It’s Friday and I’m bagged. Week 8: Lee Lee’s Valise
Posted: 19/03/2010 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: bags, Jacqueline Sava Leave a commentAuthor: Jacqueline
Grab a coffee or tea and join us each Friday, to learn how these Soak worthy bags came to be. Are you bagged? Send us your favorite bag. If we feature it here, we’ll send you a Soak gift pack, in a pretty bag, of course!
We did it. We ventured out of New York City to Brooklyn to visit Lisa, founder of Lee Lee’s Valise. Located in beautiful Carroll Gardens, Lee Lee’s is the perfect shopping experience catering to women sizes 10-28. Lisa not only stocks a nice selection of lingerie (and Soak), but also designs exceptionally stylish and well fitting dresses. We spent hours drinking coffee and trying on dresses. Brianna, LuLu, Shantung Shift, they were as lovely as their names.
I settled on a mid-length black wrap dress, knowing my 35th birthday was coming the next week and I had special plans. Every woman needs a little black dress, especially one so comfortable that can go from day to evening in a flash.
Lisa showed us her secret mini-soak stash under the front counter; she gives a treat to every customer! We also met Opera singer Claudia Waite who was in shopping for a dress for an upcoming event. How cool is that?
Lisa wrapped up my lovely new dress in a chocolate brown Lee Lee’s Valise bag (toile and all!). I like nothing more than buying myself a gift, having it wrapped to perfection and taking it home. Sure, I knot what is inside before I open it, yet the excitement of opening a present is always there. I kept the bag and not surprisingly, the toile.
We visited the local bakery for treats, strolled over the highway to Brooklyn General (a lovely yarn/ quilt/ craft shop) and worked our way to Park Slope for dinner with friends. We rounded out the evening with Lisa and her husband at their favorite local wine bar. What a great way to finish a day and get us excited for the Curve Lingerie show that followed. We spent a great day in Brooklyn and look forward to many more.
It is worth noting that Lisa, in addition to maintaining her exceptional store, sells her dresses online, and has had her shop featured on TLC’s “What not to Wear”. She was featured in InStyle magazine in 2009 under Best of the Web. Go Lisa!
101 things you can do with Soak | 005 Removing dirt and oil off wildlife
Posted: 09/03/2010 Filed under: SWeco, Uncategorized | Tags: 101, soak wash 1 CommentAuthor: Ngoc
Most of us have heard stories about oil spills and their effects on wild life. One of our customers, Laura Westlake is a licensed wildlife rehabilitator and she sent us her Soak story.
“I can’t tell you how much I love your product. As a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, I use your “Soak” to bath my wild birds that need more than just water to clean their feathers. It is non toxic and gets the “bad” dirt and oil off them safely! I also use “Soak” to wash my 11 year old dog. I’ve used all other dog products, but there is none that compare to the way it cleans and makes her fur feel. It is also so gentle on the skin. It is the best!”
– Laura Westlake
These are two birds that she has saved. They are happily swimming and bathing after she has clean the oil and dirt off their feathers using Soak.
We all loved her story and it stirred my curiosity about how exactly the oil effects the birds. Here is a summary of why oil spills are so detrimental and how wildlife rehabilitators are saving these birds. The information for this post was taken from here.
If you’ve ever looked at a feather closely, it has the stem in the middle and little veins coming out of both sides of the stem. These veins are then covered in tiny little barbs. All the little barbs link together to create a water proof barrier to prevent water from seeping in and keeps their skin nice and dry. When their feathers become covered in oil, the barbs don’t link together smoothly and the feathers clump and leave gaps, which essentially strip the feathers of their water proofing nature. Birds will then try to preen their feathers to smooth them out and in the process they will ingest the oil which is toxic and damages their organs. If left too long with oil on their feathers, these birds tend to freeze to death due to their inability to keep the water off their skin.
These wildlife rehabilitators find these birds and clean their feathers with a mild soap or in Laura’s case, Soak. They feed the animals until they are back to a healthy weight and free them back into the wild.
Thanks for the great story Laura!
It’s Friday and I’m bagged. Week 6: Stitch N’ Pitch
Posted: 26/02/2010 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: bags Leave a commentAuthor: Ngoc
Grab a coffee or tea and join us each Friday, to learn how these Soak worthy bags came to be. Are you bagged? Send us your favorite bag. If we feature it here, we’ll send you a Soak gift pack, in a pretty bag, of course!
What can be better then supporting the home team with close friends by your side and knitting needles in hand?
Jacqueline, Chris, and Karen piled into the car, all wearing matching Soak baseball caps and bags full of yarns and needles, and headed to meet up with all the other knitters for a fun filled afternoon.
Stitch N’ Pitch is an event that happens worldwide. Whether you knit, crochet, cross-stitch or needlepoint, you are sure to have a great time cheering on the home team and working on your piece.
After a day of hotdogs, cheering and gossip, we came to these conclusions.
Stitch N’ Pitch is a great excuse to make Soak baseball caps.
2 out of the 3 of us are not coordinated enough to knit, chat and watch baseball at the same time.
Any event where they give out goodie bags is a-okay in our books.
People who love needlearts and baseball also love mini-soaks, as evidenced by the extraordinary number of thank you notes we received after the event.
101 things you can do with Soak |003 Prewash fabrics
Posted: 23/02/2010 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 101 Leave a commentAuthor: Ngoc
Prewashing helps to avoid unexpected color bleeding, or shrinkage.
We would highly recommend prewashing your fabrics if they are very deep or vibrant in color. You wouldn’t want those dyes to transfer on to the surrounding fabric.
Another issue is shrinkage. Different fabrics will shrink differently. This is an issue when using many different types of fabrics in one quilt. Your finished quilt may pucker around the seams if the fabrics are not prewashed. Some quilters prefer this look and opt not to prewash for this very reason.
We’ll admit that we are not always diligent with our prewashing, however when we do choose to prewash, you can bet that we reach for Soak. Wash like colors together either in a washing machine or soak in a basin.
This is one of the many beautiful quilts that Jacqueline has laboured over.
It’s Friday and I’m bagged. Week 5: Knit. Crochet. Create.
Posted: 19/02/2010 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: bags, Jacqueline Sava Leave a commentAuthor: Jacqueline
Grab a coffee or tea and join us each Friday, to learn how these Soak worthy bags came to be. Are you bagged? Send us your favorite bag. If we feature it here, we’ll send you a Soak gift pack, in a pretty bag, of course!
On our many trips to New York City we try to visit stores and friends alike. On a recent trip to New York, we ventured outside the city, crossed the river and into the hip town of Hoboken, New Jersey.
There, we found our friend Patricia, owner of Patricia’s Yarns. If you stroll through the shops and streets, you are sure to find delightful stores, cafes and other treats. During our last visit we were lucky enough to be there on the shop’s birthday. Many hours, tea and cupcakes later, we left to head back towards the city, with a lovely new bag filled to the brim with knit projects and yarn related treats in hand.
In Patricia’s bustling boutique you’ll find a wide range of sophisticated fibers, patterns and tools, and of course, an ample stash of Soak.
Check out her blog as well.
101 things you can do with Soak |002 block felt and finish
Posted: 16/02/2010 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 101, blocking, Knitting 1 CommentAuthor: Ngoc
Soak was first launched in the knitting industry as a way to care for your hand knit pieces. Knitters quickly realized that Soak was also great for blocking, felting and finishing their knit and crochet projects.
Blocking is a term that most knitters have heard of, and know that they should do. However, many are guilty of skipping this step. Blocking allows for the piece to be stretched and shaped into the right dimensions. This is especially important if you took the time to create a beautiful intricate lace pattern. Blocking will help to “open up” the designs to show it’s true potential. Below we show a beautiful scarf that Chris made with only the right side having been blocked.
Remember to refer to the yarn’s ball band for care recommendations before soaking it in the water.
How to block
- Use cool water when blocking or your piece may shrink.
- Add your low-suds detergent. Remember to use only one teaspoon per gallon of water. Don’t let the lack of bubbles tempt you into adding more.
- Soak your piece for 2 to 15 mins depending on the yarn type. Most yarn washes do not contain harmful ingredients so do not fret if you accidentally leave it in for longer.
- Remove excess water by gently squeezing the piece against the side of the sink or wash basin. Avoid lifting a soaking knit piece out of the water as the weight may distort the shape of it.
- Roll the knit piece in a towel absorb the rest of the excess water
- Block your piece by laying it flat on a towel or blocking board and shaping it as you go.
Lay it flat to dry. Try to find a place with good air circulation on all sides. Flip the piece over half way through the drying process to help keep the shape. This picture compares an unblocked piece to a blocked one. Notice how the piece lays flat and the stitches are evened out in the blocked square.
Click here for the full article on blocking and washing hand knits from Knit Simple.
It’s Friday and I’m bagged. Week 4: Bag as friend. Bag as family.
Posted: 12/02/2010 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: bags, carrie, Jacqueline Sava, phil Leave a commentAuthor: Jacqueline
Grab a coffee or tea and join us each Friday, to learn how these Soak worthy bags came to be. Are you bagged? Send us your favorite bag. If we feature it here, we’ll send you a Soak gift pack, in a pretty bag, of course!
Meet Carrie and Phil. The newest members of the Soak family.
Carrie is a fun-loving multi-tasker. She is as happy carrying towels to the beach and toys to the park as she is keeping your yarn stash and other neat stuff, tidy at home.
Carrie has quickly become the favorite bag of choice for travelling knitters, companies hosting retreats and swimwear shops preparing for spring. Her bright personality and durable structure make her an immediate success on both a functional and emotional level. She has displaced baskets, soft bags and the occasional tote in many wardrobes, living rooms, playrooms and closets.
Carrie, in a smaller, daintier version, made a brief appearance at The National Needle Arts tradeshow, playing host to a limited edition Soak worthy kit inspired by everything Ravelry. The kit included one of our newest patterns, yarn and a bottle of Unleash. A limited number of these kits are still available; email us, for details if you’d like to purchase one.
Phil is bright and indispensable. Phil loves protecting hand-washables from the rest of the laundry and relieving the sink of its duties by providing a safe haven for soaking. Phil, while not the most adventurous traveler, prefers the ‘stay at home’ life, shifting from bag to wash basin to storage basin on demand. He also occasionally provides a squishy and safe home for the kitties (usually with sweaters as pillows). Phil meets hand-washing with enthusiasm, and has truly become a close member of the household. Phil is eager to meet the summer sun (we live in Canada after all) so he can migrate to the cottage, filled with ice and drinks at the beach, or keeping snacks and treats sand-free.
While Phil and Carrie slowly make their way to stores near you, you can always call or email us to order them (both for yourself or for your shop). Like all great bags, once you get your hands on them, you’ll never let them go.
101 things you can do with Soak |001 Hand-wash lingerie
Posted: 08/02/2010 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 101, Hand wash, Jacqueline Sava, lingerie, soak wash Leave a commentAuthor: Jacqueline
Soak, while designed for all fine fibers, is the perfect (and generally preferred) solution for hand-washing lingerie.
Ask lingerie expert Jennifer Klein, from Secrets from your Sister, who recently answered the age old question- how to hand wash bras, on sweetspot.ca.
On February 18th we head off to NYC to our semi-annual tradeshow, CurveNY. There, we spread the word of Soak to lingerie boutique and department store buyers world-wide. We start with our basic hand-washing techniques, move through our delicate fragrances and talk about our award-winning packaging and designs. We’re also introducing Carrie + Phil, the latest members of the Soak collection. Phil loves protecting hand-washables from the rest of the laundry and relieving the sink of its duties by providing a safe haven for Soaking. Phil or no Phil, hand-washing lingerie on a regular basis prolongs its life and keeps it looking clean and stylish longer.
This pictorial review of Soak, said to ‘explain the phenomenon that Is Soak’ does just that, so, enough from us, get SOAKing.
It’s Friday and I’m bagged. Week 3: Naomi, my love.
Posted: 05/02/2010 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: bags, DellaQ, Jacqueline Sava Leave a commentAuthor: Jacqueline
Grab a coffee or tea and join us each Friday, to learn how these Soak worthy bags came to be. Are you bagged? Send us your favorite bag. If we feature it here, we’ll send you a Soak gift pack, in a pretty bag, of course!
DellaQ designs the most lovely knitting and sewing essentials. Cases, fabrics etc. She also has a collection of bags that suit laptops, daily travel and larger, non-crafty stuff. Della herself, over the years, has also become a great friend. She is a lovely business woman, avid runner and friendly face during our travels around the knitting and quilting world.
Naomi, on the other hand, came into my life about a year ago, at a TNNA tradeshow. She took one look at my purse and jumped right into my arms. She hasn’t left my side since. Talk about devotion. She’s soft, friendly and always gets compliments. I still enjoy hanging out with Della when I’m on the road, but Naomi is always by my side.
Food for (holiday) thought
Posted: 03/12/2009 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Jacqueline Sava 1 CommentAuthor: Jacqueline
A while back I received my beautiful apple cozy(ies) in the mail at the office. I bought 4 from UnravelMe… One for me, one for my sister and two for friends with whom we spend every Xmas eve. It was love at first sight.
This year, our friends have decided that for Xmas, we are each to bring a bag of food for the local food bank (USA) local food bank (Canada) rather than bringing gifts. Brilliant. We’ve also extended this great idea to our family Hanukkah party.
Since I already have my 4 apple cozies I am still going to bring them, each with apples inside. I believe they fit right in with the food bank theme. Mine however, will live at my office with or without an apple in it (depending on my lunch that day) because it’s just that pretty.
We’ve already begun collection food for the local food bank at the Soak office. Our friends and family brought food offerings to our holiday open house. We encourage you to give to your local food bank this holiday season. As most families are financially strained, so are the food banks. I also learned that food banks (at least the ones near us) can’t use plastic bags any more, so donating re-usable bags is also a great idea. Happy holidays.
soakworthy.com 
