As yarn crafters, we await sweater weather with breathless anticipation. Good news — it’s on its way! As sweater weather nears, it’s a great time to review the condition of your hand knit and crocheted garments in order to preserve their lives and wearability.

Eucalan, lavender

To preserve the condition of your handmade garments, gentle laundering is best, far superior to dry cleaning. Garments with wool content can be best washed with a special wool wash, which is typically a no-rinse process and preserves the lanolin. An added plus is that it is less time-consuming and less work. Lion Brand likes Eucalan, which we sell in five fragrances — unscented, lavender, eucalyptus, grapefruit and jasmine.

A recent innovation in garment care is the manual washing machine, which

gentlewasher

 is compact, environmentally friendly and very gentle. It hooks up to a faucet with hoses and uses just a few gallons of water. It offers a way to launder handmade garments with no fear of felting. The gentlewasher can hold 5 – 10 garments and takes two minutes to wash and two minutes to rinse garments.

Cocoknits Knitter’s Block $85

Finally, after washing, it’s always a great idea to re-block your garments. Simply lay the garment out on blocking boards (or a yoga mat, if you’re desperate) and pin it down in the desired dimensions. Take this opportunity to re-shape a garment, spread it to showcase your lace or cable stitches and re-align hems. Remember to always use stainless steel pins to prevent rust from staining your garments.

Now that your garments are in tip-top shape, wear them with pride. You look great!