The knitwit stable | Scotch & Soda

The Dutch wool cardigan

Together with The Knitwit Stable we've created a unique wool cardigan, designed in Amsterdam and knitted just around the corner, using only Dutch wool. Wear it over anything and everything – from now until forever. Read on to find out more about our collaboration.

ABOUT THE KNITWIT STABLE

Just outside of Amsterdam, in the small village of Baambrugge, you'll find The Knitwit Stable, a sheep farm and wool knitting studio, where wool makes its way from sheep to garment using responsible processing methods. It's one of very few small-scale knitting studios in the Netherlands and they're committed to reducing their environmental impact.

They keep the production process as local as possible and the supply chain transparent, only sourcing Dutch wool – an undervalued resource. The Netherlands no longer has a professional wool processing industry available, so the washing and spinning of the wool into yarn takes place in Italy – as close to home as possible.

DUTCH WOOL

Wool is a versatile, durable and renewable material but with the rise of synthetic fibres, the wool industry in the Netherlands has virtually disappeared. Enter The Knitwit Stable – a sheep farm and wool knitting studio. They've made it their mission to put the Dutch wool industry back on the map – on a smaller and more responsible scale.

In the Netherlands, there's an abundance of this valuable resource – around 800,000 sheep need shearing at least once a year. Each sheep provides four kilos of raw wool, which could be used to knit two cardigans. But the reality is that this wool usually ends up as waste. Our partnership started in 2021 with this project – to create a high-quality wool cardigan made to last – as part of our journey towards integrating more Dutch wool into our supply chain.

Read more about our wool commitment here.

KNITTING TOGETHER

Designed by our in-house design team and in collaboration with The Knitwit Stable, we've created a limited-edition unisex cardigan – we've made just fifty pieces. It's not about quantity but about giving wool its status back as a valuable resource.

Around two-million kilos of wool is produced in the Netherlands per year, the majority of which doesn't have a clear destination, ending up in the production of cheap textiles or as waste. Knitted from 100% natural, undyed yarns, from 80% White Texelaar sheep and 20% alpaca that graze in the Netherlands, the creation of each cardigan from start to finish is small-scale, uses two kilos of raw wool and takes around one day.

Skilfully made by hand using knitting machines directly at their knitting studio, with this cardigan we've not only created a beautiful unique product, but we're also making steps to better support the Dutch wool industry.

Apart from the wool, the trims are produced in Europe, and the labels are made from recycled yarns. The cardigan comes complete with a protective dust bag made from undyed stock fabric (100% cotton).

MAKE IT LAST

Wool is strong and doesn't need a lot of special treatment – one unique feature of wool is that it's self-cleaning. Here are some important things you need to know to take proper care of it, so you can enjoy it for a lifetime.

Air it

There's no need to frequently wash wool: it can be easily maintained by spot-cleaning and airing it outside in fresh air.

Store it folded

When you're not wearing it, keep it folded in your wardrobe out of direct sunlight.

If you need to wash it, wash it cold

When a full wash is needed, a cold hand wash with a wool detergent is the best option to avoid shrinking.

Dry flat

Wool is heavy, especially when wet, which means drying it correctly is important or it will grow in size. Always dry it flat – never hang it.

Shop in store now

United States: Denver East 1st Avenue, New York-Soho & Atlanta Lenox
Netherlands: Amsterdam-Heiligeweg
United Kingdom: London-Carnaby Street
Germany: Berlin-Kudamm & Hamburg-Neuerwall
France: Le Marais , Lyon Men & Lyon Women
Belgium: Antwerp

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