Fall Sweater Care

Fall is in the air, which means it is officially 'sweater weather.' As you take your autumn wardrobe out of storage, you may find it needs a little freshening up. We'd like to share a few simple tips to keep your sweaters looking fabulous this season and beyond. As hand knitters, we are experts in sweater care - after spending hours and hours creating our garments, we want to keep them looking like they are fresh off the needles. Pills are a constant problem with both hand knit or machine knit sweaters, and the softer the garment, the more likely it is to pill. So how do we keep our heirloom sweaters in shape? A simple tool known as a Gleener.  A Gleener is a handheld tool that you brush across the fabric to remove the pills. Unlike mechanical sweater shavers, there's no chance of it eating a hole in your favorite top. One of our favorite aspects of the Gleener is that it comes with three different brush heads. You can safely use it on a delicate merino turtleneck with the delicate head, or tackle upholstery pills with the bulky one. Gleeners are easy to use - you just brush it across the fabric, and the brush head catches the little pills. It's a soothing, repetitive motion that also has a wonderful environmental impact - by prolonging the lifetime of your garments, you are keeping them out of the landfill and don't need to replace them each year. And there's something super satisfying about watching your little pile of pill-puffs grow. Once your sweater or top is pill-free, the other side of the Gleener is a lint-brush, so you can catch any other stray pet hairs, etc.  There are two versions of the Gleener, both with the same functions. I actually like to have both on hand - I keep the large one at home, as the handle makes it effective for serious de-pilling. The travel Gleener is convenient to keep in a bag - its compact size makes quick touch-ups easy, and it's always good to have a lint brush on hand, especially if you're a pet lover.   A well-loved sweater doesn't have to mean a sweater that looks worn. With a little bit of upkeep each year, you can confidently make or invest in a wardrobe that will serve you season after season. As we become increasingly conscious about the environmental impact of fast-fashion, keeping our clothes for years without sacrificing style can have an impact. 

Danielle Romanetti

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Danielle, owner of the fibre space shop, has been knitting since the age of six or so, when she completed her first project – a Cabbage Patch doll scarf. A Pittsburgh native with a degree in international development, she moved to the D.C. area to find a job and quickly established a career in non profit management and fundraising. For extra cash, she decided to turn her hobby into a job and taught knitting classes in the evening at area shops. With a heavy dose of sarcasm and a tough love style of teaching, Danielle quickly developed a following of students – busy D.C. professionals looking for a creative outlet. In October 2006, she struck out on her own with Knit-a-Gogo, Inc. – offering knitting classes and events all over the D.C. metro area.  Before she knew it, Knit-a-Gogo had grown out of control and Danielle moved to the next natural step – a full service yarn shop. In July 2009 fibre space was born and has been rockin’ ever since. When she isn’t behind the scenes with a mocha in hand, Danielle is hanging with her daughter or lobbying for small business needs at City Hall.

fibre space™ specializes in unique yarns and fibres from hand dyed, independent, local and U.S.-made sources for knitting, crochet & spinning. Enjoy our wide selection of classes, designer workshops, yarn tastings, movie nights & more. Join the community in our comfy lounge, and let the helpful staff at fibre space™ get you started on your next handmade creation!

www.fibrespace.com

1319 Prince Street

Alexandria, VA 22314

703.664.0344


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