Another newcomer to the shop this summer – Soak Wash. Soak is the answer to the question, “How best to take care of my handmade knits?” Soak Founder and Director of Possibilities Jacqueline Sava was visiting London recently and sat down with us to chat about how Soak fits into how we like Knit With Attitude…

Thanks for chatting with us Jacqueline! Tell us, how did you first come up with the idea for Soak?
Thanks for having me! Soak was conceived as a secondary care product for my previous company, Jacq’s-Hats knit accessories. When I was meeting with retailers and customers of Jacq’s-Hats, I was asked all the time about fibre care and how to wash recently purchased delicate knit items. In response to those questions and recognising a resurgence in the traditional craft market, we launched Soak to meet that demand.

Soak has also launched in the sewing, quilting and lingerie markets across North America. We’ve been lucky too to have intense media pickup and immediate customer loyalty – it’s positioned us as the new innovative leader in the fibre wash market.

Knit With Attitude customers are environmentally and socially conscious consumers. How does Soak share their values?
Our values are innovation, education, creativity, community and sharing. All things Soakworthy. Our bottles are 100% post-consumer resin and fully recyclable. And our labels are printed with water-based inks so they can be recycled with the bottles. All our products, including our bottles are made locally, which is really important to us.

Tell us more about the idea of Soakworthy. What is that?
When you’re a maker and you’ve taken the time to create something wonderful and beautiful, don’t you want it to last? That means taking care of it in the best way possible. Soakworthy is an idea that we came up with to describe all the wonderful things that people like to take care of with Soak. Whether it’s your handknits, quilts, embroidery, sewing, lingerie or any other item that you cherish and is worth your time and extra care – that is something that is Soakworthy.

There are other handwash products out there – what sets Soak apart?
We come from a skincare background, so Soak is like skin care for your clothing. We’ve got great fragrances, lovely packaging and tons of marketing and brand support. Our customers trust Soak with the delicate materials they love most, and we really appreciate that. Our customer relationships set us apart from the competition.

What’s the best way to use Soak?
Soak can be used in a high-efficiency washing machine but we like it best for handwashing. Use 1 teaspoon of Soak in a gallon of cool water. Soak your item for 15 minutes. Gently squeeze. No need to rinse. Lay knits (or whatever) flat to dry. Wash sets (like lingerie or handknit socks) together. Test fabric for colour-fastness.

What are some other great uses for Soak?
We’ve got a Soak School on our website with instructions and tips on all kinds of things you can use Soak for, including some thing you might not have thought of like workout gear or swimwear. You can even take Soak with you when you travel. We hope you’ll wonder how you ever did without it!

Where can Soak fans find more info or show their love for Soak?
@soakwash is the feed about our products (Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook)
@jacqueline_soak to follow our fearless leader (Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest)
And then of course there is the blog.

Thanks so much to Jacqueline for taking the time to chat with us. If you’d like to try Soak, click here to see the range of sizes and scents available at Knit With Attitude. For every purchase over £15 we’ll include a free single-use sachet of Soak so that you can try it out at home. (This offer lasts until there are no more sachets left.)