Jason wearing a woolly hat on his wild swim on the Isle of Tiree

Wool is a well known material, as old as the hills, but there are also lots of things not everyone knows about woolly hats and you have been asking us lots of questions. We thought we would collate some of them and put the answers here.

Can you wear a woolly hat in hot weather? Can you wear a wool hat in the rain? Does a wool beanie stretch? Does a woolly hat shrink? Is wool waterproof? How do you care for a wool hat? How do you clean a wool hat? What types of wool hat are there? Can I swim with a wool hat? How do I measure my head for a wool hat? Those are some of the questions you have been asking about wool hats.

We love receiving your questions about wool hats, so do keep them coming. We have already discussed a few of these in our previous blog posts. We wrote about the amazing qualities and benefits of wool (which you can find here) and how to look after your woolly hat (here), so in this post we’ll be addressing 10 of your woolly hat questions.

Can you wear a woolly hat in hot weather?
Can you wear a wool hat in the rain?
Does a wool beanie stretch?
Does a woolly hat shrink?
Is wool waterproof?
How do you care for a wool hat?
How do you clean a wool hat?
What types of wool hat are there?
Can I swim in a wool hat?
How do I measure my head for a wool hat?

Can you wear a woolly hat in hot weather?

We all know that wool is great for keeping us warm. But what about when the weather gets hot (a like Scottish summers)? The good news is that yes, you can wear a woolly hat in hot weather! Wool is breathable and regulates your temperature. It’s made from a natural protein called Keratin, just like human hair in fact, it grows in the same way as ours grows from our follicles. If you were to put wool under a microscope you’d see lots and lots of tiny hollow spaces. These are created by the crimp, or the twist, in the wool. These tiny spaces fill with air, and act as a form of insulation, not that different to how you would insulate a house. So when wearing a woolly hat, the cold doesn’t get to you, but neither will the heat. So when the sun is out next, accessorise with that lovely woolly beanie!

Tiree Beanie knitted in chunky wool (shop)

Can you wear a wool hat in the rain?

Wool has an incredible trick up its sleeve: it can absorb 30% (some even say 36%) of its dry weight in water without feeling at all soaked. Those air pockets we discussed above are still working too: keeping you warm or cool. The technical term for this ability to hold onto water is called “hydrophilic”. We just call it magic. So, yes, you can wear your wool beanie in the rain. But, if you are out in more than a little shower, or for a long time and the wool goes beyond that 30%, then it will start to feel wet. This is where you do have to become a little more gentle with your hat. When you get home after your rainy outing, you can roll it into a dry, clean towel and gently squeeze it. The towel will absorb a lot of the water. Then reshape it gently and just lay it flat to air dry.

No need to be afraid of those rain clouds!

Does a wool beanie stretch?

Yes, a wool beanie does stretch. It will generally not stretch permanently if it’s dry (useful to know when you’re reading the next question) - it just bounces back. Wool has a natural crimp (that twist again) which means it can stretch around 30% and still returns to its shape naturally, a bit like an elastic band. But when wool gets very wet, it can stretch a lot. Like 50% a lot. Even though wool has that amazing elasticity, when it’s wet the fibres are a lot weaker. If your wool hat is stretched too much when wet, it might struggle to get back to its original shape. Treat it gently when wet (see the previous question). If you have a woolly hat that is too small then you can, once its completely soaked, try to very gently pull it into a slightly bigger size and leave it to dry. Be careful to keep the shape and be warned, this will work better with wool hats that have not shrunk with heat (see the next question).

Does a woolly hat shrink?

For this question we first need to look at what happens with your wool hat when it gets hot. And we mean boiling wash or tumble drying kind of hot. The structure of the wool fibres (we’re talking molecular level here) are changed by heat. In fact the structure is reorganised, especially if there is no air present (i.e. submerged in water). This makes the wool weaker. But it’s not the heat that shrinks your wool hat. Shrinking is caused by agitation. The wool fibres get more and more interwoven until eventually it felts. Heat + Water + Motion = Shrinking. If you’ve ever felted something (deliberately or not) you will know the texture feels different and the wool feels more dense. So washing your wool beanie cool (gently by hand or on a wool cycle in the machine) will certainly reduce the chances of your wool hat shrinking. If you have shrunk your wool hat by accident and you want to try to stretch it, see above. It may not work as felting is permanent, but it’s worth a try. If it’s beyond rescue, remember, wool can be composted.

Popcorn is dry, warm and cosy in his lovely woolly winter coat

Is wool waterproof?

If you’ve read the questions above, you’ll know by now that wool can absorb quite a lot of water. Wool naturally contains lanolin, a kind of greasy substance that sheep produce to form a natural barrier (a bit like sebum that humans produce). Lanolin, which keeps wool soft and moisturised, is used extensively in beauty products for its amazing qualities to keep skin soft. So just as lanolin helps to keep moisture in our skin when we use it as a cream, so does it keep sheep protected from the rain when they get wet. Fleeces are not waterproof but they are water repellent. A lot of commercially produced woolly hats have had the lanolin removed, but we keep ours in our Tiree wool, so our Tiree woolly hats are well equipped for showery weather!

How do you care for a wool hat?

Handmade wool hats are items to be treasured. Wool is a very durable material and your woolly hat, if cared for, should last you a very long time. We send our woollies in an organic cotton storage bag which is the perfect place to keep it safe from dust and from the sun, which can bleach natural dyes. To keep your woolly safe from the dreaded clothes moth there are a number of essential oils that you can use on your storage bag like lavender, citronella or lemon, eucalyptus, cedar wood or peppermint (just put a few drops on an area not touching your hat). Read the next question to learn more about cleaning your wool hat.

Our hats are sent to you in an organic cotton storage bag

How do you clean a wool hat?

There is a lot of debate on how fragile wool clothing is. We’ve explained above that heat on its own doesn’t shrink wool, but unless your woolly beanie is really dirty, we recommend airing it first, and then a cool wash if it really needs to be cleaned, as hot temperatures weaken the fibres and over time making your treasured wool hat more likely to suffer damage. A hand wash is the safest way to wash your wool hat as you can control how much motion you use, but good washing machines have a wool programme which minimise agitation and therefore shrinkage. As every machine is different, make sure you check the instructions carefully before using it for wool. To find more detailed instructions on how to care for your wool hat we wrote this blog earlier.

What types of wool hat are there?

Wool is a very versatile material. Fleece fibre can be turned into yarn and then knitted or woven into different types of cloth or felt, depending on how fine the threads are. Each resulting cloth has a different structure and is therefore suited to different types of garment. When it comes to hats, there are many choices. Felt wool hats are a classic and come in many different shapes. Knitted wool doesn’t have the same stiffness and is more suited to beanie hats, but even then there are so many styles to choose from. Fitted, slouchy, brimless, bobble… the list is long. To find out how to match your face shape with a hat, you can read this article. There is a surprisingly large number of names for wool hats too. If you want to know your Toboggans from your Toques, read this.

Can I swim in a wool hat?

As long as you don’t submerge your head completely, a wool hat is the perfect companion for a cold water swim. Wild swimming is becoming more and more popular in the UK all year round and keeping your head warm becomes a priority in colder months. As we explained earlier, natural wool is water repellent and can absorb a fair amount of water before it gets soaked through, so a 100% pure wool hat is the perfect beanie to go for (with or without bobble). To read the longer version of our quest to find the perfect hat to keep your head warm while wild swimming, Jason wrote his findings in an earlier blog. We will be doing more of this as the days get shorter and will write more about our swimming adventures in the next few months. You might even catch us live on instagram on @visittiree or @welan-tiree.

Jason getting ready for a wild swim on the Isle of Tiree

How do I measure my head for a wool hat?

Wool is quite stretchy, as we discussed earlier, so most wool hats come in one size to fit most people. If, however, you’d like a wool hat to fit you perfectly, the most important measurement is the length. We have written a more detailed blog on choosing the right hat, with detailed sketches so you can see exactly how to do this. The short version is to take a soft, floppy tape measure and find the top of your head, the spot located toward the rear, just before your head starts to curve down again. Hold the end of the tape measure there, in the middle, and take it diagonally down to your earlobe. Take the measurement at the bottom of the earlobe if you like to pull your beanie down to that level. From our experience, most women are around 8” (20cm) and most men around 9” (23cm). Fishermen beanies tend to be worn higher up and should be about an inch shorter. If you’re not sure about how to take your size or want to order a children’s size just contact us. We’d be more than happy to help you get your perfect wool hat.

Orla wearing our Fisherman Beanie (shop)

Conclusion

Can you wear a woolly hat in hot weather? Can you wear a wool hat in the rain? Does a wool beanie stretch? Does a woolly hat shrink? Is wool waterproof? How do you care for a wool hat? How do you clean a wool hat? What types of wool hat are there? Can I swim with a wool hat? How do I measure my head for a wool hat? Those were 10 of your wool hat questions and we hope you enjoyed reading the answers. If you have any more woolly hat questions, contact us on this page, or drop us a line on hello@welan-tiree.com.