Mending & Making for a Long Time

We talk a lot about how knitting and crochet are slow crafts. We think that keeps being true even after you cast off your final stitch. 

You spend a lot of time working on your handmade projects, which is why we believe that they should spend a lot of time living in your wardrobe. 

A handknit is a decades-long garment when somebody takes care of it. 

There's a variety of ways that we care for our pieces and keep them in the best condition possible, even as they become worn over time. Here's all our secrets!

Storing your knits and knowing how to wash them without ruining them (accidental shrinking or felting, anyone?) are two of the best ways to extend the life of your clothes.

We love our zipped-tight Stash Storage because not only does it keep out unwanted pests who love to feast on our wool, but you can see through the window so you don't lose track of what's inside each one.

Many people choose to store their knitwear in cedar chests because of the way it naturally keeps moths out, but a Lavender Sachet (new sets coming soon!) can also be a deterrent for bugs who hate the scent.

Give your knits a yearly block either at the beginning of the season you wear them most or before you pack them away for the year. Make sure you use a soap that was made for wool. We do love our Wool Wash bars. Did you know the lanolin in them actually can restore the integrity of the wool's fibers?

We always have Gleeners on hand for when there is inevitable pilling. A good bath and a brushing can really make a knit feel brand new again.

But maybe the moths won.

This is where we love to ask people to consider the power of mending. And this applies to all your clothes, not just your knits!

Visible mending is when you embroider on top of a weak spot or hole in your sweaters, jeans, jackets, or elbows. You're adding visible fiber art as well as shoring up any hole, giving your item a much longer life.

We have both Mending Handbook and Art of Knitwear Repair if you're looking for a guidebook. 

A longtime favorite tool of ours is the Katrinkles Mending Loom Kits, a pocket size loom. We also recently found these Sashiko Mending Kits, which are see through transfer sheets that you can embroider onto. Then you just wash your garment normally - the sheet dissolves & you're left with an easy (and artistic) mend!

The final ace up our sleeve? It's our "Fixer" Shari!

Maybe you don't want to weave in your ends or you have a sweater in your house you love with a hole in it. Or you just feel like an unfinished project is keeping you from moving onto the next thing. 

Shari will darn holes, catch dropped stitches, rebuild a chewed cuff, and generally try to fix anything you "don't wanna" or "ain't gonna" do yourself.

How our Finishing Services work: bring or ship your piece to the shop. Shari takes it hoe to her workbench, does the repair & we call you when it's ready (or ship it back).

Repairs start at $45 with one hour of work included, and if it takes her longer, it's an additional $40/hour. We usually give you a quote of how long it'll take Shari before she starts working on your project.

She's pretty fearless and has met very few problems she wasn't willing to at least try and problemsolve! People have mailed us their problem projects from all over. 

She allows you to keep moving, clear up mental & literal space in your making life, and to actually get lots of use out of what you've made. Which is what it's all about.

Click here to read about one of the many projects she's "fixed" for someone!

Do you have pieces in your home that need a little love and attention to be wearable again? We hope this inspires you to give them some of your time soon!