Step 1
Find a piece of clothing similar in size and shape to the shrunken piece of clothing. Trace an outline of this garment onto a piece of parchment paper.
Step 2
Fill a sink or tub with tepid water -- hot water easily shrinks wool. Mix 1 quart of water with 1 tablespoon of hair conditioner or baby shampoo, and add it to the sink. Place your shrunken cashmere garment in the solution, and let it soak for 10 minutes to help loosen the fibers.
Step 3
Gently squeeze the water out of the sweater without wringing or stretching. Drain the water, refilling the sink with clean, tepid water, and swish the sweater to rinse. Carefully squeeze out excess water.
Step 4
Place the cashmere garment on top of the parchment paper on a flat surface. Gently stretch so that the garment matches the measurements of the outline. If the item resists stretching, use a garment steamer or the steam from an iron to further loosen the fabric.
Step 5
Keep cashmere garments in shape after every wash. Write down the measurements of the sweater before laundering, including the length of each arm, the distance from from shoulder to shoulder and across the bottom. Hand wash with a few drops of mild detergent in tepid water. After washing, gently press out water without wringing. Roll the garment in a clean, white towel, as the dye in colored towels may transfer to the garment. Lay the garment flat to dry on a moisture-resistant surface such as mesh and away from heat or sunlight, and coax the sweater back to its prewash measurements.
Oh, my lovely cashmere knitwear, I won’t let you be hurt again.