If you have any questions about how to care for your knitted garments or other items after reading the instructions, please feel free to email me in the contact form below.
If you bought socks:
All my socks are made with superwash merino wool, sometimes with some other fibers,
usually nylon for strength. This is wool that has been specially treated to allow it to be put
in the washing machine without shrinking or felting. It also is supposed to be able to go
through a dryer cycle without a problem, but I wouldn't recommend it. What I do for my
own socks is put them in one of those mesh laundry bags that are sold for lingerie, and just
wash them with a regular load in cold water. (I wash all my clothes in cold water.) This way they are easy to find after the wash cycle is done so you don't accidently put them in the dryer. I then hang them on an oversized coat hanger to air dry. The first pair I ever knitted in 2007 is still going strong with this method of washing and drying.
If you bought a shawl:
Taking care of and washing a shawl can be a bit complicated as they usualy include lace sections, and washing lace in a washing machine is not a good thing to do, even in a mesh laundry bag. I highly recommend hand washing with a cleaning solution especially made for hand knits. Soak is the name of the brand I use, it is not as harsh as Woolite can sometimes be, and requires less rinsing. It is available from different online stores, but I get mine from either The Loopy Ewe or Knit Picks. You can click on the names and link to their websites.
Basically you will fill a sink or a plastic tub (recommended for portability) with a cap full of Soak and luke-warm water, put your shawl in making sure it is completely covered, and let soak for about 15-30 minutes, depending on how dirty it has gotten. Then pour the water out and do a quick rinse. DO NOT WRING OR TWIST THE GARMENT IN ANY WAY. Wet lace looks like a hot mess, and wringing it will make it a real mess and possibly damage the yarn. Squeezing is recomended and rolling it in a nice thirsty towel
and squeezing gently will work very well. The shawl then needs to be pinned out and blocked. This will involved a lot of fiddly work because each point of the pattern must be gently but firmly stretched out, the top of the shawl lined up straight across so that it hangs correctly, etc., and may take a couple of days to dry, depending on yarn content. If you have never blocked a hand knit garment before, and really don't feel up to it, I offer a blocking service. Email me in the form above and we can discuss pricing. (Size, pattern, etc. will figure into this, but I promise I'm reasonable!)
If you bought fingerless mitts, a hat, or a headband:
All my fingerless mitts, hats, and headbands are made
with acrylic yarn, mostly good ole reliable Red Heart, so
they are perfectly safe in both the washer and the dryer.
Since these are the type of garments that would get the
dirtiest, I made them with a yarn that can take the wear
and tear of repeated washings.
If you bought dishcloths/facecloths:
All my dishcloths/facecloths are made with 100% cotton, so they can be thrown in the washer
and dryer with no problems. They will also get softer with repeated washings, which is nice
if you're using it for a facecloth.
If you bought rulers or coaster/paperweights:
The rulers are all plastic so there shouldn't be much to cleaning them -
just wipe with a soft cloth. The only danger is if something gets inside
the ruler to wet the embroidery floss. The back wil come off and is not
completely sealed so be careful where you place your ruler to avoid this.
The coaster/paperweights are plastic so, again, the soft cloth will do it.
The back is glued on all the way around the cork circle, so there should
be no chance of any liquids getting inside.
If you bought a baby jacket:
I make my baby jackets from different materials - sock yarn, acrylic and cotton. If it's made from
sock yarn, follow the directions for cleaning socks above. If it's made from acrylic or cotton, you
can pretty much throw it in the washer and dryer and no problems. You might want to take it from
the dryer while it is still damp and tug it into shape a bit and let it finish by air drying, but this is not
completely necessary.
