For knitting and crocheting plaids, scarves, footstools, pillows and bags with wick wool, we have different types of suitable wick wool.
Pattern for XXL blanket new!
Lisanne Multem van wire and talk… tells you how to make a wool blanket. Read more…
You will find many examples and inspiration on our website Pinterest board about mega bold XXL knitting.
Tips for XXL knitting and crocheting with wick wool
Lontwol is a non-spun and plied wool. The hairs are combed in one direction only into a wick. This makes it a nice soft and voluminous yarn, but it is a bit weak because you pull it apart easily. That is precisely the intention for the normal application of wick wool, where you always pull small tufts from it to lay a nice layer and then felt it.
You can also knit or crochet nice and thick with lontwol. You have to take into account the properties of this wool. You can't pull it too hard or the fuse will break. This especially happens when you are a bit further with the work. The weight of your knitting or crocheting can then make the wick break more easily.
Fortunately, a break is not a big deal. You can easily put the two pieces of wick together again. Simply fan the wool out a little at both ends, place the ends together and loosely roll them back together between your hands. Then carefully knit or crochet. The fuse regains its firmness in the stitch and the “repair” will not be noticeable.
Very occasionally there are also weak spots in the fuse. Wool is a natural product that cannot always be combed regularly. Slight variations in thickness always occur during combing. That is inherent to the material and it is certainly not a production defect. But as mentioned, a break can be easily repaired.
Can I wash XXL knitwear?
Washing wick wool products is not recommended. As a result, the wool can lose its airiness and softness and it can pill and fluff.
Wool has a high self-cleaning capacity because it naturally contains lanolin (wool fat). This makes it dirt-repellent. Airing your knitting outside on a line, preferably on a frosty morning, is therefore usually sufficient.
However, if you still find it necessary to wash, keep the following in mind. You can have your super thick knitting cleaned at the dry cleaner. Or you can wash it yourself by hand with a gentle wool detergent such as Eucalan. Submerge the wool completely in cold to lukewarm water. Press gently until the wool is thoroughly wet. But beware: move the wool as little as possible, otherwise you run the risk of it felting. You don't want that! Also avoid sudden temperature changes; that can also lead to felting.
Machine washing is not recommended. You then have little insight into the progress during washing. In any case, use a washing program for delicate woolen fabrics and a suitable detergent.
Allow washed knitwear to dry horizontally. When you hang it, it deforms due to its own weight. Squeeze the water out of the wool, don't wring it! Lay it to dry on a towel on a horizontal drying rack.
Pills and fluff
Lontwol is only carded and combed, not spun or plied. This can cause it to pill, fluff or lose hair. You can limit this by knitting a little tighter. But not too tight of course, because then the beautiful flyffy effect is lost.
For objects that are used intensively, we do not recommend using wick wool. This beautiful material is more suitable for making decorative objects. It looks beautiful on Instagram and Pinterest, but wick wool needs to be handled very carefully to keep it that way.
Working with wick wool
You use the whole wick, or you can split it one or more times, depending on the desired thickness.
If you use the wick like this, you get a wonderfully soft knit or crochet. The wool remains a bit fluffed, because wick wool is not spun or twined. The hairs are only nicely combed in one direction. To prevent pilling, you can felt the wool before or after knitting/crocheting.
Beforehand you felt the wick into a sturdy cord using a rolling mat, water and soap. If you felt your project after knitting or crocheting, we recommend doing this by hand or in the tumble dryer. You can also felt in the washing machine, but then you have less control over the process. By felting by hand you have the best grip on the end result.
Arm knitting
You can knit or crochet with wick wool on extra thick pins. Or even with broom handles or PVC drain pipe. But you can also enjoy wild arm knitting, completely without pins. Just knit the wick wool on your own arms! Watch our tutorial video below…
How much do I need?
That depends very much on your way of knitting or crocheting. The thicker the needle, the more wool you use. If you knit or crochet tightly, you also use more than if you work loosely. Do you split the fuse, or do you use the whole fuse? In short, it can vary quite a bit. You can use this as a guide:
Plaid 120 x 150 cm: approx. 3 kg.
To kiss 50 x 50 cm (two sides): approx. 1 kilo.
Shawl 20 x 120 cm: approx. 500 grams.
See also the pattern for a calculation this page.
We recommend our European Merino Lont wool for arm knitting or knitting on thick pins!
We sell European Merino Lont wool in the following formats:
Put wick together when crocheting or knitting with wick wool
We deliver an order of several kilos of wick wool in one piece if possible. But because the wick from our stock is not endless, we cannot guarantee that this will always work. Because two pieces of wick are easy to put together, this is also no problem. Fan out both ends a bit and place over each other, then lightly roll together and continue knitting. You won't see it after knitting. You can then just continue crocheting or knitting with your lontwol!
Baby photos
Lontwol is also the material that is often used for making the super soft, fluffy thick blankets (bump blankets) and braids in front newborn baby photography.
Thick knitting needles and crochet hooks
We have a selection especially for "thicker" knitting and crocheting knitting needles and crochet hooks in our catalogue.
Feltable knitting yarn
Next wick wool do we have feltable knitting wool of normal thickness. This is suitable for knitting or crocheting bags and slippers, for example.
We wish you a lot of fun crocheting or knitting with lontwol!
