Looking after your woollens
We are all quite nervous about looking after our knitwear, should we wash it? Which wash should we use? Where should we store it? ….
Here are a few hints and tips for maintaining that beautiful knitwear
- Don’t be afraid to wash it
I know lots of people who are nervous about washing their wool or cashmere knitwear, but in actual fact washing will help maintain the fibres. Put your knitwear on a short 30degree wash every now and then, use a small amount of washing powder or detergent to keep that fresh smell. This helps the wool fibres to maintain their flat finish.
2. Drying time
The best way is to line dry your knitwear, fold it as neatly as possible and dry on the line or radiator if need be. Don’t use pegs on the knitwear as this can sometimes mark the fabric and cause creases and dents in the knitted fabric.
3. Finishing
Always use plenty of steam when you finish and iron your freshly washed knitwear, steam is key to getting your knits looking wonderful and maintaining their shape. Use a warm-hot temperature iron with lots of water for steam – lay out your knitwear and use the steam to pull the garment or accessory to shape. Don’t press too firmly on the iron but skim the surface whilst pressing the steam button to give plenty of heat and moist air to the knitted fabric.
4. Storage
Depending on what item it is will depend on how best to store your knitwear, I prefer to fold my scarves and ponchos flat in the drawer – this will help to keep the shape and stop the edges curling in. With the slouch jumpers these can be hung up in the wardrobe, being lightweight the jumpers are perfect to hang. If you have a heavy chunky knit then this is best to fold and store in the drawer – otherwise the knit will stretch and grow overtime due to the weight of the garment pulling it down.
My ultimate tip….Naturally knitted fabrics will pill though wear, this is the term used for the fabric ‘bobbling’. To keep your knits looking fresh use a disposable plastic razor to trim off any ‘bobbles’.
For example on a cushion cover you can just run the razor over the fabric face to remove these loose fibres.
If you follow the above steps ever now and then your Katie Victoria Knitwear will be looking and feeling wonderful for a long time to come.
Head to www.katievictoria-textiles.com to purchase your new piece
