Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Springtime Reminder

        It's definitely spring here in the Rockies so those good friends that kept us warm all winter, our sweaters and shawls, are ready to be put in the sweater pantry for the season.  Before storing your knitted beauties, remember to give them a gentle hand wash and a thorough drying out.
        The process is easy.  Gather your sweaters a few at a time (we have a lot of sweaters around here as you can imagine!) and put them in your favorite sweater carrying box ;).  Mine is a cherry box.  I just love the graphic on it. 

     Because of  the size of my drying space, I usually do batches of three sweater or two shawls.  Please use common sense; don't mix light-colored garments with those that might release some dye.  Follow my Handwashing Guide or use your own favorite method.  Once completely dry I store them for next fall.   My studio has a small linen closet that I use as the  "sweater pantry", but any out-of-the-way shelf or drawer will do as well.


       Nothing is nicer than pulling out a sweet fresh sweater for the first autumn breeze.  Hand washing your knitted items before storage will help prevent insect damage by removing the major moth attractants, unwashed, well-worn wool.  For extra insurance and if you like the smell, a bar of soap  placed on the shelf close by the stored garments is said to detract the buggies. I'm not swearing by that, but it might be worth a try.   Dried lavender and cedar are the more traditional choices.   In my pantry the sign reads "no moth balls, please".  What kills them probably isn't good for us either.


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