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.