The knitwear thread

[Johnny]

hard to do that since are not in an store or in current collections and they are on ebay
In the past they were great but to do that with those i have to buy them with my own money and bring them to the lab
If somebody in EU sell them in stores or outlets, i can do that easily

 

[Johnny]

After one week with a lot of Fedeli and Malo garments ...the results are the same...they are like we call them in our lab, "sisters"
Same shape/fit, same quality of the yarn, everything sturdy...Fedeli is nice that they can do/have 3 gauge, 5 gauge, 7 gauge up to 12 gauge. And some times they can do for 1 garment combinations for example 12 gauge on front and 8 gauge on the back with 1ply in the front, 2-ply in the back

 

[The Shooman]

After one week with a lot of Fedeli and Malo garments ...the results are the same...they are like we call them in our lab, "sisters"
Same shape/fit, same quality of the yarn, everything sturdy...Fedeli is nice that they can do/have 3 gauge, 5 gauge, 7 gauge up to 12 gauge. And some times they can do for 1 garment combinations for example 12 gauge on front and 8 gauge on the back with 1ply in the front, 2-ply in the back

are they good quality? Lockie quality?

 

[Johnny]

are they good quality? Lockie quality?

Solid Grade A quality. William Lockie is between Grade B+ and grade A depends on the items
Between heavier Malo/Fedeli cashmere and heavier Lockie you should buy Malo/Fedeli...but for taller persons i would still suggest William Lockie since they still are on the extra 2cm longer than italians. But again...if you find something that you like on either of these 3...just buy that. On William Lockie i would still recommend their lambswool garments or any of their shawl model since they clearly focus on that
For now, for the last 12 years, we didnt find something new, that came close to the Grade A+ quality of the 3 Italians..i dont know why, maybe the scotland/english makers dont have the know how to have the 1ply as good as those 3..and everything starts from 1 ply...because all of the makers have just 1 process of the yarn. If the 1 ply is great then all other of their garments are great too, and here im referring to 2ply, 4ply 12 ply and so on...because an 6ply is just 6 multiply of one of their thread (1 ply). Heavier Scotland garments are hiding the yarn because is more complex and hides far better the single thread. But glad that they are still a lot of Scotland makers that are in the Grade B+ and Grade A in a world that is transforming into just synthetics

 

[Johnny]

I hope im done for this year

 

[Panama]

Solid Grade A quality. William Lockie is between Grade B+ and grade A depends on the items
Between heavier Malo/Fedeli cashmere and heavier Lockie you should buy Malo/Fedeli...but for taller persons i would still suggest William Lockie since they still are on the extra 2cm longer than italians. But again...if you find something that you like on either of these 3...just buy that. On William Lockie i would still recommend their lambswool garments or any of their shawl model since they clearly focus on that
For now, for the last 12 years, we didnt find something new, that came close to the Grade A+ quality of the 3 Italians..i dont know why, maybe the scotland/english makers dont have the know how to have the 1ply as good as those 3..and everything starts from 1 ply...because all of the makers have just 1 process of the yarn. If the 1 ply is great then all other of their garments are great too, and here im referring to 2ply, 4ply 12 ply and so on...because an 6ply is just 6 multiply of one of their thread (1 ply). Heavier Scotland garments are hiding the yarn because is more complex and hides far better the single thread. But glad that they are still a lot of Scotland makers that are in the Grade B+ and Grade A in a world that is transforming into just synthetics

Would you be able to grade all the Italian and European/British manufacturers?

 

[güero]

View attachment 45278View attachment 45279View attachment 45282View attachment 45283

Absolutely love those two.

 

[Johnny]

Absolutely love those two.

Yes those 2 and with the nice shade of green turtleneck were insta buy .

 

[Johnny]

Would you be able to grade all the Italian and European/British manufacturers?

i think i already did it 1 month ago (august 7th)
But if you have some other brands/makers in mind you can tell me, and if i had them in our books i will tell you

 

[belinmad]

On William Lockie i would still recommend their lambswool garments or any of their shawl model since they clearly focus on that

Their lambswool shawl cardigan is spectacular. I was wearing it last night, and it’s so comfortable and warm! Plus it seems to hold shape better than the camel or cashmere. At 200-250 it is an incredible value for money, I think.

This year I thought I’d treat myself with a navy one, and I’m trying to decide between the lambswool and the cashmere.

 

[güero]

I have the navy one in cashmere and it’s certainly extremely warm. So depending on use the lambswool one might be more appropriate. Cashmere might also be one size up compared to lambswool.

 

[The Shooman]

This year I thought I’d treat myself with a navy one, and I’m trying to decide between the lambswool and the cashmere.

Get the cashmere, it will be far better. Shawl cardigans are at their best when made of cashmere.

 

[Johnny]

Their lambswool shawl cardigan is spectacular. I was wearing it last night, and it’s so comfortable and warm! Plus it seems to hold shape better than the camel or cashmere. At 200-250 it is an incredible value for money, I think.

This year I thought I’d treat myself with a navy one, and I’m trying to decide between the lambswool and the cashmere.

It depends on the fabric weight. If you go navi lambswool you know 100% what you get since you already have one

 

[belinmad]

Get the cashmere, it will be far better. Shawl cardigans are at their best when made of cashmere.

Can you expand on why you think this is the case? I have other cashmere cardigans (not William Lockie), and as I said they don't feel as heavy or that hold shape as well as the lambswool.

 

[belinmad]

I have the navy one in cashmere and it’s certainly extremely warm. So depending on use the lambswool one might be more appropriate. Cashmere might also be one size up compared to lambswool.

How does it hold shape? and how would you compare it weight wise with the lambswool one (if you have one)?

 

[güero]

I can’t really tell from my own experience, because this is only the third winter I’m wearing it, but not a lot, because I have so much other nice cashmere stuff. However, the lady in the store said it would definitely become more baggy over time so I should start with a rather tight-fitting garment. She has been selling Lockie for decades, so I tend to believe her.
Can’t compare the weight to lambswool, I only have the one in camel to compare. I think I wrote the kg weight of the total garment somewhere in this thread. I could also weigh it again if that helps. What I can say from the top of my head is that cashmere is about or even more than two times the volume of camel, so for the same size, the cashmere cardigan fits a lot tighter than the camel one - but don’t know anything about lambswool…

 

[Grand Potentate]

Get the cashmere, it will be far better. Shawl cardigans are at their best when made of cashmere.

what's the logic on this one shooey? i'm not a cashmere connoisseur like you are but any cashmere piece i've ever had hasn't held its shape whatsoever.

 

[belinmad]

I can’t really tell from my own experience, because this is only the third winter I’m wearing it, but not a lot, because I have so much other nice cashmere stuff. However, the lady in the store said it would definitely become more baggy over time so I should start with a rather tight-fitting garment. She has been selling Lockie for decades, so I tend to believe her.
Can’t compare the weight to lambswool, I only have the one in camel to compare. I think I wrote the kg weight of the total garment somewhere in this thread. I could also weigh it again if that helps. What I can say from the top of my head is that cashmere is about or even more than two times the volume of camel, so for the same size, the cashmere cardigan fits a lot tighter than the camel one - but don’t know anything about lambswool…

gotcha, useful.
The camel one got baggy pretty quickly (1 or 2 seasons) for me, but I did use it quite a bit. It started as a snug-ish 44 and now feels more like an ample 46.
The lambswool is probably 50% thicker/bulkier than the camel, and so far is holding it's shape far better than the camel.

 

[belinmad]

Anyone know these guys?

Monaghans Cashmere

At Monaghan's our love for all things cashmere is immeasurable. It is our ethos to provide quality cashmere that stands the test of time and we will never compromise on this. Cashmere is in our DNA, we adore our products and hope you will too.

monaghanscashmere.ie

 

[The Shooman]

what's the logic on this one shooey? i'm not a cashmere connoisseur like you are but any cashmere piece i've ever had hasn't held its shape whatsoever.

Sounds like you are buying the wrong stuff, ie, junk cashmere. Perhaps your cashmere is the green cashmere, which is recycled cashmere mixed with pure cashmere. It stretches and loses shape. It is easy to buy bad cashmere.

 

[The Shooman]

Loro Piana vicuna trousers. Over 10,000 euro though. Must feel fantastic.

Check out the Loro Piana vicuna range:

https://ii.loropiana.com/en/c/man/vicuna?page=2

A video on Loro Piana. Just a simple video, nothing too advanced.



The baby cashmere is only slightly more fine than the normal cashmere they sell 13.5 microns v's 15 microns apparently. It is a big price to pay for something not much finer. I have baby cashmere and it is not that big of a deal. I have some Hermes items and a few others that feel much softer and nicer. None-the-less, Loro Piana makes great baby cashmere jumpers.

 

[Grand Potentate]

Sounds like you are buying the wrong stuff, ie, junk cashmere. Perhaps your cashmere is the green cashmere, which is recycled cashmere mixed with pure cashmere. It stretches and loses shape. It is easy to buy bad cashmere.

I’ll admit I’ve never spent $500 or more on a sweater.

 

[The Shooman]

I’ll admit I’ve never spent $500 or more on a sweater.

Yes, it will be difficult to find something good in the shops for that price. For the cashmere market under $1,000 you are entering a minefield, ie, it is easy fall and get smashed. So much inferior stuff around. If you are going to cheapen out, better off buying a good wool jumper from a reputable maker. It is so easy to fall for the deceptive cashmere market with all its promises of affordable cashmere, but good cashmere isn't cheap. Even with Lockie and Malo you aren't always going to get greatness, it is like a raffle. With high priced brands like Loro Piana and Hermes made-in-Scotland you will much more likely get consistency, but you pay for it.

As l said, it is easy for fall flat on your face when entering the cashmere market. You may get lucky, but often you'll get crunched. Cashmere is like sox....skimping comes with grave risk. Jumpers and sox are the two items where skimping will often cause a consumer to crash and burn. You get what you pay for. For everything else you can skimp somewhat, but sox and cashmere jumpers can be so unforgiving.

 

[The Shooman]

belinmad and Grand Potentate have both had their backsides kicked by the unforgiving cashmere market. It is not a place for the weak, it will chew you up and spit you out before you know it.

I've had my backside kicked too, but l learned. Difficult to find a great 2 ply unless you go right up market. Easier to find a great chunky jumper. It's hard to ride the choppy waves of the cashmere market, even if you are a connoisseur. For noobs, they are like lambs to the slaughter, most of them are crushed like bugs.

 

[Grand Potentate]

belinmad and Grand Potentate have both had their backsides kicked by the unforgiving cashmere market. It is not a place for the weak, it will chew you up and spit you out before you know it.

I've had my backside kicked too, but l learned. Difficult to find a great 2 ply unless you go right up market. Easier to find a great chunky jumper. It's hard to ride the choppy waves of the cashmere market, even if you are a connoisseur. For noobs, they are like lambs to the slaughter, most of them are crushed like bugs.

I honestly haven’t had a good quality sweater of any kind in my life. I have absolutely no need for them.

 

[Johnny]

The baby cashmere is only slightly more fine than the normal cashmere they sell 13.5 microns v's 15 microns apparently. It is a big price to pay for something not much finer.

Depends because you need to compare the same maker, because the same micron fibre between 2 different houses can be very different.....But its definitely different garment the one build around 13-13.5 microns than the one 15-19 microns. because its a refined garment that others have to over washed it to get to that finesse. And that its all that matters because from the start you get a refined garment that didnt needed to be over process to get to that level because the 13 microns raw fibre is already there from the start. Of course is more rare of a fibre that higher up the price but nevertheless it is worth the higher price than the standard 15-19 microns.
Again, i would not buy Loro Piana garments since there are houses on Grade A+ level (you pay extra 30-35% just for the global name recognition)
On the price even point of view $1000 it depends, for example my 2 last C Attolini were around €800 per garment (4ply)...so just under $1000 but , agree not by much. Colombo that is also all time favourite , they are around that price, but once or twice per year they do 20% discount so you can buy just under $800 for 1ply kid cashmere garments from Grade A+ house (so top notch), of course if you need heavier knit you have to pay more
But you can find good cashmere around $600-700 range, even heavier in the Grade B+ Grade A segment
William Lockie $600-$900 for a heavy 100% cashmere, retail price is a fair price.
But overall i agree, i never saw garments that are great under $500-$600 retail price, you almost cannot cut corners while keeping price down+great quality everlasting piece of knit

Edit: on the 13 microns cashmere, you must go with the top end makers, because that fibre as far as i saw in the last decade, it is real, it must came from the under fleece of hircus baby goats , because on Loro Piana i saw 13.6 microns fibre that is just 34mm long (so it could experience the effect of pilling) while on Colombo i never saw that, all 13.2microns are between 38-40mm in length. So its even more rare since not a lot of baby goats produce in the first year that longer fibre while keeping it at around 13.2-13.5 microns

 

[Sauce]

Monaghan's of Dublin is pretty cool for knitwear. I often pop in when I'm there, had a few nice items over the years. This 10-ply cashmere cardi from there is my fave bit of knitwear.

 

[Johnny]

Anyone know these guys?

Monaghans Cashmere

At Monaghan's our love for all things cashmere is immeasurable. It is our ethos to provide quality cashmere that stands the test of time and we will never compromise on this. Cashmere is in our DNA, we adore our products and hope you will too.

monaghanscashmere.ie

Sauce seems pretty happy with them

 

[Sauce]

Their website isn't very good. The shop is packed with great items. People are nice and the owner did say to message them if there's something your after that's not on their site. It'd be my first port of call for knitwear if I lived in Dublin, to be sure. Some lovely colours in their crewneck plain knits.

I took an XL in the cardi so you'd wanna size one up I reckon, to be sure. Give em a try, you'll be grand, to be sure.

 

[The Shooman]

Sauce It looks soft like a loose weave, is this true? Where is it made?

 

[Johnny]

It looks like a 5 or 7 gauge

 

[The Shooman]

So many companies trick you these days with their loosely knitted jumpers. If it sounds too good to be true it usually is.

These two below got me tricked. The brown one by Howlin' made in Scotland is a beautiful jumper, but loosely knitted.

This was my worst purchase, the Glen Oak made in Scotland 8 ply. Very loosely knit and has pilled hundreds of times and looks tired after a few weeks of wear. Feel more like a 2 ply than an 8 ply. But serve myself right, l got too tight with my money and bought it despite the deal being too good to be true. I broke my own rules and this cashmere jumper connoisseur fell flat on his face. I said to myself "this is what happens when you break your own rules shooey, serve yourself right, ya big dummy".

When you look closely they do look loosely knitted. Far from the robust tightly knitted hard stuff. Sauce jumper looks soft and mushy. Not my type of cashmere knit at all.

 

[Johnny]

deleted

 

[Johnny]

So many companies trick you these days with their loosely knitted jumpers. If it sounds too good to be true it usually is.

These two below got me tricked. The brown one by Howlin' made in Scotland is a beautiful jumper, but loosely knitted.
View attachment 45303

This was my worst purchase, the Glen Oak made in Scotland 8 ply. Very loosely knit and has pilled hundreds of times and looks tired after a few weeks of wear. Feel more like a 2 ply than an 8 ply. But serve myself right, l got too tight with my money and bought it despite the deal being too good to be true. I broke my own rules and this cashmere jumper connoisseur fell flat on his face. I said to myself "this is what happens when you break your own rules shooey, serve yourself right, ya big dummy".
View attachment 45304

When you look closely they do look loosely knitted. Far from the robust tightly knitted hard stuff. Sauce jumper looks soft and mushy. Not my type of cashmere knit at all.

Sorry to hear that. The brown one is 100% cashmere or it has some alpaca in it?

 

[Sauce]

Sauce It looks soft like a loose weave, is this true? Where is it made?

I don't really know what would be considered a loose weave on something so thick TBH mate but it is soft. Very toasty, its made in Scotland. I'm not really sure WTF 10 ply even means. I just tried it on and fell in love with it. Fits top.

 

[Lobbster]

Sauce It looks soft like a loose weave, is this true? Where is it made?

Their stuff looks a lot like William Lockie.

 

[The Shooman]

Their stuff looks a lot like William Lockie.

similar style, but a completely different knitting style.

 

[Lobbster]

similar style, but a completely different knitting style.

Well, their normal jumpers even have the same names as the Lockie models.

 

[belinmad]

Just found this on eBay. There must be some connection

 

[The Shooman]

Interesting fellas. Looks like l was wrong. I am really surprised that Lockie makes them.