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It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, as the song says. It seems odd to be preparing for snow in October, but that is just what we are doing. It will be a good weekend to stay inside and knit--after we shovel the driveway, that is! And it's beginning to look like winter in the shop as well. I've just finished a couple of really quick scarves for shop display.
One is a striped scarf in bulky wt yarn on a #15 needle. The other was done on #35 needles with the new LINK yarn from Berroco. It took me under 1 hour!! And it's cute as could be. The pattern for the Link scarf is on the yarn label. The stripe scarf pattern is available with your yarn purchase at the shop. Stop in and see them-- Christmas is coming eventually!
A few days ago I was washing a project and there was a fair amount of color in the wash water. It reminded me of one more reason to wash completed projects. I can remember saying to a customer many years ago that the excess dye would come out when she washed her finished sweater and she said "I'm going to wash this?!". I responded, "YES, you are going to wash it!"
So, I thought it might be time to talk about washing your knitting. There are several good reasons to wash a project before you wear it or send it on as a gift:
To remove any dirt, pet hair, etc that has gotten on the project while you were working
on it. Washing leaves a nice fresh, clean project.
No matter how careful you are, dust, coffee spatter, or cat hair is bound to be part of your
knitting. Not to mention oils from your hands, or any oils left over from processing the yarn.
You wouldn't want to wear a new sweater or give a gift that isn't absolutely fresh.
Prevent MOTH damage!
Moths are attracted to dirt in the fiber. The smells of food, perspiration, etc draw them to
the fabric. The best way to prevent moth damage is to wash and air your woolens!!
To block and shape the garment if needed.
Blocking helps a woolen piece keep its shape and in some cases is necessary to get a piece
(such as lace work) into the desired shape. Washing also helps settle and even out your
knitted stitches, making the work look smoother. Acrylic yarns can't really be blocked but
still benefit from a washing.
To remove any excess dye.
Dark colors and certain shades of blue often leave excess dye in the fibers. You may even
see it on your hands or wooden needles. Don't worry, the dye won't hurt you. The extra
dye you see in the wash water won't change the color of your yarn. It just rinses away.
But you wouldn't want it rubbing off on a white blouse or the skin of a loved one.
To have a test wash just in case!
I like to wash gifts as the recipient might treat them, just to be sure there are not issues.
Also, if any ends are going to pop out, etc, it will happen while you can still tuck them in.
Recently, I made a prayer shawl for a friend and there was a problem. I still gave it to her,
but was glad that the "laundry malfunction" happened on my watch.
So, how do you wash your finished project? That depends on the fiber content. If it's an acrylic, superwash wool or cotton, you can machine wash it (gently, please) and either lay flat to dry, or dry partially in your dryer and then let it finish up out of the dryer. Again, use a low heat-- the delicate or perma press cycle should be ok. Don't treat handknits like blue jeans. Too much agitation or heat is hard on the fibers and will accelerate pilling.
NB: Some yarns are labeled "Machine Wash" as opposed to "Superwash". These can be washed by machine, but must be handled carefully as they will stretch out of shape. Be very careful that the garment is not stretched in the spin cycle and lay flat to dry.
If the garment is a handwash fiber, such as silk or wool, use the following procedure:
Fill a basin or sink with lukewarm water. Add a small amount of a wool wash such as Euculan, Soak, Kookaburra, or Unicorn Fibre Wash. You can purchase Euculan and Soak at The Woolery. If you don't have one of these, use a dish detergent, (not laundry detergent!) such as Ivory, Joy or Dawn. Or use a gentle shampoo.
Place the item in the water and squeeze gently to wet thoroughly. Let it soak for 10-15 minutes.
Remove the garment and change the water. Rinse in the SAME TEMPERATURE water. Some wool washes do not require rinsing. They often have ingredients that help repel moths as well. Check your label to see what is recommended.
Squeeze, do not wring, as much water as you can out of the garment. If you have a top loading washer, you can place it gently in the basket and spin for 10-15 seconds. That will remove most of the water. Or lay the garment on a colorfast towel and roll it up to extract the water. Then lay the garment on a flat surface or sweater dryer. Block to the correct measurements if needed. Let dry.
This is not as hard as it sounds and well worth the effort, so Wash your Knitting! You'll be glad you did.
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Keeping up with the orders: We gave almost all our fall yarns in, but there are a few more coming. We have plenty of yarn in stock but yarn is not the only thing we do here at The Woolery. I've just restocked needles, Rae is working on a button order as I type, and there are new books that came this week.
Needle felting is all the rage right now and we can't seem to keep up with the demand for roving. I will have a large order of colored roving coming next week, so you can count on us to have all the colors in the rainbow this season.
Just in time for the Wool Arts Tour, I got in some pretty shawl pins from R C Jewelry. They sold out on the tour. I got some more last week and they are gone. So, I have a larger order coming! These are really nice pins and would make great Christmas gifts!
While we're thinking of gifts, there are some new knitting bags, needle cases, interchageable needle sets and other great gift ideas all over the shop. And remember, we also have gift certificates!
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FORGOTTEN TREASURE FOR NOVEMBER:
BARTLETTYARN
$4.50 each
Bartlettyarns 2 ply is a heavy worsted wt in a real down home New England wool.
It comes in really lovely colors, almost all heathered. Bartlett wears like iron and makes
a good outdoor garment. Perfect for the woodsman in your life. It comes in large hanks of 200 yards each and knits at about 4 st/inch on an 8 or 9 needle.
WOOLERY CALENDAR:
November 5-6--Fiber Festival of New England, at the Big E, W. Springfield, MA
November 24: Closed for Thanksgiving
November 25-27th -- our annual anniversary event-- more in the next newsletter!
December 24: Closing at 1 pm, and Closed Dec 25th and 26th
Classes:
Learn to knit, get help with a problem or hone your skills at a class. These are open enrollment and you do not need an appointment.
Monday 6:30-8:30 pm with Cynthia
Tuesday 1:30-3:30 with Nancy
Fridays 1:30-4:30 with Cynthia
Knitting Groups meet Tuesday morning, 10-noon
and Thursday evening 7-9
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