"Toys" to invest in for our Maine adventure....

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by Elcarim

Never been snowmobiling! Can't wait!! The closest I've come is riding dirt bikes when I was younger. Is there a way to take children on them? Though, I'm not sure how we'd fit 3 kiddos on two snowmobiles, even if there IS a way!

I've also never worn wool - well, one time I put on someone's wool coat and found it WAY too hot and itchy. I hope wool socks aren't itchy! And wool undies?

The higher quality wools are not scratchy.

Cheap wool is coarse and stiff, and is the most commonly used in clothing.

We loaded up with a lot of 100% wool clothing when we lived in Scotland, and none of it was scratchy.

Shop around and you can find the better stuff.

[Bydand]

Originally Posted by mollysmiles

besides that El, you'll never need to be out for that long in the cold....well, unless you get lost on a snowmobile.....

Exactly! Just trying to say, you can stay warm no matter the weather, and time frame. If you layer and use your head. A couple of hours or less is a snap after you get used to it.

Forest you are so right about wool quality. Plus what type of wool. The stuff you got in Scotland, sheep or other? I like the Merino for some stuff.

[Elcarim]

So which wool is best? I've seen a good bit of lambs wool and the merino as well. I'm clueless! Maybe I need to go to the mall and feel around to compare the textures. That's the only place I know of around here where stores would carry any variety of wool items.

[Bydand]

That is your best bet. Go feel what is available. Just remember, wool SHRINKS, then shrinks a bit more (if you put it in the dryer).

[Submariner]

I do not know where to go to get the softer wools.

I have worn wool clothing most of my life: 100% Wool felt uniforms [which are scratchy], wool sweaters [which shrink and are scratchy], wool socks [usually 50/50 cotton blends], woven wool blend slacks [which arr scratchy but do not shrink]. All of my Navy blankets were wool felt and they are kind of scratchy. I also have a heavy leather trench coat that has a wool felt liner [it is a WWII German issue full length coat with a machine gun harness made into the cut of the coat, so you can clip a grease-gun onto the waist and not wrinkle the leather], it's liner is scratchy.

In Scotland we got a bunch of 100% wool blankets, that feel like a soft cotton yarn.

I have owned Pendleton shirts from Oregon, which have been 100% wool and they have been the soft kind of wool [but they shrank very badly anytime that they were mistakenly put in a dryer].

I asked my DW, she has no idea in today's market place. The labels on clothes will only say what percentage of wool was used in the blend, not what quality of wool was used. She recommends that you go and feel all of the wool items, to see what blend you like. If 20% rayon/80% wool is comfortable for you, then at least you know what to look for.

I am not entirely sure of that method, as who is to say what quality of wool a manufacturer used in that 'blend'?

Going to the spinner's Tent at the MOFGA fair, I have learned that from every sheep, different parts of the sheep will produce different qualities of wool. Commonly they do separate the softer wool, and bundle it together. The higher grades will draw higher prices. But from there, I have no idea of how to track the better wools in Brand names.

I would ask Pendleton.

[moughie]

Cashmere and alpaca are wonderful wools!
So comfy and soft ( and expensive)