Jo Storie
Knitwear Brand and Consultancy Services
Jo Storie Design consultancy – (SERVICE B to B) Is a knit specialist design studio, supporting brands create and develop their knitwear ranges. A key role is in raw material sourcing and in recent years I’ve recommended British wool to many of my clients. ( e.g. T.V.L.B, Arthur Beale, Glencroft, Laxtons & Merrick Scotland)
BareFaced knits – ( PRODUCT B to C) Is an own brand specializing in British wool, alpaca. Along with having its own hand knit yarn fully supported with DIY knit kits it has its own Ready to Wear knitwear collection.
What is so amazing about working with British wool? The fact that its local and it supports the future of British farming. Its readily available, comes in a variety of breeds, with their own inherent characteristics. It’s biodegradable, durable, odor resist, thermo regulating etc….
If any/ what have been your challenges with working with British wool and a local way of working? Cost. It’s relatively expensive once it’s been spun and dyed in the UK. There’s preconceived notions that its itchy and scratchy. The current yarn counts are on the thicker side, so it’s difficult to imagine finer weight knits in it, this also adds to the assumption that it can only we used for heavier weighted garments.
Do you finish onsite? If not, is it convenient or what would be your ideal situation? Yes usually we wash and steam British wool.
Do you find a lot of push back in the industry in terms of working with British wool? In the DIY craft markets – no there’s no real resistance except the negative reactions to how harsh it may feel.
From a manufacturing point of view, there are many knitters not willing to try it as it can make a mess of their knitting machines, with loose fibers and sometimes seeds and debris. It’s also a yarn that needs special attention on the finishing side to soften but also avoid felting. Across breeds and colours there can be inconsistency of stitch size which can play havoc when size grading garments with small increments between them. It’s not always a consistent yarn and may vary from year to year.
Do you find that customers are becoming more interested in British wool? Yes, because it fits the current trend for sustainable fashion.
On a scale of 1- 10 (1 being the lowest and 10 excellent) how much do you think your business has improved in the below areas as a result of good working practices and environmental standards?
Waste Production - 10 (off-cuts, production)
Plastic Pollution - 10 (packaging)
Water Waste - 6 (dyeing and finishing)
Energy Consumption - 6 (shipping, machinery etc)
Do you have any hero farmers or people in your supply chain you would like to highlight? UNESCO BIOSPHERE – MERRICK Scotland – Using Blackface sheep from world heritage site in Scotland to create wearable knitwear styles and regenerate an area and economy in the process.
* I’d like to see more development on finer yarn counts at the spinning end and – to open up more options from a design perspective. I’d like to see more innovation in the use of the wool to encourage it to be a real contender against merino. The price of the yarn has to be more competitive but not at the farmer expense.