Category Archives: storage

MOTH SEASON Time to Wash & Store Your Knits!

It’s Time to WASH & Store Your Woollens!

Yup, the weather is warm, the windows and doors are open, and the bugs are breeding again. My calendar just reminded me to change my moth traps, so I thought I’d send a gentle nudge that you need to make sure you have put all your woollens SAFELY away for the season. I’ve written a lot about this in the past, so instead of reinventing the wheel, I’m just going to refer you to read our past care and mainenance info .

A quick summary of the salient points:

FIND FULL CARE AND MAINTENANCE INFO HERE

Soak Wash

Soak is a super easy, eco-friendly, no-rinse wash for hand or machine washing delicates, from lingerie to cashmere. Soak products are manufactured in Toronto Canada and are available in an assortment of fresh fragrances plus Scentless (for your sensitive side).   

Eucalan

Eucalan is is a wonderful no-rinse delicate wash that you can use for your hand knits, lingerie, or anything  you want to keep looking like new. 

  • non-toxic
  • biodegradable
  • phosphate-free
  • phtalate-free, scented with natural oils
  • eco-friendy
  • extends the life of lingerie and all delicates
  • perfect for hand-knits
  • no-rinse
  • do NOT use if you are allergic to lanolin
  • see the ingredients list

MOTH SEASON Practice Good Yarn Hygiene

It’s Time to WASH & Store Your Woollens!

Yup, the weather is warm, the windows and doors are open, and the bugs are breeding again. My calendar just reminded me to change my moth traps, so I thought I’d send a gentle nudge that you need to make sure you have put all your woollens SAFELY away for the season. I’ve written a lot about this in the past, so instead of reinventing the wheel, I’m just going to refer you to read our past care and mainenance info .

A quick summary of the salient points:

FIND FULL CARE AND MAINTENANCE INFO HERE

Soak Wash

Soak is a super easy, eco-friendly, no-rinse wash for hand or machine washing delicates, from lingerie to cashmere. Soak products are manufactured in Toronto Canada and are available in an assortment of fresh fragrances plus Scentless (for your sensitive side).   

Eucalan

Eucalan is is a wonderful no-rinse delicate wash that you can use for your hand knits, lingerie, or anything  you want to keep looking like new. 

  • non-toxic
  • biodegradable
  • phosphate-free
  • phtalate-free, scented with natural oils
  • eco-friendy
  • extends the life of lingerie and all delicates
  • perfect for hand-knits
  • no-rinse
  • do NOT use if you are allergic to lanolin
  • see the ingredients list

SWET Bags from Gleener

Last week at the Knitter’s Frolic (a local show hosted by the Toronto Knitting Guild) we sold out of all of our adorable project bags from Gleener, and they have graciously and quickly restocked them!

Gleener Swet Bags make perfect project bags, but they’re so much more. They’re designed to keep odours, wetness and messed contained. The zipper and lining are both waterproof, so they also make a great travel companion to the gym, swimming or beyond. Keep your projects safe, clean and dry anywhere you go! They come in two sizes, the medium is great for regular projects, and the larger is perfect for large sweaters and blankets (I also use it for my swimming gear, as do my niece and nephew).

  • Medium: 10.5″ x 14″
  • Large: 16″ x 21″ (fits a large sweater or a blanket project)
  • Machine wash in cold water, flip it inside out and hang it up to line dry overnight.

Spring Storage + Cute Bags, Gleeners

It’s Time to Store Your Woollens!

Yup, it’s May, and you can officially put all your woollens away for the season!!! I’ve written a lot about this in the past, so instead of reinventing the wheel, I’m just going to gently nudge you to read our CARE AND MAINTENANCE INFO. A quick summary of the salient points:

SWET Bags from Gleener

Last week at the Knitter’s Frolic (a local show hosted by the Toronto Knitting Guild) we sold out of all of our adorable project bags from Gleener, and they have graciously and quickly restocked them!

Gleener Swet Bags make perfect project bags, but they’re so much more. They’re designed to keep odours, wetness and messed contained. The zipper and lining are both waterproof, so they also make a great travel companion to the gym, swimming or beyond. Keep your projects safe, clean and dry anywhere you go! They come in two sizes, the medium is great for regular projects, and the larger is perfect for large sweaters and blankets (I also use it for my swimming gear, as do my niece and nephew).

  • Medium: 10.5″ x 14″
  • Large: 16″ x 21″ (fits a large sweater or a blanket project)
  • Machine wash in cold water, flip it inside out and hang it up to line dry overnight.

Gleener (Full Size)

While you are cleaning your knits, you might as well de-pill them and get them ready for the fall with a Gleener® Ultimate Fuzz Remover™. This award winning fabric de-piller and lint brush combo safely removes fuzz balls, lint and pet hair from even the finest of fabrics. Yes, it really works, I have one at the ready in my closet. Plus, it’s a Canadian company! READ MORE HERE!

Gleener (Travel Size)

Gleeners are also available in a compact travel size, which is super handy if your carry-on luggage is frequently in use (Gleeners work on all fabrics, not just knitwear, so it;s great for cleaning up suits & such).

NEW DellaQ Yarn Caddies & Bowls

DellaQ’s Yarn Caddies and Bowls are a lot like their brilliant needle cases – beautiful, well made, and extremely useful. They’re specially designed to hold and care for your needlework. They’re also ethically made in Vietnam under Della’s own watchful eye, which goes a long way to ensure the high quality of the product. As you can see, we really believe in these products!

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DellaQ Cleo Yarn Caddy (Medium Bag)

DellaQ’s Cleo Yarn Caddy is a great way to stash and transport your small and medium-sized knitting and crochet projects. Cleo stands on her own with pockets, pockets, pockets – four on the outside and two on the inside. She won’t let you down and fall over. The Cleo Yarn Caddy is perfect for medium size projects or a bunch of small ones. The inside includes a zip pocket and an open pocket for smaller tools.

  • Width: 8 inches
  • Height: 12.5 inches
  • Machine wash delicate, air dry

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DellaQ Tess Yarn Caddy (Large Bag)

DellaQ’s Tess Yarn Caddy is all the knitting bag you’ll ever need! It’s a large bag designed to hold and carry your projects, and it’s big enough for a sweater or blanket project. Tess stands on her own with pockets, pockets, pockets – four on the outside and two on the inside. Plus Tess stands up, and won’t let you down and fall over. The inside includes a zip pocket and an open pocket for smaller tools.

  • Width: 12″
  • Height: 14″
  • Machine wash delicate, air dry

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NEW DellaQ Soft Yarn Bowls

Finally, a yarn bowl that can travel with you and won’t break! DellaQ’s fabric bowls are stiff enough to hold your work, yet soft enough to collapse for storage when not in use.  The top band unfolds to increase the bowl size.  Accented with detailed stitching.

  • Folded: 6″ h x 6″ w
  • Unfolded: 8.5″ h x 6″ w

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Della Q caddy & bowls BLOG

NEW DellaQ Needle Cases

DellaQ makes some of the best needle cases we’ve ever found, and we think they’re definitely the best that are currently on the market. Della’s products are well thought out, high quality, and have been tested and used by knitters and crocheters for over a decade and a half – they’re made to be beautiful, to be used, to be useful, and to last. They organize your needles in a compact, portable solution that’s easy to put away, but also easy to take out and use. They’re also ethically made in Vietnam under Della’s own watchful eye, which goes a long way to ensure the high quality of the product. As you can see, we really believe in these products – I personally have at least 4 of her needle cases!

dellaq-the-que-circular-case-blog

DellaQ “The Que” Circular Needle Case

For those who don’t know about DellaQ’s circular needle cases, let’s just say they rock, and “The Que” circular needle case is one of our longstanding favourites (actually, it’s the best solution we’ve found so far)! It includes twelve numbered pockets. Did you catch that? Numbered. For those who need directions, put the size 6 needle in the size 6 pocket. You can even store more than one set in each pocket. The security flap on each pocket can be folded over the top or tucked in like an envelope. Includes a small zip pocket behind the sixth pocket for storing notions or an emergency piece of chocolate. This case is an excellent gift for anyone with a burgeoning collection of circular knitting needles!

 

  • Twelve numbered pockets
  • Secure flap on each pocket to hold needles
  • US Numbers: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 10.5, 11, 13, 15
  • Metric Numbers: 3.25, 3.5, 3.75, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
  • Closed: 8.5″ w x 8.5″ h Open: 18.5″ x 8.5″

 

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DellaQ Combo Needle Case

Haven’t made the decision yet whether you like straights, circulars or double points? Maybe you like them all and want them in one case. This tri-fold case includes nine pockets in the centre for circulars. The outer flaps hold 18 straights and/or double points. We know this is a common design, but our case holds more than most cases and it is far prettier! The case is tall enough for those needles that insist on being a bit too tall to fit in any other case. There are no numbers like many of our other cases so you’ll need to be a little bit organized or keep a needle gauge in the case. Oh, right, there is also a zip pocket for stitch markers or a piece of chocolate. Fold it up and tie it in a bow (refer to your mother for bow tying instructions).

  • Eighteen unnumbered pockets for straights and double points
  • Nine unnumbered pockets for circulars
  • Includes numbered tabs for customization
  • Open: 14.5″ w x 15″ h Closed: 15.5″ x 6″
  • Taffeta silk and Poly Silk

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DellaQ Double Point Roll BLOG

DellaQ Double Point Roll

It’s time to organize your double pointed needles and store them in something other than those plastic sleeves or “ahem” your special needle drawer. DellaQ’s DPN roll is the best solution we’ve found, and we swear by it for our own personal needle collections!

  • Two rows of fourteen numbered pockets, two unnumbered
  • Accommodates DPN’s up to 8″ in length
  • US Numbers: 0, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 10.5
  • Metric Numbers: 2, 2.25, 2.5, 2.75, 3, 3.25, 3.5, 3.75, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, 6, 6.5
  • Closed: 10.25″ h. Open: 16″ w x 10.25″ h.
  • Cotton

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DellaQ Needle Cases BLOG

 

 

SALE Project Storage Solutions

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SALE 10% OFF Project Storage Solutions

For a limited time, storage solutions (needle cases, project bags, knitting bags, etc) are all on sale! You can shop online or in-store, and have your purchase shipped to you or pick it up in-store for free!

SHOP ONLINE

REMINDER Spring Clean Your Woollies

 

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Freshly washed sweaters drying.

 

For me, spring isn’t really official until the first sighting of moths – which was this week. So today, as I do my own laundry, I offer you a gentle reminder that Spring is upon us and it is time to wash and store your woollies. So many people come into the store with sad stories and even sadder looking knits – don’t be one of them next season! NOW is the time to prevent moth holes from happening; wash and store your woollens and you’ll thank yourself next fall and winter.

We write frequently about how to maintain woollens, you can find it all HERE.

 

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Clean sweaters ready for Spring-Summer storage.

 

KNIT HACK Spring Prep

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Photo: JillPoof

Moth-Proofing: 5 Easy Things You Can Do Now

It feels a little early, but even if spring is only casually flirting with us, it may be time to start thinking about protecting your woolens for the upcoming season. It’s A LOT easier and cheaper to avoid moth holes than it is to mend them. Even worse, if you end up hosting a moth infestation you’ll have to pitch everything. You can read up on the “How-Tos” in Storing Your Knits from last spring, but here are a few things you can do to get yourself started.

Change Your Moth Traps

I just changed my moth traps and they were blessedly EMPTY. If you haven’t already, it might be time to change yours, and if you don’t use them I suggest you do. I only consider them a second line of defense, but they’re helpful, and they’ll let you know if you have moths.  I use the Aeroxon Clothing Moth Traps.

Bag Exposed Stash

Bugs like sweaters, but your stash is also vulnerable. There’s no time like the present to bag up yarn that’s floating around. Don’t forget projects on hold, laying fallow in project bags. If the majority of your stash isn’t already organized in sealed bags (like Ziploc) now is probably a good time to get on that. By the way, the picture above is pretty, but a good example of how NOT to store your yarn (stuff in baggies doesn’t make for good pictures). If you find yourself spring-cleaning your stash and need to purge, our next yarn swap is April 23, 2017, or you can drop off donations in a sealed plastic bag any time we are open.

Wash Dirty Woolens

Start washing the sweaters you wore this winter, especially anything that’s been in frequent use. Little bits of food & shmutz are what moths feast on, so shutter the buffet. If you’re like me and wear a lot of sweaters, getting them all cleaned is a bit of a chore, so you might as well start early and get it over with. I like to wash with either Eucalan or Soak, both are excellent no-rinse delicate washes that are very easy to use (I do not suggest you use the stuff from the grocery store).

Store Peripheral Knits

Start bagging and storing any knits or woolens that you aren’t likely to use again this season. At my house this includes heavy wool sweaters, thick wool socks, scarves/hats/gloves that didn’t get used, felt hats, wool coats.

Plan Ahead

OK, this sounds really niggly, but I’m constantly learning from my mistakes in this particular area. Almost every year I come across some class of object that I forgot was made of wool – and of course I find this out the hard way (lots of tears and regret). I always think I’ll remember things but never remeber things, so I keep a running Moth-Proofing Checklist and add to it every time I find something new that needs to be stored. I keep my checklist digitally in a cloud-based form of storage (iCloud, Google Docs, Dropbox, etc), so I can get to it easily and it won’t get lost. This is currently what it looks like:

  • socks (wool)
  • coats (wool)
  • knit scarves, hats, mitts, gloves
  • legwarmers
  • felt insoles
  • blankets
  • pillow covers
  • felt hats
  • needle felted stuff
  • felted bags

KNIT HACK Sweater Season Prep

It’s October, the days are getting cooler (well, some of them are) and it’s time to spring our sweaters from their summer slumber. Sometimes, no matter how meticulously you packed your sweaters away and protected them, they still end up with little holes, which of course you don’t notice until you put them on. Today’s post is about mitigating the damage that’s already been done.

1. Inspect

As soon as you spring your sweater from storage prison give it a good inspection. In a well lit room give it the once over, hold it up to the light to check for holes or weak spots. If you find any immediately put a pin in the hole to keep it from growing, or temporarily sew it up with some contrasting coloured sewing thread.

DO NOT WASH your sweater until you have permanently mended the holes! If you do, the holes will get bigger, and be much harder to repair.

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2. Shave

Now is a good time to remove any pilling or fuzz from the surface of your sweater. As you go pay close attention to the surface of the textile and look for more problem spots.

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I love my new Gleener, it’s proven to be a great little gadget (and it’s Canadian)! They come with 3 different heads to accommodate different textiles. Above is my very fine store bought cashmere  sweater, on which I used the gentlest head. If you aren’t sure which head to use just start with the gentlest and move up. Be sue to read the instructions that come with your Gleener, or you can download them from the Gleener website.

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3. Secure & Repair

Secure your holes! While Gleening I found one in my cashmere sweater and temporarily secured it with a pin. As soon as possible mend the holes; small ones are easy to fix almost invisibly, but larger ones will cause drama and tears.

I generally sew up little holes with matching sewing thread. (Whenever you are at a dollar store and see a set of tiny little sewing thread spools in a pile of colours GET IT! They are an excellent and cheap source multiple colours of thread, which come in extremely handy when making repairs.) If the holes are larger you may need toe fix them with left-over yarn from the project ….. but that kind of mending is a whole other blog post.

Now, once mended, if you want to wash your sweater, go for it. I suggest using either Eucalan or Soak delicate wash, both are excellent products, are Made in Canada, and you don’t need to rinse them out.

Now you are ready for fall!

KNIT HACK: Storing Your Knits

It’s that time of year again … the time when I remind you to wash & store your knits. I’m sorry, I know this is a tedious chore, but it’s so, so, so VERY important for preserving the longevity of your knits. You know those evil little buggies who leave those wicked little holes in your knits? They are most often feasting on bits or food, skin, and other human detritus on your sweater. Washing is essential to depriving the little buggies of their buffet, and proper storage keeps them from gaining entrance to the restaurant.

Soak Wash Basin

Step 1. Wash

Hand wash in specialty delicate wash like Soak or Eucalan. Both brands are no-rinse (an essential feature for making this chore bearable), made in Canada, and work equally well. Personally, I prefer Eucalan for anything made with animal fibres (wool, alpaca, mohair, etc), it is formulated with more lanolin which is a natural conditioner for fibre. I especially like Soak for garments made with plant fibres or synthetics (you can find it in quilting and lingerie stores as well as knitting stores). Both are excellent products, you can’t go wrong with either. If you don’t have many knits but you want your lacies to last longer, pick up a bottle of Soak, they specialize in lingerie. If you are a knitwear fiend and throw your skivvies in the machine, grab a bottle of Eucalan.

Detailed instructions are on the bottles and product websites, but this is how it’s basically done:

  • Soak garment in cool water for 10 minutes
  • Add a little bit of delicate wash and squish it through garment
  • Soak for another 10 minutes
  • Drain water and gently squeeze out water (do not wring)
  • Wrap in a towel and press out excess water
  • Lay flat to dry

Washing Tips

  • Don’t forget your non-sweater knits! Wool socks, hats, mitts, scarves, cowls, and long underwear are just as vulnerable as your sweaters and need love too.
  • Avoid the big corporate store brands like Woolite, they’re still ‘detergents’ and the results will end up making you cry.
  • If the dye is saturated and you think it might bleed, add a quarter cup of white vinegar to the water before adding your garment. The vinegar will act as a mordent and stabilize the colour.
  • If you don’t have a laundry room or suitable sink (I don’t) you can pick up a plastic wash basin at the dollar store (which are also wonderful for a nice foot soak). If you want a higher-end, very high-quality basin that will last forever try a 26 Litre Tubtrug – I have one at home for laundry and we’ve been using the same bins all over the store for over 6 years and they still look like new (the best price is from Amazon.ca and you can get free shipping).
  • Instructions usually suggest drying garments flat on a towel, but I’ve found that if you have already pressed out the excess water with a towel Blocking Mats are a much faster method.
  • If garments MUST go in the machine, use Soak or Eucalan in cold water on the delicate cycle and put them in a Honey-Can-Do Sweater Wash Bag.
  • All fibres are susceptible to moth damage (even plant fibres like cotton and synthetics), wools just happen to be their favourite meal . Wash and store ALL the sweaters you wore over the winter.

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Step 2. Storage

Now that your knits are clean it’s time to put them away. Thankfully extra-large (33cm x 38cm) zipper freezer bags are ubiquitous and can be found at grocery stores like Loblaws. Presently, my favourites are from Dollarama (they’re tough, the seal is easy and stays put, and they are cheap). Use one sweater per bag, it seals the bugs out, plus it ensures that if one of your knits is infested it won’t spread to the others. This system will also help isolate where any potential infestations are coming from. If you want to seal in a nice, subtle, clean smell you can add a dried bay leaf to the bag – it smells like happy-nice-clean.

Storage Tips

  • Store your non-garment knits! Woollen blankets, pillow covers, anything felted (like bags, slippers, ornaments) are all vulnerable and need to be sealed up. You can buy XXL Ziploc Bags at Walmart or at Dollarama for storing blankets.
  • Don’t neglect your STASH! Ever worked with a skein of yarn that constantly breaks (not counting tight knitters working with delicate yarns)? Yup, buggies. I’ve known people who’ve had to pitch their entire stashes because of infestation.
  • All of the bags mentioned are tough, do not tear easily, and can be used over and over (we use them for storage in the store).
  • I don’t suggest you rely on big tote storage bins to keep your sweaters safe. They don’t fully seal and my past experience has been full of tears and regret.
  • If you’re feeling extra organizey and want to exercise a little control over your chaos, you can label your sweaters. A roll of masking tape and a sharpie pen go a long way, and when the cold hits next fall you’ll know which black sweater is which, without opening all the packaging (I learned this the hard way). BTW, there’s no right or wrong way to label your sweaters, as long as you label them so you can *find* them. Mine are kind of kind of random: “V-Neck from H&M – Black”, “Cashmere Scoop Neck – Black”, “V-Neck Dress from Grad School- Black”, “Haley Special Ultra Alpaca – Blue”, “Haley Special Ultra Alpaca – Green” (I’ve got a few of these), etc. It’s hard to see colour accurately when your sweaters are all packed away together, so be sure to put the colour on the label.

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Step 3. Second Line of Defense

I field a lot of questions and hear a lot of stories about moth prevention, and I feel I should weigh in.

Moth Traps

I like keeping the windows in my home open as much as possible, which inevitably leads to a little bit of nature creeping in. Hopefully, I’ll have stored everything away properly, but in the past there have been a few strays. This year I’m going to try using Aeroxon Moth Traps as a second line of defence and see what happens. I’ve never used them before, but I’ve heard good things (they use pheromones to attract the males). They last 3 months, so be sure to change them regularly. Even if the buggies don’t have anything to feast on, I’ll still experience a little bit of schadenfreude (shameful-joy) seeing the little bastards in the trap. Death to the sweater eaters!

Moth Balls

Moth balls work, but they smell like camphor on crack, god knows what the chemicals are doing to you and your family, and little kids always seem to think they’re candy. The smell gives me a mirgaine, ’nuff said – VETO.

Cedar Closets

I have fond memories of rummaging in my grandmother’s cedar closet, the smell was wonderful and it’s where she kept her ‘stash’ (she’d keel over if she saw what we collect these days). These closets mostly work on the principle that they are located in the basement, are tightly sealed, and aren’t often opened. Buggies don’t love the smell of cedar oil, but the wood dries out over time and it isn’t a reliable deterrent. Plus, it can’t do anything helpful if you store something already infested in it. I’m conservative when it comes to these things, if you are going to rely on a cedar closet without washing & bagging, I’d put a moth trap in there as a back-up.

Cedar Balls

Cedar balls are pretty, but are already dried out and they don’t have much scent left. I think their best use is in a glass bowl as a decorative centrepiece.

Heavy Perfume (Smelly Soap, Dryer Sheets, etc.)

Maybe buggies dislike the smell, maybe they don’t – this one’s in the realm of ‘old wives tale’. Personally, I’ve never had any success with this technique, but I’ve never been able to bring myself to go all out and make all my stuff smell like Springtime for Hitler.  I don’t endorse heavy fragrance for a few reasons:

  1. There isn’t any science on it, I don’t know if it really keeps moths at bay.
  2. More and more people are sensitive to fragrance; I don’t want you to hurt anyone with your perfume and I also don’t want *you* to become sensitized through exposure and become allergic (or your kids – that would be an unimaginable world of pain for the whole family).
  3. Besides being a common trigger for asthma, commercial synthetic fragrances contain chemicals called Phthalates (like the stuff in BPA), which are endocrine disruptors and are associated with cancers of the lady parts, deformities in baby boys, and god knows what else. I don’t know about you, but I’d like to keep my breasts & ovaries and never have to know what chemo feels like, and I want the same for my family and yours.

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