Weekly affirmation: 15 minutes to fall in love with Soak
Posted: 16/05/2013 Filed under: Design Leave a commentEvery 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.
My regular experience with laundry is to avoid it at all costs and get it done quickly! Mainstream detergents have been my staple….until I discovered Soak Wash. My world has completely opened up to a much brighter and happier laundry day. A good friend of mine is a long time Soak user and was very happy to hear that I crossed over to the other brighter side of laundry. To use a great product that makes your clothes last longer and is easy to use wasn’t possible to me until 15 minutes after I ‘Soaked’ my first pair of pants. I just recently purchased a pair of dry-clean only pants and wanted to avoid cleaning my pants in a way that is full of chemicals so I decided to try Soak on them. I was hesitant at first because I didn’t want to ruin my pants and in the past have done so with regular laundry detergent. Well, as all Soak users know Soak is NOT regular. I Googled about colour fastness and I was in the clear. My pants were OK to Soak.
I filled my mop bucket with Soak (not as glamorous as Phil but it worked), put in my brand new pants and went to read for 15 minutes. When I pulled my pants out of the bucket I was amazed that it was so simple and that they smelled amazing! It only took 15 minutes for me to fall in love with Soak and to never go back to doing laundry the ‘regular’ way. Good bye dry-clean and hello clean pants!
Knitter’s Frolic in TWO days!
Posted: 25/04/2013 Filed under: Craft, Design, SWmain | Tags: frolic, hand washing, Knitting, shopping, soak Leave a commentKnitter’s Frolic
We’re busily preparing for this year’s DKC Frolic!
We’re packing new bottles of Yuzu Soak and Handmaid luxury hand creme,
Soakboxes galore,
Basins,
Stick n’ Soak tattos,
And of course bottles and bottles and bottles of Soak!
Come see us. Come shop. Come say hello. We look forward to seeing you there!
Knitter’s Frolic
15th Annual Knitter’s Frolic
Saturday & Sunday, April 27-28, 2013
Marketplace: Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Workshops: Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre
6 Garamond Court, Toronto, Ontario
Here we grow again!
Posted: 19/02/2013 Filed under: Business, Design, SW101, SWCP, SWCustomerContributions, SWeco, SWevents, SWHeel, SWhowto, SWLL, SWmain, SWpress, SWProducts, SWpromotions, SWsoak, SWstores, Uses for Soak 2 CommentsWe are hiring. You may have seen our teaser post on Facebook, or heard it through the grapevine. We are growing and we need you!
Job Title: Central Intelligence, a.k.a. office support, customer expert, assistant to everyone.
At Soak Wash Inc., we develop and market leading products for laundry and skin care. Soak, our primary product, is modern care for the laundry you love. Our office environment is fun, fast-paced and friendly. The role of Central Intelligence will be filled be someone who is always on top of business. They are the hub of information on customer needs, Soak production and inventory.
We’re looking for a candidate that can gracefully manage the administrative and book-keeping functions of our fun-spirited fast-paced office and (no pressure) interact positively with customers, suppliers and current employees. The ideal candidate will have an interest in customer service (a positive, professional and outgoing personality) as well as a desire to grow with the organization.
This position is part-time. 3 days per week. M, W, Th. at our lovely Mississauga office. 
Ongoing duties include:
• General office support, with attention to detail
• Provide exceptional customer service for current and new customers
• Meticulous database management for customers and orders
• Basic bookkeeping including A/R, A/P, collections, invoicing, etc. using QuickBooks software (a must for the job)
• Salesforce.com data entry
• Overseeing consumer orders
• Preparing expense reports
• Shipping and customs documentation for inbound/ outbound freight
• Preparing orders for shipping
• Overseeing the flow of the office and its supplies
• Greeting couriers, customers and callers with grace
Must-haves:
• Excellent working experience with QuickBooks
• Excellent working experience with Microsoft Office, Acrobat
• Ability to multitask with grace and ease
• Strong English written and verbal skills
• High level of attention to detail
• Independent working habits
Wishful thinking:
• French language skills (or another second language)
• Experience in sales or customer service
• An interest in knitting, quilting and/ or fashion
• Experience with shipping software, brokers or the likes
• The keen ability and interest to work on other office/ warehouse tasks as needed
Please visit our website soakwash.com to learn about our company and products before applying for the position. We are all as passionate about our products as we are our jobs. If filled by the perfect candidate, this position has the potential to evolve into full-time employment.
Please submit CV with a letter of intent outlining how both your experience and personality are ideal for our fast-paced, fun, growing environment. Please also include your favorite thing about Soak.
We appreciate your interest in this position, however, only the candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Send intent to: hireme@soakwash.com No phone calls, please.
Thank you for choosing Soak. Have a lovely day.
Soakbox Knit-A-Long: Matching Knits and Nails
Posted: 03/12/2012 Filed under: Design, Knitting, SWmain, SWsoak 1 CommentOver 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 have seen a few posts floating around talking about matching knits to nails over the last few months. Naturally we thought it was high time for us to put out our own list of favourite nail trends and matching knits!
I fell in love with these simple rainbow fingerless mitts by Elise Dupont quite a while ago. The pattern is available in french from the online magazine In The Loops, or as an english as a ravelry download. They are such a great showcase for little bits of colour. Similarly, the rainbow French Tips that Jennifer of Fab Fatale posted are a great way to push the nail trend without committing to something too complicated. 
How cute is the Honors Geometry cowl by Katie Canavan?! The colour combinations for this are endless. I love how it looks in the bright colours, but wouldn’t it look fabulous in neutrals as well? The triangle look is a perfect match for the triangle nail tutorial I found. It’s not in English, but the photos are very clear on how to get the triangle effect. 
The tagline for these nails was Aztec, but I think most knitters agree that they look more like a colourwork sweater! These nails are certainly something to aspire to, I can’t imagine the patience required, but they do look like a lot of fun. I had a lot of fun looking at different colour combinations of Ann Weaver’s Oranje cardican on Ravelry. In the end I went with her original sweater from the pattern photos. The pop of orange is so much fun.
Of course, nail polish is only the beginning of things you can do on your nails. Nail decals are a fun alternative to having high detail without the worry of making a mistake. They go on like temporary tattoos. It would be so much fun to pair Natalie Selles’ Oh Deer! mittens with these deer decals from JsUtopia. There a lots of decal options out there, so the pairing options are endless. 
The ombre trend has been all over recently. Knitting and nails are only the tip of the iceberg. I love this simple cardigan by Tanis Lavallee. I love how Julie’s Ombre moves from brown to red, and would look great with almost any combination of colours. 
Of course we have to include something about Soakboxes as well! A solid nail matched with a solid yarn is an easy and fun way to get matchy. It’s also the easiest to change almost as often as you change your mittens.
Do you have any favourite nail and knitting combinations? Share them in the comments!
P.S. Don’t forget, we’ve still got free shipping going on for continental US and Canada until December 11! Order your Soak products today!
Keeping a secret, part 1: How to come up with a good secret.
Posted: 22/05/2012 Filed under: Business, Design, Soak Worthy People, SW101, SWHeel, SWhowto, SWmain, SWProducts, SWstores | Tags: Jacqueline Sava, Knitting, laundry, lornas laces, soak, soakwash, yarn 2 CommentsJacqueline has been brewing up at storm of new products for fall. She’s not always the best at keeping a secret, but sometimes, you have to do, what you have to do. She’s about to spill the beans!
New product development is my favorite job at Soak. Not only is it what I was trained to do (with my industrial design background), but it’s also really quite fun. So, when the stars aligned last year and I was introduced to a great idea, I got straight to work. It has been hard to keep this project under wraps, but it has been worth it. In true Soak style, we’ve been able to design and deliver a unique product with great friends.
Following the creation of successful gift packs such as our travel packs and Heel/ Solemate boxes, we wanted to create a permanent collection of gift items, from Soak. That’s how the Soakbox was born. It’s a unique concept, filled with new products, unique items (like, say, custom hand-dyed yarn) and retail-worthy packaging. Watch in the coming days for more details on the new product.
Handmaid. A luxury hand creme from the experts at Soak.
Posted: 21/05/2012 Filed under: Craft, Design, Knitting, SWHeel, SWhowto, SWmain, SWProducts, SWsoak, SWstores | Tags: cream, creme, handmaid, soak, travel Leave a commentOccasionally, we work on top-secret projects, to bring you new and useful products. We’ve spent the past few months cooking up such luxuries as our new hand creme. Enjoy.
Apply sparingly. Rub thoroughly. Get back to it.
It’s as simple as that. Available in your favorite (and current) Soak scents, aquae, celebration, lacey and of course, scentless. This little gem of a bottle is our new 3oz (yes, flight friendly, for your knitting bag, purse, toiletry case or weekender bag) 100% post-consumer resin bottle. It’s perfect for you, and the environment.
Ask for it by name, at your LYS. Invite your favorite lingerie or gift shop to start selling it. If you are a Soak retailer (or would like to become one) and want to start carrying Handmaid, let us know.
You can also find Handmaid on our website, if you just can’t wait to give your hands the love they deserve.
Handmaid is also part of another project we’ve been working on. Watch in the coming days, for updates and details on our newest project. We’re pretty excited, and we know you will be too!
The 12 tasks of holiday.
Posted: 01/12/2011 Filed under: Design, Food, SWmain Leave a commentAs the holidays approach, Jacqueline shares with us her plan to conquer December.
Let December begin. The month of meetings, parties, events and holidays. When every day seems too short and the to-do lists pile up and up. Soak sales are also on the rise, as lingerie loving fashionistas and crafty knitters alike choose Soak for their loved ones and themselves this holiday season.
Rather than chronicling the 12 days of Christmas, or a countdown to Hanukah, or worrying about all the other obligations of December, today I’m outlining my 12 tasks for the holiday season. I’m limiting myself to 12 specific deliverables, in an effort to actually get through (some of) them, and to avoid wasting days and hours of pondering what I’ll do for the week between Christmas and 2012. We work hard throughout the year, to we cherish a few extra days off while the office is quiet. This year I’m making the most of them.
I’m balancing tasks between the Soak office, much needed love at home and my craft projects. While I wish I could devote the holiday week entirely to craft projects (in my newly sewn pajamas), reality says otherwise. Reality, plus two tradeshows in January. So here’s my list. I’m already on it, so as to finish by the end of the month. I’ll keep you posted as each event progresses. Some may seem more inspiring than others, either way, they must be done!
- Determine scale and fabric plan for Farmer’s Wife Quilt Along. I’m thinking about enlarging the original pattern to 8” or 9” squares, in order to make a king size quilt with slightly larger pieces.
- Finish (mostly) 4 ongoing quilt projects so I can start my Farmer’s Wife Quilt guilt-free.
- Rearrange my office; it has been 4 years now, and I’m ready for some change. Plus, it’d be nice to have a work surface for new product development that doesn’t have to be cleaned up by lunch.
- Reorganize files on the server. Growing from working alone to having a team of four means messy file folders.
- Organize recipe binder. I love to cook; I don’t love to put stuff away after.
- Update mail server and all related details (clean out emails, organize mailing list subscriptions). I receive a lot of newsletters and industry information. It needs some organization.
- Pre-launch testing on new website, complete with wholesale ordering online! Yup, it’s really happening. We’re moving into a new age of online shopping.
- Make a carrying case for my sewing machine table. It’s one of those large objects that are always in the way, when not in use.
- Update warehouse layout for new products (an excuse to play with the forklift).
- Edit more how-to videos for YouTube and our media friends.
- Frame this year’s ‘thank-you cards’ for the office. And frame last year’s, which are still in the bag with the frame.
- Plan a crafty menu for my annual New Year’s Day brunch.
Here is a sneak peak of my Liberty stash. I’m going to work very hard to accomplish and share all of the above tasks, instead of locking myself up with my Liberty fabric, like I’d like to do.
Soothe your Soles- Holiday gifts from Soak
Posted: 04/11/2011 Filed under: Design 3 Comments
New product, just in time for holiday.Gift sets with Heel and Solemate sock yarn from Lorna’s Laces. Who could ask for anything more? Oh yah, there’s a mini-soak inside too.Order them through Lorna’s Laces.Watch for them at your LYS this holiday season.Much love and happy feet. -Soak.
Stick & Soak tattoos
Posted: 25/10/2011 Filed under: Design, SWhowto, SWProducts | Tags: tattoos 5 CommentsAs you may have heard, we are now selling knitting inspired tattoos. From frogs, to yarn balls, to rulers, these tattoos are great as stocking stuffers, treats for guilds, or just to share with your knitting friends. We made this quick video to show you how easy they are to apply and how great they look on.
Buy your own sheet at soakwash.com.
Photoshoot Friday
Posted: 21/10/2011 Filed under: Design 1 Comment
- Jacqueline smiling for the camera
We had a busy Friday morning as we posed for photos and made instructional videos. Jessica Lin came in to take photos for our editorial in Crave Toronto. Crave is a great urban guide that highlights events, must-have products, and great places to visit within the city. Since we were already being friendly with the camera, we thought we’d make a few ‘how to’ videos to answer some of the questions that we’ve had from customers. This week we focused on how to wash silk and hand-made craft accessories. Next week we’ll focus on lace and big bulky sweaters. Stay tuned to see them on our Youtube channel. Let us know if there are any specific materials or garments that you would like to see Soaked.
soakworthy.com 