Care

Ready Made Items

Taking care of your merino wool purchases is very important. Every item made by Lauren Aston Designs is handcrafted and made from un-spun merino wool that has been hand-processed to make it as durable as possible but the more you use it the quicker it will show the effects of wear and tear. It’s best you purchase any product with this in mind. When looked after and cared for properly, these items can have long lifetimes but when care is neglected and usage is high it can have a wearing effect.

Pilling

Every piece is decorative therefore, as with all woollen products, pilling may occur with heavy use. Pilling is not a defect, it’s simply a natural result of friction. The fibres in un-spun wool are effectively just placed together and so the more we touch them the more likely they are to come loose and roll into small balls that sit on the surface (pills). The good news is, if you’re not fond of the pills, they’re very easy to remove. The best thing to do is to gently tease each pill away with your fingers and then stroke the stitch down so you don’t have any fly aways (it’s a good job to do in front of the telly and can be strangely satisfying).

Cleaning

Merino wool is stain and water resistant so when it comes to splashes and drops of tea they are relatively easy to maintain. It’s always best to spot clean any spills by blotting with cold water and dry clean only when necessary. Don’t be afraid to give it a good shake or plumping to re-shape it. Merino is a wonderfully tactile and elastic fabric that adjusts very well.

Home Accessories

All the ready made items I make are partly felted to reduce this as much as possible yet without losing the softness of the wool. Not only does this help their lifespan but it also starts the felting process – with more friction the fibres will felt together, locking them in place making them less likely to pill.

Commission Clothing

Your commission clothing has been made with love by one of our small team of local knitters. We want your knit to last as long as possible, so take care of the notes above re pilling and cleaning. Please only spot clean your item – merino wool does not retain odour or stains so you will find your clothing will have a lovely long life if you treat it with gentle care. Bearing this in mind, please do not wash, tumble dry, wring out or iron your clothing.

DIY Items

Each knitting kit comes with its own instructions to create, but each finished item should be looked after in the same way.

Our Super Chunky merino yarn is spun but it is still fragile so when using, make sure your tension isn’t too tight, and don’t pull the yarn too hard. Once completed your knitting can be blocked, but this isn’t essential. The most important thing to remember is that you mustn’t wash your finished kits. If you do want to clean them, all they need is a spot clean.

As with our ready made items, your finished knits will pill. Again, you can just gently tease each pill away to get your knit looking good as new again!

New hanks

When you receive your kit or new yarn from us, you’ll see it is twisted into a ‘hank’ (unless you have requested we wind it for you into a ball.)

Most of our customers find it easier to wind them into a ball before knitting. Snip the three ties holding the hank together and you’ll find the end of the yarn. Pop it over the back of a chair, a door handle or your knees and wind into a ball, before starting your knitting.

Most importantly, with all of your knitting items – enjoy!