How to Unshrink an Alpaca Sweater – Step by Step Guide
It’s happened to all of us: that sinking feeling when you pull your favourite wool sweater — or the alpaca cardigan you got for Christmas — out of the wash and it’s half the size it used to be.
Can I unshrink my sweater?
Before you go through the full roller coaster of emotions, take a moment to examine your sweater. If it’s made from alpaca wool, mohair, cashmere, or another natural fibre, check whether it has felted. Fully felted fabric cannot be unshrunk — but if it hasn’t felted, there’s a good chance you can restore it.
What you’ll need
- A corkboard or foam board (approximately the size of your sweater)
- Liquid fabric softener, baby shampoo, or hair conditioner
- A white fluffy towel
- A steam iron
- Stainless steel T-pins
- A bucket or large sink for soaking
Step 1 — Prepare the soaking solution
Fill the bucket with lukewarm water and add two tablespoons of fabric softener, baby shampoo, or hair conditioner. This softens the fibres and prepares them for gentle stretching.
Step 2 — Soak
Submerge the sweater and let it soak for at least 20 minutes, or up to 5 hours (or overnight for best results).
Step 3 — Remove excess water
Drain the liquid but do NOT rinse the sweater. Gently squeeze out the excess moisture — do not wring or twist.
Step 4 — Steam and stretch
Using a steam iron, gently iron the sweater in the direction of the fabric, pulling the opposite side of the garment with your other hand to help ease the fibres back into shape.
Step 5 — Pin and stretch
Lay the sweater flat on the corkboard. Gently stretch it out to its original dimensions and pin it in place with T-pins. Take care not to pull too tightly or in the wrong direction, as this may damage the seams.
Step 6 — Repeat until restored
After about an hour, go back, stretch the sweater a little more, and re-pin. Repeat this process several times until you can no longer stretch it further. Allow it to dry completely before unpinning.