Water soluble fibers with post process modifications and articles containing same

A method of treating a fiber, said method comprising:

• admixing a fiber comprising a polymer comprising at least one of a vinyl acetate moiety or a vinyl alcohol moiety and having a degree of hydrolysis less than 100% with a hydrolysis agent solution to form a mixture so as to increase the degree of hydrolysis of at least a portion of the fiber, wherein the fiber does not dissolve in the hydrolysis agent solution and admixing a fiber increases the degree of hydrolysis of at least a portion of the fiber, wherein admixing a fiber with the hydrolysis agent solution is performed under conditions sufficient to provide a post-process fiber having a transverse cross-section with an increasing gradient in the degree of hydrolysis from an interior region of the post-process fiber to a surface region of the post-process fiber.