Can Shrunk Material Be Unshrunk?

The only suggestion I have is to thoroughly wet it and pin it down in the stretched out position until dry.
This is called 'blocking' and is something that is done after embroidery.
You are probably not going to get 2 inches worth of lengthening out of the above method.
How about adding a ruffle to the hem for additional length?

Judy Miller

March 13, 20050 found this helpful

Unfortunately, the shrinkage that occurs in wool is not reversible. The structure of wool fiber is largely responsible for this. The outside of wool fibers are covered with overlapping scales that run in one direction, much like the shingles on a roof. Wool shrinkage occurs when these scales become interlocked from exposure to moisture and agitation, such as during the washing process. Once interlocked, the scales cannot be released due to their physical structure. Attempts to forcefully stretch shrunken wools can weaken and damage the fabric.

A possible exception to the above information is in the case of a wool sweater. Due to the flexible knit structure of sweaters, you may be able to gain a little size back by blocking the sweater (if the shrinkage is not too severe). To block the sweater, gently hand wash in cool water and squeeze out the water. Roll in one or two towels to remove additional moisture. Then lay the sweater out to dry. When you lay out the sweater, try to restore the original shape and size by stretching and smoothing.

I agree, I was going to say wet it with a vinegar and water solution and gently pull it to stretch it and clip it or weigh it down with weights until dry.

Good luck!

There is a site called the Cheapskate monthly. They put out a newsletter I believe. Anyway, I read in their archives a way to UNshrink a wool sweater.

Darween

March 14, 20050 found this helpful

HI,
Sorry can't help you with shrunken tweed or wool type fabrics. But with any ironable fabric, you can iron out alot of shrinkage. Since electric dryers became so common people hardly ever iron anymore. But if you have something in your closet that seems to shrink a couple of sizes just from hanging there, it just might NOT be your expanding waistline, maybe it just needs to be ironed. Also, when pulling jeans out of the washer & dryer, if you will step on the hem while holding the waistband and pull hard, it will stretch out the garment to fit better.

yes. here's what i did for my cardigan. cashmere or wool, don't really know what it is. soak that baby in warm water, add some shampoo. wait a while. 10 minutes or so, 20, 30. whatever. remove from water. wring dry as best as you can until it's damp. then while the wool/cashmere is wet and vulnerable, wear it for about 20 minutes. all the while, gently pulling at it therby molding it back to its shape. done.

If you undo the hem, it should give you about a half an inch to an inch. That works for jeans.

I almost died when I accidentally shrunk my brand new wool sweater. I read somewhere that you can fiz the damage with Woolite. Soak the item in Woolite and don't rinse!

Take it to your dry cleaner they can fix the damage.

Just in case anyone stumbles upon this (like I did), I just filled my bathtub up about halfway with lukewarm water and enough shampoo to make it a bubble bath. Threw one of my two prized sweaters in there for about fifteen minutes tugging on it every now and then, and put it on the stretch it out... perfect size now!

I tried to repair a wool dress which I put to wash by accident in my washer with hot water. Using some of the remedy which I found at this website. However to my disappointment, the dress did not come back to the regular size.