Tag Archives: eucalan

Laine Magazine, No. 16.

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Let’s look inside the new issue of Laine!

Laine Magazine is a publication out of Finland, a knitting and lifestyle magazine with a love of natural fibers as its focus, and a reputation for beautiful designs and artful photography. This issue was photographed in Helsinki, and includes an article about the Craft Museum of Finland.

Issue 16 features patterns from an amazing group of designers from all over the world, the likes of Dee Hardwicke, Rosa Pomar, Fiona Alice, Eri Shimizu, and more.

Beyond the knitting patterns, there are seasonal recipes and plenty of good reading, including this piece about caring for your handknits. Need any Eucalan wool wash, or coconuts mesh laundry bags, or sweater brushes? We’ve got it all!

Laine magazines are $30 each – come by the shop or order online for local pickup or shipping! We also have Laine No. 8, No. 10, No. 11, No. 12, No. 13, and No. 15 in stock, along with Laine’s recent books, Knitted Kalevala, The Knitted Fabric, 52 Weeks of Easy Knits, and Traditions Revisited. See you at the shop!

Back in stock: cocoknits Knitter’s Block and Sweater Care Kit.

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Cocoknits is the brainchild of Julie Weisenberger, a knitwear designer and purveyor of high quality tools for knitters. She’s carefully developed notions that are as nice to use as they are to look at. This week brought two of them back into stock – the Knitter’s Block and Sweater Care Kit, tools for the care of our handmade items.

The Knitter’s Block is a set of square blocking tiles that fit together like puzzle pieces. It comes with 18 12″ x 12″ tiles, a pack of stainless steel T-Pins, and a “‘Check’ your Gauge” cloth, woven with 1″ squares for easy measuring as you block, all in a sturdy jute bag.

The Sweater Care Kit is great for blocking, washing, and drying garments that don’t need pinning, like finished sweaters and smaller accessories. It includes mesh laundry bags, super-absorbent towels, a mesh pop-up dryer, and a bottle of Eucalan, all packed into a nice jute tote.

For years, I blocked everything I knit using old towels on the floor. It worked just fine, and there’s nothing wrong with using what’s already on hand, but with all the blocking I was doing between personal and shop projects, I decided to upgrade, and I’m so glad I did.

If you’re looking to upgrade your own blocking tools, the Knitter’s Block and Sweater Care Kit are well worth it – look for them among our blocking supplies, like bottles of Eucalan, packs of T-pins, and sets of blocking wires. See you at the shop!

Caring for finished garments.

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We are often asked how to care for finished garments. Once you spend your money on good quality yarn and then spend your time crafting something special out of it, it follows that you want to keep it looking and feeling good for as long as possible. Eucalan and Sweater Stones are two products that can help you to do so, and we’ve just replenished our supply of both.

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Eucalan is a no-rinse delicate cleanser that is perfect for hand-washing finished knits. It’s enriched with lanolin, which conditions natural fibers, and doesn’t need to be rinsed out, saving time and water. Eucalan comes in five scents: eucalyptus, lavender, grapefruit, unscented, and Wrapture, which is scented with essential oil of jasmine.

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All are pleasant-smelling, and eucalyptus and lavender have the added bonus of discouraging moths, especially important for washing woolens. You’ll need only a teaspoon at a time, so a small bottle goes a long way. Myself, I have a large bottle of Lavender Eucalan at the ready for washing hand-knit socks and sweaters.

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We also carry these pocket-sized Eucalan wipes, for spot-cleaning when you’re out and about.

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The Sweater Stone is a tool for removing pills from finished knits. It’s a rough, brick-shaped, pumice-like stone that removes pills from knitted fabric by rubbing it across the finished piece.

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Come by the shop not only to select the fibers you work with, but also to get the tools and information you need to care for your finished pieces. A handmade garment, if carefully washed and stored, should last a long, long time. Washing with Eucalan and de-pilling with a Sweater Stone can help keep your finished pieces clean and neat.