Cold Riding

SMEEAR i hate wool, i find it totally itchy, exzema as a child saw to it that i would never wear wool, nowerdays im kinda scared of it, i just think it will itch me like crazy, but people say merino is totally different? anyone care to vouch for that?
anyone with wimpy skin find merino irritating?
i would lke to get something merino as it sounds perfect

i am with d_c on this one, but even with merino (as with anything), there is a range of quality/itchiness. if your skin is extra sensitive, look into those silk jersey liners. you can wear the itchiest layer over it, and the lightweight silk will keep it from your skin. camping/outdoor stores should have them, as well as the nice wool stuff. merino-wise, i have some things from smartwool that are soft enough to wear without anything else underneath. (smartwool also offers different weights of material, which is nice).
i just chuck the things in a net bag in the washing machine (cool/warm water), and reshape/drip dry. they're not cheap, but these things will last a long time if you take care of them.