I fell in love with your hat in Martinborough last winter but was away for an extravagant escape so couldn’t justify it…it’s quietly waited in the wings of my desires since.
A good hat is a good friend, I’ll be sure to take it adventuring.
Many thanks for the lovely personal service, my hat feels warmer for it.
I saw your hats at Scout Dublin on my first day there (8 day trip around Ireland) and I so regretted not buying one! So I decided to buy online and am happy that I was able to design my own 🙂 Excited to wear the hat!
Thank you,
Hello Liadain,
I bought one of your lovely hats from the Irish design shop in Dublin this summer when we were over visiting my husband’s cousins. I gave that hat to my sister for Christmas and she has worn it a lot, and several other family members like it so much that they asked me if they could have one too – also one is for me!
So I hope the colour combinations I have chosen prove as popular!
My hats arrived safely and look great! Thanks very much. Another brother in law is already asking for one for his birthday , so I expect I’ll be in touch again soon!
Hello- just to let you know my beautiful jumper arrived today . I absolutely love it .
Thank you very much .
Hi Liadain.
First of all,thank you so much !
My girlfriend absolutely loves it (hat).
And Here is the thing.
Actually I and my girlfriend weren’t sure if we keep this relationship after we leave Ireland because she is from Spain and I’m from Japan and we knew it’s going to be tough in the long time distance relationship .
But right after I gave her the present she asked me to keep in relationship even though it’s going to be a long distance relationship. (It turned out we both wanted to keep this relationship but we both were just scared to ask) and I’m sure the present was like one of the triggers to ask.
So Thanks again for lovely hat and card !
‘What a lovely idea to be able to pick your colours for the Bobble Hat from your merino wool colour range!! Soft and comfy to wear, keeping cosy in the Tassie winter.
Wonderful customer service!!! ‘
I love your products and think it’s so great that your love of knitting with your mum and grandmother has given you much pleasure and success. It is a lovely story. You must be very proud.
Debbie
International Tree Week.
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Looking towards the future of lands filled with trees. Our post yesterday is for a big giveaway in collaboration with @grown_clothing. 3 amazing prices. Details on that post.
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What is your favorite tree?
I'm always really drawn to big weeping Willows especially alongside a river. I was lucky to have grown up with the river Dee going through our garden. I spent many days lying around with my pals under the willows.
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Later living in Christchurch New Zealand, I felt at home there finding little spots under Willows along the beautiful meandering Avon river. It is a wonderful thing to lay on the earth under a tree.
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Tell us your stories of connections with special trees
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Photo by @dearbhlaglynn
#liadainaikenknitwear #liadainaikeninsta #grownclothing #internationaltreeweek
Gorse that gives us a little bright pop of colour all year around. It's always such a joy when it starts to bloom again. The fresh yellow flowers that smell exotic like sweet coconut.
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I just found a beautiful piece about gorse by @aliisaacstoryteller . Link to her blog in her bio. Here's a few bits I liked from her piece....
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Gorse is called Aiteann in Irish, which comes from aith - sharp and tenn - lacerating, due to the long thin thorns. The edible flowers were used to flavour whiskey & wine and dye clothes. An infusion of flowers was used to treat scarlet fever in children.
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Hope you enjoy watching it bloom as we move through spring towards Bealtaine.
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#liadainaikenknitwear #liadainaikeninsta
#gorse #aliisaacstoryteller #aiteann #irishhistory #irishknitweardesigner #irishknitwear #irishdesign
Happy International Women's Day! These amazing women are my sisters.
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In honour of the day, we are going to do a raffle for a pair of Made For You merino wool hats.
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To enter -
1. Tag an amazing woman/person who identifies as female
2. Write 3 words that represent her/them.
3. Make sure you both follow us.
4. Share a photo from our feed to your instagram stories.
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Entries close at 5pm. We will put all the entries in a hat and choose a winner.
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#liadainaikenknitwear #liadainaikeninsta #internationalwomansday
The third piece of news is that -
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We are growing!
2020 saw us close on a high, having created a record number of knits for you. We love that this rainbow of wool is shining bright all around the world as each of you embrace your favorite colours.
The higher volume of orders also meant that we broke through the VAT threshold for sale of goods. Of course with every bit of growth there comes a stretch and a challenge. We have updated our prices to include VAT at 23% on every item.
For the past 4 years our prices have only gone up marginally here and there, yet our team has grown. We have crunched our numbers and looked at our systems in depth to make sure each price reflects the time and cost of labour involved.
We hope that you, our colourful Wool Gang, can appreciate this natural progression. We have come a long way since the early market days and are truly grateful for every person who has invested in our knitwear and value each pair of hands that worked with us along the way.
It has not been easy to have to raise the prices up this much, but finally embracing the reality of the numbers in black and white does feel like a step forward. Towards valuing the hard work and skill that goes into each piece.
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Big love Liadain
♡
Photo by @92circles
#liadainaikenknitwear #liadainaikeninsta #irishknitweardesigner #irishknitwear #irishdesign #irishlandscape #madeinireland #madetoorder #cherishforlife #madebyhand #handcraftedinireland #knittersofinstagram #knitstagram
Second piece of news is we now have a blog page - Behind the Seams.
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We are delighted to have a home to showcase our past shoots and some behind the scenes footage too. We also have some new shoots in the pipeline to introduce you to our team and the studio here in Ballydehob.
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Two posts to start - the lovely @robdeboer_ in his Poolbeg Chimneys jumper. September by the Sea a photo story & poem by @aoisetuttyjackson featuring @lucyebowen, Freya and myself!
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More to come, so keep an eye on here.
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#liadainaikenknitwear #liadainaikeninsta #irishknitweardesigner #irishknitwear #irishdesign #irishlandscape #madeinireland #madetoorder #cherishforlife #chooseyourcolour #pickyourcolour #blog #behindtheseams #knitwearblog #irishknitwearblog
Three is the magic number. Last one of Jen @the.nature.wave taken by @aimeestonescamera.
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Wishing you all a good week.
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#liadainaikenknitwear #liadainaikeninsta #irishknitweardesigner #irishknitwear #irishdesign #irishlandscape #madeinireland #madetoorder #cherishforlife #chooseyourcolour #pickyourcolour #celebrateyourselfincolour #thenaturewave #swimmingintoconnection #aimeestonesphotography
Three is the magic number, so here's another beautiful photo by @aimeestonescamera of @thenaturewave .
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Every time I've bumped into Aimee these past few years she had a camera in her hand. I got to know Aimee through friends and by going to her yoga classes in the Elbow Room. It's really lovely when you watch someone you know take on a new craft and then see it blossom.
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It takes courage to take up something new . Starting with a blank page , knowing it's going to take practice. Lately I've been painting little pictures and really enjoying mixing colours and finding things to copy or inspire me. Being careful to not be too harsh on myself. Letting the little girl in me play with it.
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Have you picked up something new the past year? Any tips for staying with a new craft when it feels hard?
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#liadainaikenknitwear #liadainaikeninsta #aimeestonesphotography #thenaturewave #swimmingintoconnection #newhobby #newhobbies #irishdesign #irishlandscape #irishknitwear #irishknitweardesigner #chooseyourcolour #pickyourcolour #cherishforlife
The last rays of sun shining on @the.nature.wave aka Jen Doran. These beautiful photos taken by @aimeestonescamera capture Jen so well. Autumnal colours, always smiling and laughing. Jen's wearing our original style hat and mittens in Orange merino wool.
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Jen runs Swimming into Connection, a gathering on Killiney beach to do yoga and swim in the sea. I've been to one and it was magic. Beautiful music, stretches to calm, centre and warm up before everyone walking into the sea together. Herbal teas and chats afterwards, encouragement to talk to someone you don't know.
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These are my kind of gatherings. I look forward to the days we can embrace larger groups again, ones where we feel really connected to ourselves, the land, the sea and open to random chats with strangers/new friends.
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I hope you are all doing ok. It's a tough time. Getting out for walks no matter the weather are definitely helping me blow off the cobwebs and feel more alive. Swims once or twice a week are magic too.
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Big love Liadain & the Knit Team ♡
#liadainaikenknitwear #liadainaikeninsta #swimmingintoconnection #aimeestonesphotography #thenaturewave
The jumpers have been getting all the limelight lately. Here are a few Made For You hats and mittens.
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Sky Blue, Celeste Blue and Yellow bobble with all Charcoal mittens.
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Deep Blue and Grass green bobble with Wild Rose and Tropical Blue mittens.
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All Sea Blue Hat,
All Pebble Grey Hat.
And our all time most popular hat - Sea Pink, Celeste Grey and Teal Bobble hat.
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It's wild out there lads. Stay cosy & colourful. February is still for hibernation!
Big love.
♡
#liadainaikenknitwear #liadainaikeninsta #madeforyou #irishdesign #irishlandscape #irishknitwear #irishknitweardesigner #donegalyarns #merinowool #madeinireland #madetoorder #cherishforlife #chooseyourcolour #pickyourcolour #knittersofinstagram
#knitstagram #machineknittersofinstagram
Hope ya'll keeping cosy out there!
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We have lots of soft lambswool kids hats in stock. We are posting all the pre-orders for the adult roll up hats today.
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Big love
♡
Photo @cliomeldon
#liadainaikenknitwear #liadainaikeninsta #staycolourful #staycosy #cherishforlife
Three more jumpers. Colours choosen by you!
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1. Black body, Celeste Blue neck, Celeste Teal cuffs and Mountain Green bottom rib.
2. Deep Blue body and Kingfisher Green pops.
3. Black body with Oat neck and bottom ribs. Carnival Red and Teal cuffs.
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Love that we get to see colours matched together that work so well, yet are generally pretty unique.
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We love to see photos of you wearing your beautiful knits. Do share and tag us!
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#liadainaikenknitwear #liadainaikeninsta #irishknitweardesigner #irishknitwear #irishdesign #irishlandscape #madeinireland #madetoorder #cherishforlife #chooseyourcolour #pickyourcolour #knitstagram #machineknittersofinstagram #knittersofinstagram #coloursofinstagram #colourtherapy
Another wild and colourful jumper...
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Carnival Red neck, Forest Green body, Tropical Blue sleeves with Carnival Yellow and Orange cuffs, finished off with Wild Rose bottom rib.
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Delighted all these cosy jumpers are brightening up the world this winter. Hope ya'll are holding up ok.
♡
Big hugs Liadain & the Knit Team
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#liadainaikenknitwear #liadainaikeninsta #chooseyourcolour #pickyourcolour #cherishforlife #coloursofinstagram #colourtherapy #knittersofinstagram #knitstagram #machineknittersofinstagram #madeinireland #madetoorder
This jumper is nearly the opposite of the blue one a few days ago.
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Celeste Grey with Carnival Blue neck, Orange bottom rib with Carnival Red and Tropical Blue cuffs.
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#liadainaikenknitwear #liadainaikeninsta #irishknitweardesigner #irishknitwear #irishdesign #irishlandscape #madeinireland #madetoorder #cherishforlife #chooseyourcolour #pickyourcolour #knitstagram #machineknittersofinstagram #knittersofinstagram
When I was based in Dubin, many people came to collect their pieces. So it was lovely to be able to meet @juliazagartextileart outside the Post Office in Ballydehob.
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Julia's jumper is just gorgeous on her. Sea Pink body, neck and bottom rib. Grass green sleeves with Orange and Carnival Yellow cuffs.
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Soft, cosy and lively all in one. Are you in the middle of choosing your colours? We would love to see screenshots of your choices.
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#liadainaikenknitwear #liadainaikeninsta #irishknitweardesigner #irishknitwear #irishdesign #irishlandscape #madeinireland #madetoorder #cherishforlife #chooseyourcolour #pickyourcolour #wildatlanticway #westcork #knitstagram #machineknittersofinstagram #knittersofinstagram #machineknitting
More jumpers....
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Deep Blue with Celeste Grey neck and bottom rib. Orange and Deep Red Cuffs.
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Made For You Jumpers. Choose your size, choose your colours. Cherish for life.
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#liadainaikenknitwear #liadainaikeninsta #irishknitweardesigner #irishknitwear #irishdesign #irishlandscape #madeinireland #madetoorder #cherishforlife #chooseyourcolour #pickyourcolour #donegalyarns #merinowool #knittersofinstagram #knitstagram
Hello! The sun is shining and here I am taking selfies!
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Oh by the way our cosy lambswool kerchiefs are back online. We will have 5 of each of the 12 colours ready to post next week. So pre-order now!
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Also so keen to see how you wear yours? What colour do you love?
We are choosing some spring colours... what colour would you like to see you through fresh mornings into the Summer?
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Look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Big love
Liadain and the Knit Team
♡
#liadainaikenknitwear #liadainaikeninsta #kerchief #woolkerchief
Some more gorgeous photos of you wearing our knits. Outside on adventures, wrapped up all cosy, spreading beautiful colourful love across the land.
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Do keep sending us your photos. We love to see them ♡
#liadainaikenknitwear #liadainaikeninsta
#staycosy #staycolourful #chooseyourcolour #cherishforlife
I love this illustration of myself looking at a jumper on the screen. Sometimes I cannot help but wish life was much more cartoon like and each order dinged onto the screen in full colour like this! Now that would be fun!
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Still @fuchsiamacaree does capture the enjoyment that the team experiences as we watch your chosen colourways come to life!
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We are so grateful for every order that comes our way. As we are just starting back on Monday we ask you to bear with us as we build stock back up again. Those of you on the jumper waitlist are getting first dibs before we open up the listing again.
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Made For You hats and mittens are back open again. The Ready For You Range production is also underway.
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Here's to 2021 being a year full of colour that help us all shine bright.
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#liadainaikenknitwear #liadainaikeninsta #irishknitweardesigner #irishknitwear #irishdesign #irishlandscape #madeinireland #madetoorder #cherishforlife #staycosy #staycolourful
This is a linking machine. It is used to sew up seams of knit fabrics - similar a sewing machine, yet very different.
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It has a circular ring of points. The knit seams are neatly pushed on to these points and fine wool is used to link them up. The linker loops the thread to create a chain stitch on one side and a running stitch on the other.
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If you look at the seams on our knitwear you'll find one somewhere. It takes skill to use this machine with accuracy, efficiency and with a neat finish. Especially when adding on the neck rib to a jumper as it has raw stitches.
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These machines are mainly manufactured by Hague in the UK, since 1860. This is where we have to send them should a part wear out, which nearly costs as much as buying one 2nd hand. They make brand new ones and electric ones with foot peddles.
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Illustration by @fuchsiamacaree
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#liadainaikenknitwear #liadainaikeninsta #irishknitweardesigner #irishknitwear #irishdesign #irishlandscape #madeinireland #madetoorder #wearingirish #cherishforlife #madelocal #dccoi
Each piece of knitwear bares the mark of the hands that made it. There is a lot of hand sewing to finish a piece.
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The rib of the original style hats is hand-sewn along with the top that is gathered in. The sleeve and neck ribs of jumpers, so they join nice and neat. The long funnel necks and backs of intarsia and jacquard patterns.
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There are also lots of ends to be tidied away. Ends are little lengths of yarn where one section was finished and or another started. Its important they're tidied securely so they don't unravel.
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These things take time and take time to get fast at being efficient & neat. It's amazing how quick you get when you have a batch of 20 hats to get through.
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I hope this series is giving you a real insight into every step and every skilled pair of hands that you are investing in when you choose a piece of our knitwear. It's a nice way for me to take stock as we start the year.
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Illustration @fuchsiamacaree
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#liadainaikenknitwear #liadainaikeninsta #irishknitweardesigner #irishknitwear #irishdesign #irishlandscape #madeinireland #madetoorder #cherishforlife #wearingirish #madelocal #dccoi
