No compromise.
Of course, we all pay attention to the material we use in our projects. Quality is what matters most. There are many sayings about this, such as “Quality costs, but no quality costs more” or “If you love to knit from dawn till dusk, pay attention to quality” – admittedly, we just made up the latter, but you know what we mean.
We find out more about quality in an interview with Britta Kremke.
The best jumpers are usually made of cashmere; major fashion houses use fine alpaca and merino has long been the standard choice in the premium outdoor sector. But guanaco and vicuña are also some of the best wools knitting enthusiasts the world over can buy. At addi, we know from experience that the quality requirements placed on knitting needles and crochet hooks are also constantly increasing. That suits us perfectly, as we have always set ourselves the highest of standards.
Find out more on the following pages. The information comes exclusively from our own customers. Where does the wool come from? What is the difference between cheap and exclusive wool? Read on to find out. It’s fascinating.
The best jumpers are usually made of cashmere; major fashion houses use fine alpaca and merino has long been the standard choice in the premium outdoor sector. But guanaco and vicuña are also some of the best wools knitting enthusiasts the world over can buy. At addi, we know from experience that the quality requirements placed on knitting needles and crochet hooks are also constantly increasing. That suits us perfectly, as we have always set ourselves the highest of standards.
Find out more on the following pages. The information comes exclusively from our own customers. Where does the wool come from? What is the difference between cheap and exclusive wool? Read on to find out. It’s fascinating.
More about quality.
Today, we are talking to Britta Kremke from Selected Yarns.
She had dreamed of selling wool one day since she was little. It was probably in her blood: her mother had a wool shop in Hamburg, where a young Britta knitted her first jumper at the age of seven. In other words, she was more or less born with needles and wool in her hands.
More about quality.
Today, we are talking to Britta Kremke from Selected Yarns.
She had dreamed of selling wool one day since she was little. It was probably in her blood: her mother had a wool shop in Hamburg, where a young Britta knitted her first jumper at the age of seven. In other words, she was more or less born with needles and wool in her hands.
Selected Yarns' yarns are produced in various spinning mills around the world, from Thailand to England. GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified yarns are produced in Turkey or Italy, for example.
GOTS is a seal that Mrs Kremke relies on when it comes to sustainability. All stages of production are checked, from animal welfare and environmental protection to fair payment and high social standards. Although this is not cheap, it is probably indispensable and important for us today.
Britta Kremke has found another aspect of certification is that you also question your own way of working. “Does a delivery really have to come by air? Can we combine consignments? How can we make the workstations in our warehouse more ergonomic? How can we create family-friendly working conditions? And so on… This does not add a lot to the price of our yarns, as the costs are spread over a lot of balls of wool. But of course, a good raw material and excellent workmanship always have a price.”
Selected Yarns' yarns are produced in various spinning mills around the world, from Thailand to England. GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified yarns are produced in Turkey or Italy, for example.
GOTS is a seal that Mrs Kremke relies on when it comes to sustainability. All stages of production are checked, from animal welfare and environmental protection to fair payment and high social standards. Although this is not cheap, it is probably indispensable and important for us today.
Britta Kremke has found another aspect of certification is that you also question your own way of working. “Does a delivery really have to come by air? Can we combine consignments? How can we make the workstations in our warehouse more ergonomic? How can we create family-friendly working conditions? And so on… This does not add a lot to the price of our yarns, as the costs are spread over a lot of balls of wool. But of course, a good raw material and excellent workmanship always have a price.”
We couldn’t agree more: quality has a price.
Interestingly, however, the sustainability aspect is not the main factor in significant price differences. The material itself plays a bigger role here, Britta Kremke explains. Wools made entirely from synthetic fibres are available for under € 1 from discount stores. Exclusive yarns, on the other hand, are made from rare raw materials such as yak, cashmere, baby alpaca or special breeds of sheep. Hand-dyed yarns can cost € 20 or more for 50 grams. These exclusive raw fibres, like cashmere, are made up of long hairs and are both fine and rare. “They have great wicking and insulation properties and are amazingly soft, and every minute that you work with the yarns is an absolute pleasure. It’s like yoga for your hands.”
Interestingly, however, the sustainability aspect is not the main factor in significant price differences. The material itself plays a bigger role here, Britta Kremke explains. Wools made entirely from synthetic fibres are available for under € 1 from discount stores. Exclusive yarns, on the other hand, are made from rare raw materials such as yak, cashmere, baby alpaca or special breeds of sheep. Hand-dyed yarns can cost € 20 or more for 50 grams. These exclusive raw fibres, like cashmere, are made up of long hairs and are both fine and rare. “They have great wicking and insulation properties and are amazingly soft, and every minute that you work with the yarns is an absolute pleasure. It’s like yoga for your hands.”
An addi needle that Mrs Kremke recommends? The addiNature olive wood circular knitting needles. She finds them warm, quiet and pleasantly woody – and, by the way, just as high-quality as the yarns you can buy from Selected Yarns.
An addi needle that Mrs Kremke recommends? The addiNature olive wood circular knitting needles. She finds them warm, quiet and pleasantly woody – and, by the way, just as high-quality as the yarns you can buy from Selected Yarns.
Want to find out more? Next time, we will be talking to Sebastian Hermann from Schulana, a yarn supplier from Munich, and Jakob Lang from Lang Yarns, a Swiss yarn supplier. Both are experts in the field.
Want to find out more? Next time, we will be talking to Sebastian Hermann from Schulana, a yarn supplier from Munich, and Jakob Lang from Lang Yarns, a Swiss yarn supplier. Both are experts in the field.
