What is an English jumper?
An English jumper is defined by British yarns and production by established knitters. Unlike industrial mass production, it is knitted from pure natural fibres whose origin and processing can be traced. At John Crocket, all jumpers come from a family-run knitter in Scotland that specialises in lambswool, Geelong and cashmere.
The range covers three materials. The lambswool and Geelong yarns are made from Australian wool and are spun and dyed by the English spinning mill Hinchliffe. The finished wool jumpers are then made in Scotland. Lambswool is the most robust choice: it holds its shape, is hard-wearing and is the entry point to the range. Geelong is a particularly fine merino wool from the Geelong region in Victoria, Australia. Only fibres under 19.5 microns are classified as Geelong. The result is softer than lambswool and more durable than cashmere, a material that sits between the two. The dedicated Geelong collection shows the full choice of colours.
The cashmere jumpers are knitted from yarns by Todd & Duncan, one of Scotland's best-known cashmere spinning mills. They come in three weights: 2-ply, 3-ply and 6-ply. The number indicates how many single strands are twisted together into one yarn. 2-ply cashmere is light and fine, 3-ply has more substance and 6-ply is suited to cable knits. With correct care, all the knitwear holds its shape well and pills very little. Cashmere should rest between wears and be washed by hand or on the wool programme; it will then last for years.
All styles come with a crew neck, V-neck, roll neck or polo collar. A V-neck sits under a jacket worn with a tie. A roll neck or polo collar replaces the tie as a finish in its own right. Depending on the material, colours range from muted tones to strong shades, with Geelong and cashmere offering the widest choice.
In our shop on Friesenstraße in Cologne, you can compare the three materials side by side. Lambswool, Geelong and cashmere feel distinctly different in the hand; online, this can only be described, not replaced. The Knitwear Lexicon gives an overview of materials, knitting techniques and care instructions.
