The Complete Care Guide to William Lockie Knitwear

18 May 2020

As a retailer of luxury brands, we want you to be able to get a long lifespan from your purchases. William Lockie knitwear is a purchase you will not regret. Every jumper, cardigan or waistcoat is made from the finest yarns and to the highest standards in the home of knitwear – Hawick, Scotland. William Lockie prides itself on creating quality knitwear that stands the test of time. However, even the finest knitwear needs a little care. Enjoy wearing your William Lockie knitwear for many years to come with our top tips on how to care for your cashmere and wool.

Caring for William Lockie cashmere

William Lockie turns the precious downy underfleece of Inner Mongolian goats, a soft and exquisite fibre, into the world’s best cashmere products. As one of the most deluxe natural fibres, cashmere requires more delicate care than other wools. Look after your cashmere pieces well and they will feel even softer and more luxurious over time.

Washing cashmere

Some people fear washing their cashmere because of the dreaded ‘shrink’. However, washing your cashmere is an important step to keep its condition for many years to come. Never put cashmere away dirty, because hair, sweat and stains attract moths, and make it more likely for female moths to find the perfect place to lay their eggs. Cashmere is a protein fibre – like our own hair – so it is best to take a gentle washing approach. Wash your cashmere after every three or four wears, even if you cannot see stains. We recommend machine washing your cashmere on a delicate wool setting. Otherwise, a gentle, cool hand wash is best. We provide easy step-by-step guides for both methods below.

Machine washing cashmere

Cashmere is a delicate fibre, so we recommend machine washing your garment only if you have a delicate wool setting on your machine.

Turn your garment inside out before washing and use a neutral, good quality wool detergent. Wash separately from other garments.
Set your machine to the delicate wool setting, on a cold temperature, with the gentlest spin cycle.
Allow your garment to air dry after washing. Lay flat on a large clean, dry towel and smooth into its original shape. Dry away from direct heat or sunlight. A flat drying rack is ideal if you have one.
When dry, iron inside-out on the lowest heat setting (maximum two dots) using steam and a cloth between the cashmere and the iron.

Hand washing cashmere

Use a clean sink or wash bowl that is free from dirt or cleaning product. Turn your garment inside out. Submerge in a solution of lukewarm water and cashmere or wool laundry liquid. It is important the water is not hot. Gently squeeze the suds through the garment, without rubbing, as this can cause shrinkage and increase pilling.Top tip: If you are washing more than one item, separate light and dark pieces, and start by washing the lightest-colour styles first.
Any marks or problem areas? Spot treat marks with a tiny amount of neat wool laundry liquid. Then massage gently between your fingertips, being careful not to rub the cashmere.
Rinse in fresh lukewarm water that is the same temperature as the water you used to wash. Repeat until the water runs clear. Take care not to twist or wring your item as you rinse and avoid rinsing under hard running water, because that can stretch delicate cashmere. It is best to fill the bowl or sink you are using with clean water each time.
When fully rinsed, gently press out the water. Place lengthwise on a clean, dry towel. Roll up the towel and press to squeeze out excess water, without wringing or twisting. You can also set a short, light spin on your washing machine to help remove most of the water. Before leaving to dry, unroll the towel and smooth your garment back into its original shape; with the sleeves and hems smoothed flat, pockets straight and buttons fastened.
Lay your garment flat on a large clean, dry towel and allow it to air-dry away from direct heat or sunlight. Use a flat drying rack if you have one. If your garment requires ironing, iron inside-out, using the lowest heat setting (maximum two dots), steam, and a cloth between the cashmere and the iron.

What to avoid when washing cashmere:

We do not recommend dry cleaning your cashmere. Dry cleaning can reduce the weight and super-soft feel of cashmere, making it thinner and flatter.
Never tumble dry cashmere. Allow to dry naturally, away from direct heat such as radiators and sunlight.
Use a gentle touch – avoid rubbing, stretching or wringing your knitwear as this can lead to shrinkage and increase pilling.
If hand washing your garment, keep the water temperature consistent throughout the hand washing steps. Placing your garment from cool into hot water, or vice versa, will cause the fibres to constrict. Use cool or lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold.
Avoid lifting up or hanging your cashmere while it is saturated with excess water, as this can cause misshaping. Gently press out the water before lifting out of the sink or wash bowl, and leave to dry flat – if you hang it, the weight of the water will stretch it out of shape.

Extra special care for your jumpers

Alternatively, for extra special care you can send your cashmere garments back to Humes Outfitters to have re-dressed by William Lockie, where your garment will be cleaned and de-pilled – costs available upon request.

Caring for William Lockie Wool

Caring for wool knitwear properly can significantly increase its lifespan. William Lockie wool knitwear comes in lambswool, Geelong or merino. Here we give you a roundup of the different types:

Geelong

A type of pure wool made from fine micron fibres, which come from the very first clip from specially bred Australian or South African lambs. Geelong is ideal for lighter weight woollen garments.

Lambswool

William Lockie uses the finest quality lambswool from the best pedigree sheep, reared in South Australia where the climate is mild, which helps to produce a world-famous quality wool. Lambswool is durable and is knitted to a tight tension to provide long-lasting quality.

Merino

A fine and soft wool from Australian sheep that is worsted spun by premier Italian spinners. This natural and active fibre reacts to changes in your body temperature, helping you stay warm in cold weather and cool when it is hot. Merino is moisture-wicking and breathable, making for a very comfortable garment.

Cleaning your wool garments

Follow our simple care steps to keep all your wool garments looking great wear after wear. To wash your William Lockie wool garments, you can either use a gentle 30°C wool setting on your machine or hand wash. We do not advise dry cleaning any wool knitwear because this can flatten the pill. Geelong and lambswool knitwear will become even softer as you wash and wear your garments.

Machine washing wool

Turn your knitwear inside out before washing. Use a laundry detergent and select your most delicate or wool wash setting at 30°C max temperature.
After washing, lay your garment flat on a clean, dry towel. Smooth into its original shape and fasten any buttons, before leaving to dry naturally away from sunlight or radiators. Do not try to stretch the wool after washing, only reshape gently.

Top tip: If you simply want to ‘refresh’ your wool jumper, and it is not dirty, place it over a clothes airer in a steamy bathroom after a bath or shower.

Hand washing wool

Turn your jumper inside out. Submerge your garment in a solution of warm water and laundry liquid. Gently squeeze the suds through the garment, taking care not to wring, rub or stretch while washing.
Spot treat any marks with a tiny amount of neat laundry liquid – massaging it gently into the wool, without rubbing.
Rinse in clean warm water and repeat until the water runs clear, using a consistent water temperature.
Once rinsed, gently press the water out and lay lengthwise on a clean, dry towel. Do not lift the garment up when soaking wet, as the weight of the wet fabric will stretch the garment. Roll up the towel to squeeze out excess water, but do not wring or twist the garment. Unroll and smooth your garment into its original shape.
Smooth out any wrinkles in your jumper before leaving it to dry. Let it air dry naturally on a flat towel or flat drying rack.

What to avoid when washing wool?

We do not recommend dry cleaning your wool jumpers, because the softness and pill of the wool can be damaged. Although the chemicals used in dry cleaning can deter moths, there are other moth deterrents like lavender or cedar. See our tips for storing and protecting your William Lockie knitwear.
If hand washing, avoid moving your garment from too hot to too cold water, because this can cause the wool fibres to constrict. Keep the water at a consistent temperature for washing and rinsing.
Be careful not to wring or twist a jumper when hand washing or trying to remove excess water.
Avoid lifting or hanging your knitwear when it is soaking wet, because the weight of the wet fabric can lead to misshaping. Gently squeeze excess water out of the material before removing it from your wash bowl, then dry flat.
Never tumble dry wool garments. Shrinkage occurs when wool is exposed to high temperatures.

Ironing wool sweaters

A wool jumper will usually shed its wrinkles as it dries, so generally, you will not need to iron it. If you do need to iron your wool knitwear, iron your garment inside-out with a cool heat setting (two dots). We also recommend using steam and placing a damp, clean cloth between the wool and the iron. Only iron damp wool, as ironing a fully dry wool sweater can burn the fibres and leave a sheen. After ironing, allow to air dry completely before storing away.

Caring for William Lockie camelhair

William Lockie camelhair jackets and V-neck cardigans are made from the fine undercoat of specially bred Two Humped Bactrian Camels, which live in the Gobi Desert. Knitwear made from this precious fibre is extremely warm and soft. The camelhair is 100% natural, undyed and breathable, with no chemicals used in the fibre processing. This means the quality of William Lockie camelhair is unrivalled. The delicate nature of quality camelhair means it requires a little more care and attention than lambswool. Like fine wine, your camelhair knitwear will improve with age if cared for properly. We would advise against dry cleaning your camelhair garments, because this can lead to the delicate fibres becoming thinner and flattening over time. To care for this premium fibre, we recommend gently washing by machine or by hand after three or four wears. Use our simple step-by-step guide:

Machine washing camelhair

Turn your garment inside out before washing and use a neutral, good quality wool detergent. Wash separately from other garments.
Set your machine to the delicate wool setting, on a cold temperature, with the gentlest spin cycle.
Allow your garment to air dry after washing. Lay flat on a large clean, dry towel and smooth into its original shape. Dry away from direct heat or sunlight. A flat drying rack is ideal if you have one.
When dry, iron inside-out on the lowest heat setting (maximum two dots) using steam and a cloth between the cashmere and the iron.

Hand washing camelhair

Hand wash camelhair garments in cold water (max 30°C) using a delicate, wool laundry detergent. Gently squeeze the suds through the fabric, taking care not to rub too much, which can cause shrinkage and increase pilling.
Rinse your garment in cold, clean water, at the same temperature you used for washing. Repeat as necessary until the water is clear. After rinsing out the detergent, gently press out the water or place on a short, light spin setting on your machine to remove most of the water.
Reshape your garment gently by hand, smoothing it back into its original shape. Allow to air dry naturally on a clean, flat towel or surface, away from direct heat or sunlight. Under no circumstances should you tumble dry camelhair.
Once dry, and if needed, you can iron your garment inside-out with a cool iron (two dots) using a cloth between the camelhair and the iron. Ensure your item is fully dry before storing.

Pilling of knitwear

Fuzzy little balls, known as ‘pills’, form naturally over time in all knitwear made of natural fibres. Referred to as ‘pilling’, the bobbling effect is not a sign of bad quality. The natural occurrence of pills is simply caused by friction during wear or the build-up of static electricity underneath other garments. Pills can be easily removed by hand or using a knitwear comb. Lay your William Lockie cashmere or wool garment flat, then quickly and lightly pass the knitwear comb over the fibres to pick up the pills. If you remove pills carefully from cashmere and camelhair, the fibres will consolidate and become even softer to the touch. De-pilling brings your favourite jumper back to pristine condition.

Protecting and storing your knitwear

Clean

Always clean your knitwear before storing – fresh stains may not be visible immediately and will oxidise and become fixed during storage. Even if your garments do not appear dirty, the smallest trace of food, skin, sweat or hair particles can attract moths. After washing, make sure your knitwear is totally dry before storing, as moths love moisture in the fibres.

Fold

It is best to fold your jumpers or cardigans rather than hanging them. Hanging wool or cashmere garments on regular hangers can create shoulder dimples and distort the garment’s shape. If you need to hang your jumpers, use special knitwear hangers that have a greater curve, allowing the garment to hang naturally without strain to the shoulders.

Place in a storage bag

Storing your garment for a long time? Place the garment in a clothing storage bag or box made from a breathable fabric like polypropylene that allows air to circulate. You can also wrap your knitwear in acid-free tissue paper before placing in a storage bag to protect against damp and dust. Keep your knitwear in a clean and damp-free place away from direct heat and sunlight. Therefore, do not store your knitwear in an attic, as it is likely to become hot in summer and damp in winter. Never store clothes in polythene bags or plastic dry-cleaning bags, as they do not allow natural fibres to breathe. Plastic creates a humid atmosphere which encourages mould and mildew, leading to the yellowing of fabrics and permanent staining.

Defence against moths

Keep moths away from your knitwear by using lavender sachets, mothballs or cedar chips in your drawers or storage area. The lavender or cedar are ready to replace when their smell has gone. If you suspect you have moths already lurking in your knitwear, take them out of storage and give them an airing, because moths do not like to be disturbed. Get into the habit of opening your drawers once a month and giving your cashmere pieces a good shake. Otherwise, put your garments in the freezer. Seal your items in a plastic bag and freeze for a couple of days. Then defrost slowly and let them return to room temperature. Wash and lay flat to dry. The freezing should kill the moths and their larvae.

Follow our care guidance for William Lockie knitwear and your garment will preserve its shape and warmth for many years – the hallmarks of the finest knitwear.

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