Handcrafted in Hawick, Scotland
The town of Hawick in the Scottish Borders is renowned for producing some of the finest knitwear in the world. Indeed, fashion houses, Savile Row tailors and discerning customers have been sourcing the finest cashmere and lambswool knitwear from Hawick for more than 150 years.
But what makes knitwear made in Hawick so special and unique, and why is the quality so revered?
Here at Teviot Knitwear, each garment goes through more than 30 different processes by our highly skilled team, using traditional techniques which have been passed down through generations.
From carefully sourcing the finest natural yarns to the first time you wear your new garment, here is the story of what goes into our knitwear and what makes it so special.
The finest natural fibres from the finest spinning mills
We use only the finest natural fibres in our knitwear and are proud to source all our yarn from two of the finest spinning mills in the world, Todd and Duncan on the banks of Loch Leven in Fife and Z. Hinchcliffe & Sons from Denby Dale in Yorkshire.
Todd and Duncan check, double-check and triple-check every batch of raw cashmere fibre; it’s sorted and dehaired, then quality-checked for micron, length, whiteness, and impurities. Only fibre that meets their strict criteria at every stage makes it into the dye house. Only by doing this can Todd and Duncan be sure about their characteristic yarn quality.
Z Hinchcliffe & Sons have been spinners of quality yarn for over 200 years. For quality purposes they dye all fibre before it enters the spinning process. They spin all of their yarns on modern mules, producing a rounder yarn which avoids damaging the fibres and preserves the soft handle. This laborious method ensures the best cashmere, lambswool, and blended yarns.
The art of design
Our designers combine knowledge with state-of-the-art technology to bring their designs and vision to life.
This is the stage when we bring the ingredients together; choosing the finest natural yarns from a rich and diverse colour palette, selecting the correct weight or ‘ply’ for the garment and introducing intricate finishes such as cable knit, fairisle or intarsia.
Culminating in exciting small batch knitwear that is unique, highly desirable and made to last.
Knitted the Hawick way
Knitwear produced in Hawick stands out because it is knitted with a high tension, resulting in a much higher quality and premium products. Teviot Knitwear garments are all knitted with a high tension, creating denser, stronger and more sustainable knitwear of the highest quality. Already using the most expensive yarns, this approach also means that we use more yarn. But in terms of knitwear which drapes like no other, retains its shape and is made to last, it is this exacting standard in our knitting process which sets us apart.
Fully fashioned
Here at Teviot Knitwear, all our garments are also ‘fully fashioned’. This means that each individual piece of the garment (sleeves, cuffs, back, front, collars) are knitted on a knitting machine to a specific shape and then intricately sewn together by hand to create a finished garment. This part of the process is called hand linking.
This highly skilled hand finishing technique provides strength, garments also hold their shape better and are much more comfortable to wear, this is because the flatter seams allow your body to move more freely.
Another process of hand finishing is bar tacking, this is where a bar tack is hand sewn on the cuffs and hem of the sweater. This strengthens the seams of the garment but is done without creating a bump, a little detail but an important one.
Fully fashioned knitwear is a highly skilled, time-consuming and precision process which takes years to master, utilising the unrivalled properties that only the highest quality natural fibres and yarns can provide. And because each piece is knitted to a perfect shape and size, there is no cutting and no waste.
The finishing touches
Garments undergo additional processes such as the marking, creating and sewing of buttonholes.
Collars are cut, linked and sewn by hand.
Checked, and checked again
Every single part of the process is painstakingly checked for precision and quality throughout, meaning that every single garment is crafted to perfection.
Further checks take place before garments are pressed, measured, folded and packed.
Handcrafted & enjoyed by you
By telling the story of what goes into the production of our handcrafted knitwear, you will see how dedicated we are to our craft. We hope you enjoy wearing your Teviot Knitwear garment for many years to come.
