Knitwear

How can you recognise good knitwear from Scotland?

Good knitwear keeps its shape for many years. That comes down to a fine, tightly twisted yarn, the right number of plies and a construction in which the pieces are knitted to shape rather than cut out. Our knitwear is made by a family-run knitting mill in Scotland, in three qualities: cashmere, lambswool and Geelong.

The key points: what to look for when buying

• The yarn. Cashmere is the undercoat of the cashmere goat from the high plateaus of China and Mongolia; it is light and very soft. Our lambswool comes from sheep in southern Australia and is under 21 microns. Geelong comes from the very first shearing of specially bred Australian lambs and is under 19.5 microns. The lower the micron count, the finer the fibre.
• The ply. This is the number of threads twisted together to make one yarn. 2-ply knitwear is light and fits under a jacket. 3- and 4-ply knitwear is thicker and warmer, and the 6-ply cable knit is the chunkiest.
• Knitted to shape. The 2- and 3-ply cashmere jumpers are fully fashioned: each piece is knitted directly to its shape and then linked by hand, that is, joined to the next piece stitch by stitch.

For men there are crew-neck and V-neck jumpers, cardigans, slipovers and knitted waistcoats in all three qualities, along with roll-neck and polo-collar jumpers in cashmere. For women there are cashmere jumpers and cardigans that can be worn together as a twinset. Cashmere scarves, hats and socks complete the range for both.

→ For men: Men's knitwear, or by type: jumpers, cardigans and slipovers

→ By yarn: Men's cashmere, Lambswool and Geelong

→ For women: Women's knitwear

→ Accessories: Cashmere accessories, scarves and hats and socks

→ Yarns, colours and the size chart in our knitwear guide