Get Rid of Pilling and Fuzz - Make Knits Like New!

Many knit fabrics wear down over time and leave a surface layer of unattractive fuzz balls.  This "Pilling" can make even an expensive sweater look really bad.  Here's what I do to get rid of it.

During these long winter evenings, I take some time and "de-pill" my nice sweaters, fleece, even knit gloves and scarves. Instead of sitting in front of the TV doing nothing, I grab a sweater or two and work while watching!

My preferred tools are my electric fabric shaver and a simple razor. I have success using these until I get the results I want. I bought this razor at a home goods store. It takes AA batteries and has lasted a long time.

I have tried a "sweater brick" but it left a lot of crumbly pieces on the sweater, and it didn't really take away the fuzz.  

The electric shaver works well if I move it slowly across the area.  It usually needs some pressure underneath.  You can see here the before and after.  My favorite green knit gloves are like new!  A razor works wonders on some knits - just make sure you pull in the direction of the stitches in short successive strokes.

Here are before and after shots of my favorite winter scarves. The photos hardly show how fuzzy and pilled they were before I shaved them, but trust me, they needed it! 

Here's an afghan that our Aunt Rosie knitted decades ago.  Some of the colors were really fuzzy...

Now I'm ready for the rest of this winter.

Bring on the cold!