My Wool Allergy

So let me tell you about my wool allergy.

"But Sarah!" You might be saying. "You knit with wool!"

Why yes I do.

Luckily, in the scheme of things, my wool allergy isn't too severe. If I didn't see the welt on my arm during the allergy testing, I might even say it was a severe intolerance. Being allergic to wool and being a knitter is a very sucky thing - wool is awesome. It felts, blocks, spins. It does a lot. It's a very versatile fiber.

It's taken some experimentation. I've found that I can usually wear scarves and such - not tucked in my coat right next to my neck - if they are of a blend. But amazingly, Cascade 220 is made in a way it does not bother me. I can wear it tucked into my coat, and it doesn't itch or cause hives.

Anything that blooms - mohair, etc - is waaaaay out of of the question for me to wear. I'm knitting Justin a hat right now out of Lamb's Pride, and it's pretty tough to knit with. But it makes a great, sturdy hat that will keep him warm.

I'm allergic to a lot of things - mold, trees, cats, dogs, goats, rabbits - but that didn't really stop me. Growing up, we had alot of animals, and I raised rabbits, and at one time I had 90 of them. We had dogs, cats, horses, birds, ferrets, goats - you learn how to avoid irritating the allergies, and not how to live in a bubble. So instead of avoiding wool altogether, you learn how to knit with it.