WEAR, CARE & REPAIR
Guidance on looking after your knits
KNITWEAR CARE
WASHING
|t's always best to hand wash your knits to ensure they retain their look and feel, as machine washing or using high temperatures can damage your garments natural fibres. Wool has amazing breathable, odor resistant qualities so pure wool or wool-mix garment may not need to be washed as often as you think; simply airing your knitwear will often do the trick!
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Fill a sink or large bowl with luke warm water and mix in a small amount of detergent. For pure woolen garments, I recommend using ‘Shear Delight’ soap bar, which includes lanolin and milk which gently replenishes the wool’s natural qualities. Rub the soap bar in the water until you have a slightly opaque water quality. If your knitwear is made from other natural fibres or a mix of yarns, use a small amount of any natural ‘Delicates’ detergent
Submerge your knitwear and leave to soak for 15 minutes and for items that include silk, soak for no longer than 5 minutes. Prevent from rubbing or twisting your knits as this may cause shrinkage of pilling.
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Drain the soapy water and rinse in fresh water, then gently squeeze out any excess water without wringing/twisting as this may cause the knitwear to pull or stretch
DRYING
Knitwear is prone to stretch, especially when wet. These simple tips will help keep your garment in good shape.
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Lay a towel on the floor and place your garment over it, then roll the towel up with the garment inside, sqeueezing out any excess water. You may want to repeat with a new dry towel.
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Place a dry towel over a drying rack before laying your knits to dry on top. Alternatively, place a towel over a radiator on a low heat, and place your garment on top to dry.
Once dry, gently steam iron on a low heat to help re-shape.
STORAGE
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Store your knitwear folded (never hung!) and kept out of direct sunlight. Over the summer months, you may want to put your woollen jumpers in a sealed bag to prevent moths. Moths are attracted to natural oils, so before storing your knitwear, it is always a good idea to wash your garments.
A lavendar bag can also help to deter moths.
REPAIR
Darning is a great way to elongate the life of a well worn garment. Darning can be invisible, discreet or playful; each repair weaving a new narrative into the story of your gament.
There are many fantastic ways to learn the art of repair; online tutorials, books and physical workshops. Locally in Penzance, Raine Studios often do darning workshops. We would also recommend Collingwood-Norris's guides on fun, creative visible mending.
Don't fancy giving it a go yourself? We would be more than happy to repair your well loved Carnwear item for you. Please get in touch with details to request a quote.
