Ever since I can remember my mum has been a talented knitter. She knitted me cardigans and jumpers when I was little and as I’ve got older she has knitted everything from little toys to my sons first blanket. When Baby C was born I knew I wanted my mum to knit him something really lovely, something he could wear now and that I could keep as a memory too. I have fond memories of going to a tiny wool shop in South London with my mum when I was little. It smelt of old wood and was a sweet shop for the creative kind. Wool in every colour imaginable, stacked in shelves upon shelves. Then there were folders bursting at the seams with patterns. Hundreds, if not thousands of patterns. I remember standing there impatiently as my mum flicked through the pages time and time again. It was a real shame for my mum when that wool shop closed down but I guess with the Internet taking over and knitting seemingly dying out, it couldn’t survive. Well, amazingly now, knitting has actually had a resurgence. It’s dare I say it…. trendy! There are knitting clubs, books and even TV programs now talking about being frugal, creative and unique. But it can still be really hard to find a contemporary pattern and that’s what I was looking for with regards to this little jumper for Baby C. That’s when I came across Wool and The Gang. A knitting revolution.
Wool and The Gang are all about unique, sustainable fashion. They aim to create a global ‘knitwork of gangstas‘. I love that phrase! You have three options when it comes to Wool and The Gang. You can either buy an amazing complete piece of clothing, hand made and ready to go by the gang themselves. Secondly, you can buy all the individual pieces you need for an item that you know you need or thirdly (and the one I like best) you can buy a complete knit kit in a variety of skill levels and make it yourself! Pretty cool huh? When I saw that they had a ‘Baby Gang‘ section I had to check them out. Everything is super cute and modern – hooray! Finally! So I decided to opt for the delicious intermediate Merci Cardigan Kit and ask my mum if she would make it for Baby C. To say she was excited is an understatement. She couldn’t wait to get going and I was intrigued to see if the kit lived up to the hype in terms of how amazing the brand looks on line.
When the kit arrived, instantly I was blow away. It arrived in a box, personalised with my name on (which I think it a great touch and makes you feel valued). Then inside the box was a large, sturdy cardboard bag full of the goodies we had been waiting for. For this particular baby cardigan I chose black and white (you have the option to choose the colour of your wool and buttons). The yarn provided was Sheepaca Yarn and I have to say, I’ve never felt wool so soft before. It was almost silky. The quality was seriously impressive and I could already tell my mum was overjoyed as knitting with such lovely fabric. The kit comes with everything you need from the wool (obviously) to a sewing needle and a label you can sew on yourself, which is a nice touch. It makes you feel like you have created something but you’re part of a bigger picture. That’s obviously the ‘knitwork of gangstas’ effect.
Considering my mum is used to old-fashioned patterns, she read the pattern and understood it in a matter of minutes. The rosewood knitting needles took her a little getting used to as they were pretty smooth but she loved them. The only thing that happened was that towards the end of the knit one of the needles snapped. Luckily it was towards the end of the knit and my mum had the right size backups anyway. It could just be that she has been used to using metal needles for years so it stronger than she thinks but I have no doubt that The Wool and The Gang would have replaced them if we had let them know. The feedback from my mum as the knitter is great. She said it was a pleasure. She cemented the fact that the yarn was really amazing quality and she applauded how easy to read the instructions were. Even though they were more modern than what she is used too.
As for Baby C and I. We LOVE the Merci Cardigan. It’s so soft and has quite a bit of stretch to it. It feels lovely against my skin so I know it’s lovely against his too. It’s a cute design and fine for a boy or girl. Once Baby C has outgrown it I’ll keep it as a moment of when he was a baby as it’s so gorgeous. I’d definitely get another kit for my mum to do and actually, if you know a knitter, Wool and the Gang knit kits are an AWESOME present. If you’re learning and want to try them out but think you’re not quite ready yet, they have a really useful tutorial section of their website which you can head to for all kind of advice. They also have a bundle of free patterns you can download if you sign up to their mailing list (that has to be a win win situation right there!). Plus, they do knitting parties. I kid you not. This brand actually ROCKS!
I have to hand it to Wool and The Gang. My mum, my son and myself are now all part of the ‘knitwork of gangstas’. They are such a cool brand with a real likeable vibe. Great products and actually, I don’t know anywhere else that does something like this. So go on, get your knits out and get something that is #madeunique.
