Dachstein Wool sweaters and mittens

[leatherneck]

Anyone know a good source for the boiled wool sweaters and mittens from Dachstein? I know the Austrian army used to make boiled wool pullovers but I can't find any sources. I guess these were about the warmest sweaters ever made.

 

[Greg]

I used to own two pairs of Dachstein mittens, for arctic weather conditions they were the business! I purchased mine from Cotswold Outdoor but I am talking 13yrs ago! They don't sell them anymore but this company do!

http://www.wildtrak.com/product.asp?id=1696

 

[Jared]

Ah your in the USA.

Dachestein is a place in Austria, and there's a bunch of companies making the stuff.

http://www.lackner-wolle.at/ http://english.ortovox.com/content/en/products/sportswear/classic-wool/

There's a few Austrian boiled wool sweaters here..

http://www.northdoorway.com/ProductInfo.aspx?id=3714902

And http://www.swisslink.com/products/?id=4

 

[Chips]

Is there any difference between boiling wool and felting it?

Are the sweaters good?

 

[Toddy]

Technically felting is done from loose fibres, fleece, while the boiled wool is historically called Fulled Wool.

If you full a knitted garment it won't shrink beyond a certain point, it stablises. While felting can go on down until the piece is so small it can't be flexed properly as a garment.

It's really just different properties of the fleece, or the yarn or the 'cloth'.

It's the same process, making fibres interlock and shrink together; but if wool is agitated or subjected to movement and pressure while in hot soapy water, it will felt. Left undisturbed or gently sappled in hot water will full it not shrink it so far.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Greg]

When the Dachstein mittens are first made they are about 8ft long!!

 

[Tor helge]

Technically felting is done from loose fibres, fleece, while the boiled wool is historically called Fulled Wool.

If you full a knitted garment it won't shrink beyond a certain point, it stablises. While felting can go on down until the piece is so small it can't be flexed properly as a garment.

It's really just different properties of the fleece, or the yarn or the 'cloth'.

It's the same process, making fibres interlock and shrink together; but if wool is agitated or subjected to movement and pressure while in hot soapy water, it will felt. Left undisturbed or gently sappled in hot water will full it not shrink it so far.

cheers,
Toddy

In Norway we use a blend of these methods it seems. It is called "toving" (or "tøving" in my dialect) .
The knitted item (mostly socks and mittens) is dipped in soapy water and rubbed against a special wooden board (something like a old fasioned washing board).
The end product is very warm.

Tor

 

[BorderReiver]

Technically felting is done from loose fibres, fleece, while the boiled wool is historically called Fulled Wool.

If you full a knitted garment it won't shrink beyond a certain point, it stablises. While felting can go on down until the piece is so small it can't be flexed properly as a garment.

It's really just different properties of the fleece, or the yarn or the 'cloth'.

It's the same process, making fibres interlock and shrink together; but if wool is agitated or subjected to movement and pressure while in hot soapy water, it will felt. Left undisturbed or gently sappled in hot water will full it not shrink it so far.

cheers,
Toddy

Is there a rule of thumb to gauge how much to "oversize" the garment in order to reach the desired final size Toddy?