The Story of the Leyden Geometric Lambswool Sweater

My journey with my brand began when I met a hand intarsia knitter who had lost his job in the 1980s when production moved to the Far East. I was heartbroken to hear his story and also incredibly mesmerised by his skills. Hand intarsia is such a rare skill, and something that I had never seen in real life on an industrial hand-led knitting machine. It was a technique I had only used on my domestic knitting machine and with hand knitting, neither of which achieve the finer attention to detail of the Dubied intarsia machines. I observed him work and completely fell in love. I knew I wanted to use this technique in my designs to showcase this heritage craft and give it a twist with contemporary yarns. Subsequently, I have tried to include intarsia throughout my collection, from the vertical zig zag stripe of socks to the statement geometric designs of sweaters.

Introducing the Leyden sweater

The Leyden Sweater is one such design which showcases a modern twist on the traditional intarsia knitting technique. Available in two bold colours (blue and pink), this sweater fuses geometric patterns inspired by 1930s woven textiles with the artisan craftsmanship of intarsia knitting and the twisting of joyful and colourful marls. The relaxed silhouette features an all-over jacquard, with a geometric chevron pattern that I designed by mark making, exploring placement on the body.

Crafting each Leyden Sweater is a slow and mindful process. First, the yarns are spun at an ethically-focused mill on the banks of Loch Leven; then a team of artisan knitters based in the Scottish Borders complete the complex hand intarsia detailing – a process that can take many hours. Each panel is knitted using the intarsia process, followed by the garment being conventionally linked, hand guiding a linking machine. The seams and neckline are linked stitch by stitch, to ensure the highest quality finish. Each sweater is then milled in the naturally soft and pure Scottish waters of the Teviot River to gently open the fibres and enhance the luxurious handle.

What is hand intarsia?

The geometric intarsia is created by knitting blocks of colour with separate strands of yarn by following a chart – almost like paint by numbers. Each square of the chart represents a stitch, and by then twisting the neighbouring colours together you create a seamless effect with no loops on the back. Personally, I loved the sharp geometric lines you can achieve with this beautiful technique. 

What I love about hand intarsia is that you get an imprint of the artisan who made it. Each knitter twists the adjacent yarns together differently, creating a raised seam. When you know how the knitters work and know each knitter’s own style, you can often guess who has knitted each individual piece.

What yarns are used?

The design of the Leyden showcases a unique yarn blend that I custom spin myself with a heritage Scottish mill. The colours of my marls are inspired both by abstract art and the colours that I find among nature on my daily walks. You can read more about how nature inspires my colour palettes here. The combinations of hues that have inspired me are imprinted into my mind until I start twisting the colours together, evoking moods and emotions. For the Leyden Sweater, I chose two colour palettes that blend bold and neutral tones:

1. A vibrant twist of bright pink and natural melange paired with a contrasting azure blue and deep red 
2. An earthy twist of hazelnut and charcoal grey twinned with a contrasting mix of vivid blue and navy. 
   
   

Thanks to the magic of natural yarns, this highly versatile sweater will help to regulate body temperatures, whatever the weather. Not only does it promise essential warmth against the cold, but it also has a lightweight quality that is equally suited to keeping cool during the summer months. The yarn has RWS (Responsible Wool Standards) certification, meaning that both the sheep that produce it and the land on which they graze are actively protected. 

How to style the Leyden sweater

The Leyden Sweater is a surprisingly versatile design. Not only is it the ultimate statement sweater, but it has endless styling possibilities. I love dressing it up with a pair of leather or tailored trousers, and also like throwing it on over an ankle-length cotton skirt for a streamlined silhouette. For more casualwear, it works well with a simple pair of jeans for everyday wear, and it can also be layered with a pair of shorts for warmth on cool summer nights.

This sweater brings together my loves and values, combining a modern, wearable style with a timeless design that is made to be cherished. Consciously and responsibly made, it champions and celebrates the art of British knitwear and slow manufacturing, highlighting the artisans and their time honoured crafts.

Find more of our sweaters here.