When you love to knit or crochet, you inevitably end up with a large stash of yarn. But where and how should you store it? Get it wrong, and you’ll be left with a huge mess of wool! Get your storage right, and you’ll have an enticing craft resource ready to inspire your next project at a moment’s notice. Here are some ideas to get you started.
1. Keep away the moths
Wool doesn’t need a lot of special treatment as it’s fairly robust. Keep it dry and clean and it’ll stay in good shape – so long as you can keep moths away. Clothes moths feed on silk, feathers, leather, felt, wool and fur. They don’t disturb areas which are regularly touched, such as closets, but your wool stash becomes a risk if you put it away without touching it.
2. Use cedar chips
Cedar chips, hanger rings and hangers are a great way to keep away moths, as they don’t like cedar oil. It needs to be replaced every so often and you can finely sandpaper the wood to bring out the oils again.
3. Use vacuum-sealed bags
If you’re packing away wool for a season, pack it – along with cedar ships – into a vacuum-sealed bag or an airtight container. This will make sure clothes and wool stay clean and dry and keep any moths out. You can store your knitting kits from a provider such as woolcouturecompany.com in plastic boxes, for example, so they are all kept in one place.
4. Shake before use
Lastly, shake out your wool after it’s been in storage to air it out. This lets you check the wool and flag up if you’ve got any problems before they get worse.
Try these tips for a happy wool stash!