The Cashmere Guernsey in Nautical

The marriage between two of L Y N N E ‘s biggest textile loves.  This is the first time in commercial production that these pieces have been knitted together.     A collaboration that L Y N N E is fiercely proud of, it combines her past two decades of cashmere experience with over 60 years of knitwear knowledge from her textile mentor Arthur Eldridge, owner of Guernsey Woollens.

The Guernsey is famous worldwide, with its roots in the 16th century, when hand knitting was at its peak. Traditionally knitted by women for sailors, coastal workers and fishermen, these pieces were used to protect the wearer from harsh weather come hail, rain or shine. By the 1800s, a typical pattern was set in place, still used as a template today, and each element of the garment's’ construction is significant - from the original diamond-shaped armpit to aid movement, to the ribbing on the sleeve used to mirror rope.

Knitters were said to customise for certain individuals, so that if a jumper was to be separated from its wearer, they could be identified and reunited. L Y N N E ‘s nod to this customisation comes in merging Scottish cashmere with the artisans who knit here on Guernsey.

Typically a kilogramme in weight, the cashmere Guernsey is the ultimate in luxury. With 12 ply of the finest Scottish cashmere sourced at Todd & Duncan on the banks of Loch Leven, the yarn is transported to Guernsey, where it is expertly knitted into the traditional jumper before heading back to Scotland to be finished in our geographically soft Scottish water in the heart of Hawick. On its return to Guernsey, the labels and ends are sewn in, ready to head off to its next generation of seafarer.