Please note, pilling is a natural occurrence.

Pilling is normal and even the finest quality knits are prone to pilling. It occurs as a result of the fabric rubbing against itself or another surface. It's difficult to prevent knitwear from pilling entirely, but you can certainly reduce the amount of it by caring for your garment properly.

Here are some of our tried-and-true tips.

Let your knitwear rest.

When you give a wool or cashmere garment a "rest" in between wears, this can help reduce pilling. When not being worn, the fibers in the yarn are able to bounce back to their original shape, helping them to be more resilient and pill less.

 
 
Store your knitwear properly.

While storage is often an afterthought for most people, how you handle your knitwear in between wears is just as important as how you wear it.

01.

Always fold your sweaters. Yes, we know they take up a lot of space this way, but if you hang them, you will certainly distort the shape.

02.

For long term storage, avoid plastic containers as moisture and insects, like those dreaded moths, can thrive in them. We love cotton or linen storage bags as they are breathable and bugs can’t eat through them.

03.

Always dry clean your knitwear before you store it. Adding cedar balls is another preventative option.

Clean your knitwear thoughtfully.

How you clean your knitwear makes a difference as well. We do recommend dry cleaning as a best practice. Before storing, cleanse all items with eucalyptus and lavender, as this is a natural moth deterrent.

 
 

Depill your knitwear carefully.

Every knitwear lover owns a cashmere or sweater comb for finer weaves, and a sweater stone for heavier gauge yarns. We also recommend using a knitwear shaver carefully, differencing between pilling and the actual knit. When using these tools, always move gently in one direction versus going back and forth.

The tools we recommend...

All of our knitwear is shipped with a small pouch of lavender, which as mentioned above is a natural moth deterrent, plus it smells lovely.

We love the products offered by Steamery and highly recommend their shavers.

We also recommend cedar balls which are readily available online from vendors like The Container Store.

 

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The Container Store

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