The making of a Little Knotty scarf

THE FINEST YARN

Our little Knotty scarves start by sourcing the very best yarn. The baby alpaca yarn found in our Chatham and Thoreau collections comes from Peru – home of the finest baby alpaca. Baby Alpaca not only feels good next to your skin, but it is also prized for it’s thermal properties, silkiness, softness and durability. Following ancient customs, the alpacas are carefully sheared once a year, causing no harm to the animals. Once the fiber is collected it is then hand-sorted and spun into the yarn used for knitting.

OUR PARTNERS IN PERU

When the demand for Little Knotty’s became too much to handle on my own, I looked for a partner that was as committed to quality and attention to detail as I am. I discovered a wonderful family run company in Arequipa, Peru with a long history of knitting. They have been helping craft these little scarves ever since. I am proud to be able to employ and support these artisans and craftspeople in a place so rich in textile history.

KNITTING IS JUST THE BEGINNING

The process begins by knitting the yarn into the unique textures of each collection. One by one each knitted piece is then washed, steamed, and linked into the signature triangle shape.

HAND-KNOTTED FRINGE

Once the scarves are done being knit and shaped they go through the hand-finishing process starting with the hand-knotted fringe. One by one the fringe tassels are tied and then neatly trimmed with scissors to 3”.

THE SIGNATURE KNOT CLOSURE

There is a lot of attention to detail and love that goes into the closure of our Little Knotty Scarves. At first, I was concerned I wouldn’t find someone that would put the crazy amount of effort in this closure, but my team in Peru blows me away with their perfection every time. This double button and knot closure is what makes this scarf so effortless and where the name “Little Knotty” comes from. The artisans in Peru hand-tie and sew each figure 8 knot, as well as the two shell buttons. The final finishing touch is adding the label and another Little Knotty is ready!