Baby wool / silk vests

[berrybump]

So, I'm looking into baby wool / silk vests and wondering if anyone has used them, do you go for white or off white (they are likely to be washed in ecover), and long or short sleeves.
Also, what do they actually feel like - wool always sounds such a strange thing to have in a baby vest!

[SixImpossible]

I had short sleeve wool vests for my dc. The make was Little Ewe IIRC. They were excellent, not at all scratchy, wore very well (apart from some of the poppers) and washed well in a net bag in a delicates load. Of course, wool vests don't need washing unless they actually get dirty (wee, poo, vomit, food). Silk, though, does need more frequent washing.

Merino is better than generic lambswool.

[SixImpossible]

I had off-white as that was all they had available. Unbleached, I think. I had short sleeves. Long sleeves weren't necessary for warmth, but if you live somewhere particularly cold...

[berrybump]

Thanks SixImpossible no, not mega cold but do go out for walks on hills sometimes - hadn't heard about the no-washing of wool ... how does that work then?

[SixImpossible]

Wool has some sort of innate natural antibacterial property. I have Merino thermals and after every extended wear, camping, say, when i may wash axlittke less frequently than usually, I think "Eww the trouser fork/the armpits niff, better wash them". But then the y sit around for ages because I haven't got around to washing them. And months pass and I find I need them again, fish them out of the bottom of the laundry hamper, take a tentative sniff - and they smell perfectly fine!

I now know not to worry about any smell, I just peg hem out on a sunny day - even in winter. I only launder woollies if they're going back in the wardrobe for several months, or if they get bodily fluids or oil on them, or if they have stretched baggy and need re shaping.

BTW liquid soap flakes and fabric conditioner are better than detergent for washing wool and silk.

[berrybump]

Brilliant - thanks ... loving the sound of them even more now :)

[SixImpossible]

Should say: "liquid soap flakes and no fabric conditioner".

[VeryLittleGravitasIndeed]

We have some for DD that I bought from amazon, they're from a German company (can't remember the name). They're silk/wool blend, not at all scratchy. I use them with a wool sleeping bag so she doesn't get sweaty at night, wool breathes better than normal baby sleeping bags. They're quite light too, I use the long sleeved ones even when it's not freezing and she doesn't over heat.

[berrybump]

Thanks, I'll have a look

[AnathemaIsANiceNameForAGirl]

Yes I have one each for my DC, from Cambridge Baby (says baby but they do clothes for older children too). They are a merino / silk blend, sleeveless and unbleached. They are fantastic. The DC wear them pretty much all winter, and they don't generally need cleaning (I wash them every so often just because I feel I should, but they don't really need it!)

Keep them toasty warm.

Another good point is that they are stretchy and therefore they last ages. I think I bought them at least 2 years ago and they still fit.

[VeryLittleGravitasIndeed]

If you have a moth problem I recommend washing them!