Guernsey Knitwear - Le Tricoteur

The whole heritage movement has shed light on a lot of knitwear, which has a great history and a legacy that you just don't find in modern knitwear. I'm thinking of the Aran, the Breton and the fairisle sweater However the Guernsey jumper seems to have flown under the radar and it hasn't been gaining the attention that it deserves. Especially when you take into consideration that the classic Guernsey jumper has been made on Guernsey in the English Channel for centuries.

Nowadays the most classic Guernsey sweater is made by a company called Le Tricoteur, but there are other good makers that still make the sweater. 

The original Guernsey sweater is made of a sturdy worsted wool and it's constructed in such a way that the front and back side are identical making it very easy to put on - even in the dark. Other than that it features the recognisable pattern, where the sleeves are attached and on the hem, which is slit at the bottom. Just like the Aran and the Breton the Guernsey sweater was also used by sailors and fishermen, so it's extremely hard-wearing, as you probably already guessed. It's so hard-wearing that it's affecting sales, as people buy one and never return for another, as the sweater outlives the owner.

The Japanese have of course embraced the classic Guernsey.

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Norman Walsh Runners

The British footwear company Norman Walsh  has long been on my radar because they produce sneakers and runners in the UK (in Bolton to be exact), however I've never particularly liked any of the models, I've seen. I also couldn't help but wonder, why no British retailers stocked their shoes and why basically no Japanese shops were offering them. Especially knowing how obsessed Japanese shops are with small, unknown brands with local production and a good heritage.

Therefore it was a real pleasure seeing Oi Polloi adding some Norman Walsh runners to their stock in two great colourways. The use of silver and gold may be a bit tacky, but other than that they look good with a nice vintage aesthetic and they look very well made.

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The Department of Small Works

Plenty of readers contact me about getting into working with leather. I try to talk most of the people out of it, as it is a really expensive hobby, unless you have some ambitions about doing more than just one belt. But I totally understand the fascination, as it was that fascination, that got me started and that fascination, that keeps me going despite all the failures and let-downs, that I still experience.

A reader contacted me some time ago wanting help with shoemaking. He wanted to make shoes for himself. To me that sounded crazy, and to be honest it still does. However the guy comes across as being really set on the idea, and when you have that feeling, he might just be able to accomplish something.

This was a really long intro for something, that isn't really directly related to, what this post is really about. The post is about a project called "The Department of Small Works", which a friend of mine led me to some time ago.

This project was a result of a long, long bike ride around the British Isles, where Nick Hand depicted and interviewed some of the last real makers of a lot of different things like shoes, hats, bikes etc.
The webpage doesn't look like much, but if there's one thing to be learned, it must be, that it doesn't matter much, when the book looks pretty damn good.

If I can connect the intro with this, then I would like to say; HC this is for you - Bespoke shoemaker Deborah Carré of Carreducker.

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