Home-knitted garments pilling (forming small balls of fiber) is a completely natural process, especially for natural materials such as wool, alpaca, and cashmere.
It is rarely a sign of poor quality, but rather a result of the material's properties and daily use.
Here are the main reasons why homemade knitted garments pill:
- Friction: This is the most common cause. When the garment rubs against itself or other surfaces, fibers come loose. Typical places are under the arms, along the sides, or where bags/backpacks rub.
- Short fibers: Soft, luxurious yarns (like merino wool and alpaca) are made up of shorter fibers. These are easier to detach from the twisted thread and come to the surface, where they are twisted together into tufts.
- Loosely spun yarn/loose knitting tension: The looser the yarn is spun, or the looser the garment is knitted, the easier it is for the fibers to "escape" from the yarn and form lumps.
- Washing and wear: Machine washing, even on a wool program, creates friction. Overfilling the washing machine also causes the clothes to rub against each other more.
- Static electricity: If you are static as a person, or your clothes rub against synthetic fabrics, pimples will appear faster.
How to prevent and remove pimples
Pimples cannot be completely avoided, but they can be managed:
- Wash before use: Wash your new wool garment gently (preferably by hand) before using it a lot. This causes the fibers to settle.
- Turn the garment inside out: Always turn the knitted sweater inside out before washing to reduce friction on the outside.
- Avoid fabric softener: This can damage the fibers.
- Use a lint remover: Use a lint comb, lint remover (machine) or carefully pick them off by hand.
It is worth noting that pilling often decreases after a period of use when the shortest fibers are removed.