Washing Instructions
Here are a few general instructions on how to care for your knitted garments. Please use your own discretion as well as these guides in the care of your garment.
1: Always keep a band from the wool that you have knitted the garment with.
If it is for your household then keep it in the laundry in a notebook etc, if it is for someone else, be sure to include the label when you give it to them. It doesn't hurt to still keep a label for yourself in that situation as well.
The instructions on the ball band are always to be considered before any other washing guide.
Bearing in mind instruction 1, most
hand knits are better hand washed than machine. Some yarns are specifically designed for easy care and can be machine washed,
especially in today's washing machines, but here we will assume that you know how to use your own washing machine and just need help hand washing.
2: Fill a basin with luke-warm (unless otherwise stated on band)water. Add a mild and easily
dissolvable detergent or wool wash. DO NOT add fabric softener. This will make the wool fibre slimy! Let the detergent dissolve completely before adding your garment. Only wash one garment at a time, unless they are very small and easily managed. Its the
agitation that your washing gets now that creates wonderful accidents, so LEAVE IT ALONE! NO rubbing, NO squishing, just let it sit there.
3: Do not let soak for too long. This has a tendency of making wool fibre rot. Move the garment to the side and pull the plug. Let the water drain out while pushing gently on the garment. DO NOT WRING OR TWIST. Put plug back in and fill tub again with clean tepid water. Hold garment loosely in both hands and move it softly through the water. Let plug out again while pushing gently on garment. Remove as much water without crushing as possible.
4: Lift garment from tub. DO NOT lift by sides or shoulders, lift as a ball. Place on a towel and let some more water escape. Lie garment flat on a drying rack or towel and shape. DO NOT PULL! Ease into shape. Leave to dry in a well ventilated area, but not in direct sunlight as this will discolour wool very quickly!
A couple of tips that have always worked for me.
My baby knitting I always used to do straight after my baby's bath. After they were dried, dressed and settled I would rinse out their clothes in the baby bath and leave sitting on baby's towel to drain.
Invest in a drying rack. They are inexpensive, and they make great gifts for other people too. Knitting dries faster if the air circulates from underneath, which it will not do with towels.
If you are knitting gifts then pick yarn that is appropriate. As gorgeous as a merino cashmere hand wash only yarn is, it is not sensible to knit for a 4 year old to wear to kindergarten, especially when their mother has 3 kids and works and never hand washes.
Disclaimer
All care has been taken with these instructions, but every wool varies. Always check the wool label first.
