest and fastest way to dry a sweater is to lay it between two chairs.
• Reshape – Sweaters often loose shape due to various circumstances. To get a shrunken sweater back in shape, it should be soaked in a tub containing hot water and hair conditioner. Another way to stretch a sweater is dissolve one ounce of borax in a bucket of lukewarm water, immersing the sweater in it, and gently pulling it back in shape.
• Loose threads – A loose thread should never be cut. Pulling it through the back side will help in evading the problem.
• Deodorize – After each wearing, a sweater should be deodorized. This helps in minimizing wrinkles and makes the sweater look and feel good and fresh.
• Moth damage – If moth damage is found on a sweater, it should be immediately cleaned and the moth damage should immediately be repaired to avoid any more harm to the sweater.
• Storage – While storing the sweater, it should be made sure that the sweater is cleaned properly and stored in a cool, dry place. Also care should be taken that clean sweaters are not mixed with used sweaters to avoid cross contamination of the sweater.

Shetland wool is from a pretty coarse fiber, and very good for sweaters. Merino is a much finer and comfortable fiber and it is preferred more than most other wools. Merino wool sweaters itch the least which also makes them more preferable. For knitting sweaters at home, Alpaca wool is recommended. Alpaca wool is a strong variety of wool and the sweaters knitted out of it are also usually found to be of good quality.

Lamb’s wool is a finer wool than Alpaca wool. Lamb’s wool is also softer and much more comfortable than Alpaca wool. However, Mohair wool is the one that is softest to touch from all the other wools. Mohair is also aesthetically beautiful. These both qualities make Mohair wool a very luxurious wool and the most sought after.

It is a common misconception that woolen sweaters are very difficult to be taken care of. The only care you need to take care is about following directions properly and once the directions are followed properly, one can be rest assured that the woolen sweater will be long lasting and remain the same beautiful self as it was when first worn!

Some of the directions are:-

• Shake – To remove settled surface dust and detach fiber clusters, shake the wool sweater. This process should be done after very wear.
• Sunlight – After the shake process, proper sunlight should be given to the wool. By this process majority of the body odor or moisture gets evaporated from the wool sweater.
• Remove fuzz balls – After each wear, one should “remove” all the fuzz balls that are caused by normal wear. This process should be done with the help of a small scissor. “Pulling” the fuzz balls off will only displace the other fibers that are attached and it is advised not to try and pull them off just calmly remove them. This will help the sweaters to not get unbearable in future.
• Do not hang – Once all the above directions have been properly carried out, the sweater is ready to be folded neatly, and properly kept in a cool, dry place. The sweater shouldn’t be hanged else, because of the heavy weight of wool, the sweater will lose shape. Woolen sweaters need to breathe and so, they shouldn’t be stored in plastic bags either.

The extreme thickness of Norwegian sweaters distinguishes them the most. It is a style that originates from the extreme cold in the country of Norway. This style mainly helps people like hunters and fishermen who get warmth, thanks to the thick cable knit style of the sweater.

Norwegian sweaters are usually made of wools that are cream, black, brown or navy in color. Sometimes they are also made with wools that are white and red in color giving a very contrast effect. The buttons are made of metals like silver or pewter. These are the authentic features of a real Norwegian sweater.

Irish sweaters or Aran sweaters as it is also known, are highly popular the world over especially in European countries and America. The uniqueness of Irish sweaters lies in its complex stitching patterns which often have a cultural and sometime religious significance. Like for example, a basket stitch is a gesture of good luck and fortune, a honeycomb stitch is for hard work and dedication.

Originally Irish sweaters were made with unwashed wools that contained natural oils that repelled water, which made them ideal for Irish fishermen. These sweaters are made from undyed wool from sheep which gives the sweater its unique look. Another feature that makes these sweaters unique is its pattern of stitching which is symmetrical i.e. a true Irish sweater will always have a design going uniquely symmetrical to the central axis both front and back sides.

So, to look truly in Irish wear, one should dress up in similar design sweaters, socks and other garments.

Cashmere Sweaters

The fiber Cashmere is unarguably one of the finest fabrics available on earth. Coming from underneath the chin part of a goat living in the mountain areas, the fiber, cashmere is a beautiful and more delicate type of material than traditional wool and must be cared for and cleaned extremely gently.

Cashmere is produced mostly in China, Mongolia, Iran and Afghanistan. The value of cashmere is influenced by the fineness of the fibers, the length of the fiber, and the vibrancy of the color. Chinese cashmere is the costliest as it comes from pure white goats only. This white cashmere makes it easy for the manufacturers to dye it in any color they choose.

Just like any other expensive product, there is a difference between quality cashmere or a cheap one. The cashmere fibers are never found to be equal and so, the process to turn raw fibers to cashmere is pretty complex and time consuming. It is this process that makes the Cashmere sweater so valuable and expensive. It is by this process that the quality of the cashmere sweater is determined.

Cashmere Sweaters India

Cashmere is made into different styles respectively for men, women and infants. V-neck cashmere sweaters are made for both men and women. Cashmere wrap sweaters and cashmere cardigan sweaters are also availed. Producing a cashmere sweater takes a long time. The demand for a cashmere sweater is also huge. Often the supply of cashmere sweaters is not able to meet the demand for them. This results in exploitation of the environment. To avoid this, Cashmere sweaters shouldn’t be bought just for their fashion value, rather the product should be taken care of so that it can last long.

To enhance the longevity of the fabric, the following steps must be taken to wash the sweater:-

• The sweater should be soaked and rinsed in lukewarm water and a good natural detergent or soap.
• To eliminate excess of water, press the cashmere but do not twist or wring it.
• To dry the cashmere sweater, roll it on a dry towel. And then press it again to get rid of the remaining water. Now allow it to dry. Never hang a cashmere sweater.
• Folding of a cashmere sweater is fine.

Cashmere sweaters are supposed to be taken ultimate care of for it to long-last. ]]> http://www.rajsamand.in/cashmere-sweaters/feed/ 0 http://www.rajsamand.in/sweaters/ http://www.rajsamand.in/sweaters/#comments Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:30:44 +0000 Morsecodein http://www.rajsamand.in/?p=4500

Sweater India

A sweater is traditionally understood as a warm knitted piece of clothing that covers up the upper torso and many a times the arms of a human body. Sometimes sweaters are also made to cover up the upper torso of an animal like a dog.The factor that distinguishes the sweater the most from other popular garments used to cover up the upper torso is that the fibers used to make a sweater are woven together.

The other important factors that distinguish a sweater from other garments are the weight of the garment and the material from which the garment is made. The material used to make a sweater is usually wool ; however, it can also be made of materials like cotton and synthetics. A sweater is usually a heavy piece of clothing but there are lighter versions of the garment also available.

Sweater Wool

The main use of a sweater is to protect the body of a human or animal from outside cold and to keep the body warmth of the wearer intact. Mostly sweaters a designed to be heavy to keep the wearer warm in harsh cold but there are sweaters also available which are much lighter than the traditional woolens and can be worn in much friendlier climates. Sweaters are also made sometimes to depict a distinct cultural history. A sweater can be worn easily by adding a button or a zipper. Sweaters are designed and manufactured for all age groups of humans that are infants, teens, men and women as well as pets.

Sweaters are manufactured using knitting needles or crochet hooks, on looms or with machines. Whether worn for fashion, warmth or both, each sweater has a particular style of wear. Like, thin sweaters are tucked in the waistband of trousers; else usually men’s sweaters are kept untucked. Sweaters are normally worn over a shirt and optionally with a tie. For women, sometimes, the sweater itself has a belt knitted in it. Sweaters are also used as uniforms for many sports with the team’s logo stitched on it.

Sweaters were traditionally known as home made garments. Garments, which all grandmothers used to knit especially for their grandchildren, to protect them from cold. But, now a days, sweaters are worn; more so, out of fashion than winter wear. And sweaters are now more often bought from linen stores or ordered out of catalogs than being knitted at home.

Traditional sweater patterns from different countries have now become bold fashion statements. Just like the sweater coat, that has always been worn like a normal sweater, along with its patterns, is now fast becoming a hot trend in woman’s fashion wear. But it is now added by some accessories like flashy colors or baling and metal buttons, ties or wraps, hoods and pockets.

There are many different types of sweaters. The main types are Cardigan sweaters, Argyle sweaters, Cashmere sweaters and cultural specific sweaters like Norwegian sweaters. ]]> http://www.rajsamand.in/sweaters/feed/ 0