Does Merino wool sweaters stretch?

[mr.invincible]

I bought the norse projects bubble crew in a small, but it's a bit snug for my taste. will it stretch over time or something i can stretch it out immediately

 

[Anachronist]

Hi mr.invincible, yup, a snug merino sweater will stretch slightly with wear to a comfortable fit, presuming the sweater's general proportions, i.e. sleeve and sweater length are correct. So it will become more comfortable. I wouldn't artificially stretch it upfront (risk of damaging the weave), but just wear it for a few hours. The length of woolen sweaters however rarely changes from my experience. It's a different story with cotton sweaters that tend to give a lot with wear and should always be bought on the slightly snug side to avoid hanging on you like a sack later on (something I had to experience with a lovely cricket vest from Brooks Bros some years back).

Remember however to always wash the merino sweater in handwash and cold setting or you can donate it to the kids ;-) The sweater will typically return even after cold washing to its original girth, so be ready to re-stretch it again afterwards.