How To Care For Your Lovely Cashmere And Other Yarns

Today was such a hot day that it made me wish it were autumn.  I love when the air turns crisp and we can dig out our lovely sweaters and jumpers to start to wear again.  Getting to wear cashmere sweaters almost makes winter worthwhile!  (Though where I live by the time July/August rolls around you are ready to pack your sweaters and jumpers away and pray for some sun!)

I love when you get to unpack all your lovely cashmere items...but it is always disappointing to pull out something that has been attacked by moths!  So here are some helpful hints to store your items properly.

1.  Make sure the item is clean, dry and free from any stains.  Any food, oily stains, dirt or sweat can attract moths like a big flashing neon sign, so you want to make sure your items are clean.  If necessary, give your item a quick hand wash and allow it to dry thoroughly.

2.  Store your items in a plastic container that has a strong, sealable lid.  You want to make sure it semi air tight....you want it to still be able to "breathe" a little so I would not recommend a completely air tight situation.  I sometimes use plastic or muslin garment bags in addition to keeping my items in a plastic container.  Another great storage place is in a cedar chest (but not many of us are so lucky as to have one of these in our homes).


3.  It is best to use some moth repellant in the storage container.  There are many natural methods of repelling moths if you do not want to use mothballs.  I have found that you can tie some cloves, lavender, rosemary, thyme or cedar chips into a cloth sachet and put this in the storage container.  Make sure you do not place these directly onto the knitted items or they could possibly stain (which is another good reason for putting your items in plastic or muslin bags prior to storing).  One advantage I have found with using cedar chips, is that they seem to absorb excess moisture...so you may want to consider these if you live in a humid or damp area.

For the lucky ones with cedar chests...you do not have to use any additional moth repellent...these are the absolute best place to store items as they will naturally repel moths and other bugs.

Also, I know a few friends who store their items with a tissue which has been doused in their favorite perfume.  This seems to work as another alternative to moth repellent....but I personally do not do this as I like to stay as natural as possible (and you never know what might be in a perfume). 

4.  Now you can store your container in an area of your house which is not exposed to much sunlight and is dry.  You want to avoid storing knitted items in damp places or you may find they are damaged and mildewy when you unpack them months later.  Also, if they are exposed to repeated sunlight the colours may fade.

If you take care with storing your cashmere and knitted items properly you will extend their life and have them for winters to come....so it is definitely worth taking the time to do this correctly!