Soakbox Knit-A-Long: Warehouse Tour

Over the next few weeks we are running a knit-a-long for the four patterns in our Soakboxes. We will be posting detailed information on each of the patterns as well as fun things you can do with your Soakboxes for yourself, as a gift and as a group. You can order a kit from us directly, just click on the link on the right, or you can ask for it by name from your local yarn store. May your hands be soft, fibers fresh and nails match your knits!

So we have shown you all how we developed the Soakboxes, and how to knit them, but what about the in between? We thought we would show you how the individual boxes get made.

The magic all happens in the warehouse behind our offices. Cameron is our box packing expert. He packs all the orders that go out to our retail shops and online customers. The lower half of the shelves on both sides of the aisles hold skids of Soak, Handmaid and Heel. The boxes are packed on the middle tables, then placed on the dolly to wait to be picked up and sent off to their destinations.

First we have to get the yarn from Lorna’s Laces. These four boxes hold enough yarn to make around 800 Soakboxes!

When we build the boxes we make lots of these little packs of the bottles first. Then they all get put together into the bigger box with the yarn and pattern.

Most of our Soakboxes are shipped out to shops, so lots of our kits get packaged right up into boxes of 12. We keep some aside to ship to customers as well. These boxes are all awaiting their new homes.

Which one will you be taking home?

Weekly Affirmation: Soaked Tears

Every Thursday we post a comment, tweet, email or secret message we’ve received from one of our Soakworthy customers (stores, fans, consumers, friends). Sometimes, on a rough day, it’s really helpful to read an inspiring message from someone in our community. Someone who appreciates what we do. Someone who is as passionate about Soak as we are. We appreciate all the love that comes our way. Really we do.

I found this comment from Christina last week. So glad to hear that no more tears were spilled!

I took a silk blouse to the dry cleaners to be cleaned — I had cried on it and there were tear stains. It came back to me neatly pressed, but with traces of the tear stains. I dipped the affected portion in the Soak solution, and it removed the tear stains without damaging the blouse. I was very nervous about cleaning silk like this, but it turned out well. I will definitely try this on other things in the future.

Soakbox Knit-A-Long: Vogue Knitting Live

Over the next few weeks we are running a knit-a-long for the four patterns in our Soakboxes. We will be posting detailed information on each of the patterns as well as fun things you can do with your Soakboxes for yourself, as a gift and as a group. You can order a kit from us directly, just click on the link on the right, or you can ask for it by name from your local yarn store. May your hands be soft, fibers fresh and nails match your knits!

We just got back safely from Vogue Knitting Live Chicago, what a blast! Jacqueline and Chris’ flight was delayed by a day, but it was better than flying into the crazy wind we had here in Toronto that Monday night! Luckily they had Beth around to host them while they waited for the hurricane to settle down.

We had so much fun talking to people about Soakboxes in our booth. Beth of Lorna’s Laces and Fiona Ellis came by a couple of times over the weekend to chat to customers and sign patterns.

One fun part of the weekend was being able to wear the samples. We had a little manicure party before the show started so that everyone would be in the Soakbox spirit. We had one of each colour on display!

Thank-you again for stopping by our booths at Rhinebeck and VKL Chicago. We can’t wait to see the Soakboxes knitted up and hear about what you are washing with Soak. Let us know in the comments!

Soakbox Knit-A-Long: Cuff au Lait

Over the next few weeks we are running a knit-a-long for the four patterns in our Soakboxes. We will be posting detailed information on each of the patterns as well as fun things you can do with your Soakboxes for yourself, as a gift and as a group. You can order a kit from us directly, just click on the link on the right, or you can ask for it by name from your local yarn store. May your hands be soft, fibers fresh and nails match your knits!

Does lace get you down? Are cables leaving you twisted up? Cuff au Lait is the mitt for you! The cuff on this one is actually a mock cable. All of the texture is achieved by making strategic increases and decreases which move the stitches around on the fabric without actually having to move them. Ingenious!

This is also a great project if you are uncomfortable working in the round. The cuff of the mitt is worked flat, so there is very little working in the round.

So first knit the cuff. I knit mine on a circular needle, but a straight would work as well.

Then divide your stitches across the needles you will be using to knit in the round. You could divide them across two short circulars, or for magic loop. The white dpn on the far right are the 8 or 12 stitches that have been slipped off. Whatever technique you use it is probably easiest to put those ones on a dpn.

Curl your knitting up so that the left side (the side with your working yarn attached) goes over the spare dpn.

In the instructions it says to knit the stitches from the front and back needles together. To do this insert your needle through the front one as normal, then slide it into the back one as well. Wrap your yarn around as normal, then pull it through both loops, and push both stitches off the needles. Do the same for the remaining needles.

And voila! The stitches have overlapped. You can continue to knit the cuff in the round.

As always we love to see and hear what you have done with your Soak products. We’ve found another Soakbox Finished Object post for you to enjoy! Katie knit up her Cuff Au Lait Mitts and wrote all about them. Thanks Katie!
http://katiesredumbrella.blogspot.ca/2012/08/soakbox-mitts-finished.html

Vogue Knitting Live

Thank-you so much for coming to visit our booth at Rhinebeck! It was so great to meet and see so many people over the weekend.

Of course, it is only the middle of the fall fiber festival season, so the break we get is very short. Jacqueline, Chris and Natalie will all be at Vogue Knitting Live this weekend as well!

We will have more Soakboxes, so if you are in the Chicago area c’mon by and pick yours up!

We will also be having signings with Beth and Fiona at our booth from 12:30-1:15 on Saturday and Sunday. Hope to see you there!

The comments are closed for our Soakbox contest. We are happy to announce that the winners are Linda R.  and Heather D. We will be in contact with both of you to get your addresses to send out the boxes. Thanks for entering!