Caring for Fine Knitwear

Most knitwear is not worn out. It is laundered out, stretched out, or eaten. All three are avoidable, and none of the fixes take much effort.

Wash less than you think

Wool and its relatives are naturally odour-resistant and do not need washing after every wear. Three or four wears between washes is normal for a sweater worn over a shirt; more if it is only over a tee occasionally. Airing a knit overnight does most of what a wash would do, without the wear.

When you do wash it

Hand washing is less trouble than it sounds and is gentler than any machine cycle:

• Cool water — not warm. Heat plus agitation is what felts wool.
• A capful of wool-specific detergent. Regular detergent contains enzymes that attack protein fibres, which is exactly what wool is.
• Submerge, press gently, leave for ten minutes. Do not wring, twist or rub.
• Rinse in water of the same temperature. A sudden change in temperature shocks the fibre.
• Press the water out against the side of the basin, then roll the knit in a towel and press again.

If your machine has a true wool cycle with a low spin, it is a reasonable substitute — put the knit in a mesh bag first. The cycles labelled delicate are not the same thing.

Drying: flat, always

Lay the knit flat on a dry towel, push it gently back into its original shape, and leave it away from sun and radiators. Hanging a wet knit is the single fastest way to ruin one — the weight of the water pulls the shoulders and lengthens the body permanently. For the same reason, store knitwear folded rather than hung.

The fibres behave differently

Cashmere is fine and short-stapled, so it is the most prone to pilling early on. This is normal and settles down. Take the pills off with a cashmere comb or a sweater stone rather than pulling them, which drags the fibre out of the knit.

Yak is warmer than it looks and less prone to pilling than cashmere, with a drier hand. Mohair sheds in its first few wears — that is the nature of the fibre and not a fault. Alpaca has little memory, so it drapes beautifully but stretches if you hang it; be especially strict about folding.

Moths

Moths lay eggs in dirty wool, not clean wool, so the most effective thing you can do is wash knitwear before putting it away for the season. Store it folded in a sealed box or bag with cedar or lavender, and check the back of the wardrobe occasionally — holes appear where the air does not move.

What we stock

Our knitwear runs from Kota Gushiken's bleach-dyed cables and mohair blends to Blue Blue Japan's yak and cashmere crews and haori cardigans, with Cale's baby alpaca polo and air-wool pieces in between. If you are unsure how something should be handled, message us — it is a faster answer than a care label.