Let’s talk sweater care. You’ve spent what feels like an eternity knitting away at this single garment and now that it’s off the needles it’s time to start taking care of it in a way that will ensure that it’s still around decades later (as every good masterpiece should). We’ve got a range of simple tools that will keep your knits in tip-top condition, ready to pop on for everything from yard work to snuggling in front of a cozy fire with a good book.
I keep a stock of various wool washes and I do two big wash days a year where I pop all of my handknits into a room temperature bathtub to soak. Soak is an office favorite and what we keep at our blocking station, however I’ve always preferred the more herbal smell of Eucalan and the large size of the Kookaburra bottles. This gets any errant smells, stains or random dog hair off of them and gives me time to really look at all my sweaters at once. Are there any holes? Did any tails come undone since the last wash day? Most importantly, are there any signs of wool moths among my precious, precious woolies? For smaller loads between my biannual tub-filling sessions, I use the small Phil Basin to do small things like my socks and mittens.
I put together the Finishing Touches Care Kit with all my favorite sweater care essentials so you can easily equip your craftroom just like mine! The pack of soak soaps are perfect for traveling, gifting along with a finished project or just to try out all the scents without having to commit to a whole bottle. I keep one or two stashed in my luggage so I can wash my Hawthorne socks on the go! My favorite Eucalan makes an appearance as do both sizes of the Soak wash basins, perfect for doing smaller batches every month or so. I can fit about a dozen pair of hand knit socks in the small Phil Basin with room to spare. The Mesh Hanging Sweater Dryer has two tiers, perfect for two sweaters or a sweater with a few accessories on the second layer. Lastly, I can’t say enough about the Gleaner lint remover. I have one at home and use it all. the. time. One head is perfect for removing pet hair and the other removable shaver heads have different grits, perfect for a range of gauges from fine to bulky. My sweaters always look brand new after a once-over with this little tool and it packs easily for trips!
I store all my sweaters in a cedar chest up in my craft room, however if you don’t have the space for a whole trunk of knits I totally understand and we have the perfect solution! Our Cedar Boxes are just the size for storing your favorite wooly projects. The small size tucks four pairs of socks perfectly, the medium can fit four hats and the large box is perfect for a nicely folded sweater.
Our Ultimate Wool Care Kit has all three boxes, some Cedar Hangups (to make your closet smell fantastic), Cedar Sachets to tuck in your drawers, Kookaburra wool wash and a Save Our Sweaters Brush to whisk away those pesky sweater pills. This is a truly amazing smelling kit, full of all the cedar-ie goodness to keep your sweaters in tip-top shape and moth free.
We’ve got everything to not only make all the lovely sweaters you can imagine but to care for them as well! Treat yourself and treat your knits!
