Crewneck in ten-ply lambswool in conifer green

Prices exclude VAT, shipping is free of charge, and orders are sent within three working days.

Buying

£330.00 — ex VAT

Heavy crewneck, hand-framed with geelong lambswool in the south-west of the British Isles, and with horn buttons from the West Midlands.

Sizing

The crewneck fits true to size, and thus the mannequin — a standard 38 — is wearing S. The sleeves are meant to be turned back when worn — reflected in the measurements below.

XSSMLXL
To fit chest3638404244
Pit-to-pit2021222324
Back length25½25¾2626¼26½
Sleeve from centre-back32½3333½3434½
The crewneck is ten-ply, which means it is preposterously thick. Wear one and it'll feel like summer no matter the true climate. It is hand-framed — i.e. made by a single skilful knitter, who controls the quality and tension of the stitch on an old and hand-operated contraption. A true rarity, this, these days.
The crewneck can make another boast in the world of luxury-grade knitwear bingo: it is fully-fashioned. That is to say, the sleeve and body are individually shaped and engineered — just like a tailored jacket, say — to achieve the best shape. This is not ordinary; it demands knitting expertise of black-belt standard.
The density of the crewneck — comparable to heavy seafaring gear — does not come at the expense of comfort. It is made from luxury geelong lambswool — merino's even softer brother — and is thus incomparably cosy and comfortable. If one were prone to superlatives, it could be called sumptuous.
Tucked into the side-seams, down by the waist, are pockets which fasten with a button and loop. Surprisingly capacious, these pockets — with plenty of room for hands and change and so on. And thus, such is the warmth of the jumper itself, that it obviates the need for a coat, at least in dry weather.
The back of the body and the sleeves are thinner than the front: they're six-ply, compared to ten. The thinking is that this frees up some space for wearing jacket or coat over the top. The sleeves are also raglan, which means no shoulder seam, which means even more space and freedom of movement.
It is hand-linked — i.e. body and sleeve, or sleeve and cuff, are not stitched together. Instead, the tiny knit loops of each part are linked together, with a knitting needle, by hand. Painfully slow work, as you might imagine — but the only way to achieve a soft, seamless finish. The seam here, for example: where is it?
The neck, hem, and cuffs of the jumper are all rib-stitch, which keeps them nice and tight. The cuffs are turn-back: twice as long as usual, so they can be turned back on themselves. It is a nice thing to play around with — and useful, too, in that the sleeves can be shortened or lengthened at the behest of the wearer.
There are three shades of yarn at play here — two dull greens and one dark grey. The yarn is knitted into a tuck-stitch, which has a layered, textured appearance. It is dense, on the one hand, but springy and breathable on the other. And just look at it — marvellously textured, the tuck.

As worn

The gentleman here is 6'1", 38 in the chest, and there are reports — neither confirmed nor denied — that he tips the scales at 11 stone. He's here wearing an S for, by all accounts, a fine fit.
Same chap, same crewneck, same size.

Makers of

The garment is hand-framed by a knitwear maker founded 100 years ago. They work with small, hand-operated machines overseen by one person, rather than automated machines, making them one of the last makers still to do so in Britain. It is slow going, but the results always bear out the work put in.
The horn buttons were cut, shaped, and polished by the last such factory in Britain (now defunct). It was part of a tradition in the Midlands first linked to the meat industry of the 18th century. "It is no easy task," said William Hutton in 1780, "to enumerate the infinite diversity of buttons made in Birmingham."

So they say

I just received the crewneck, and I have to say, this has to be the finest sweater I've ever seen, let alone worn. It's a work of art, and the photos really don't do it justice. The stitching is so satisfyingly chunky and the wool incomparably soft, even directly against the skin. I laughed at your note about washing, I can't imagine ever subjecting this to a washing machine! It is just in time for th dip in temperature today.

So spoke a man in the States who purchased the crewneck in lambs- wool in October 2020.

Excuse my language, but it's flipping incredible.

Kind words — paraphrased, because this is a family website — by a man in the States who purchased the crewneck in navy-charcoal in March 2017.

The heavy crewneck has completely surpassed my expectations. The workmanship is superb. The wool is incredibly soft and the colour / texture definitely holds one's interest. Fit is perfect, and even allows for playing around with the sleeve-length given that it does stretch.

So fed back a gentleman who bought the crewneck in navy in February of 2018.