A Caution: 100% Wool is Fire Retardant; The Fake Stuff Is Not

by Rebecca Lawrence
(El Cerrito, California, USA)

If you're as excited as I am about this opporunity to knit for the comfort of the children of Soweto, you're probably, like me, digging through your stash of yarns, looking for something bright and cheerful and ready to go. As I was doing just this, something that I'd read in a knitting magazine here in the US popped to mind, and I have to share it:

Though this is not especially stressed in the knitting instructions: Please, please, please - for these kids' safety - make sure you really are using wool or "mostly wool" in the blocks or vests or pullovers you make! Wool is a natural fire retardant - it has something to do with the lanolin left over from the sheep even in rigorous processing.

How many kids are sleeping beside campfires or indoor can-fires? If they do - God forbid - come too close to the fire, or embers pop, a real 100% wool blanket or piece of clothing will not catch. It will smoke, smell awful and singe, but it will go out pretty much on its own. Wool will not do what acrylics, polyesters or other "non-wools" will do:

The Fake Stuff will start to melt when it comes in contact with things like embers & flames. Fake stuff is sneaky: There are no big flames, at first, but as the fibre melts, it sticks to skin & other clothing. It's like melting wax at this point, & you don't feel the burn until it's spread - by then, it's pretty well sticking to you, and you're already in need of medical attention - to get it off you without causing a nasty wound, to treat what burn there is, follow-up with continued care & something like antibiotics. I don't like to think about what can come next if the melting fabric isn't doused and the person inside isn't extricated.

The bottom line, for me, based on what I've read & experienced, is simple: Use wool, 100% wool is best, a blend of wool/"Fake Stuff" - if there's a lot more wool in the blend, really a lot - it's probably okay.

I don't take chances - even here in the US where a lot of us do take the short cut and use "looks like wool" acrylics & polyesters. This is fine if you aren't living rough near any sort of exposed fire, even banked coals. However, these kids don't have such luxury. (I use good old cotton, linen, bamboo, the new soy fibres, corn fibres, even "milk" wool when knitting for kids - but I live in a very temperate climate. When it's cold, it's wool - all wool.)

So - I am not meaning to panic anyone, here, or start an anti-acrylic movement (it has its place, not here). I'm just about passing on info that I think is particularly important for this knitting project. We don't need to put anymore risk into these kids' lives with our gifts.

Thanks for the space to share this. Knit on! If I've ever knit for a righteous cause (and I have, for several) this tops my list!

Peace, good will and God's love for mankind.