MOTHER HAND artisan sweater

MOTHER HAND artisan. A sweater made by Mr. and Mrs. Nagai in Tokushima. At our store, this sweater is a must-have brand that I bought at the same time as Yamauchi. At the time, I was in my mid-twenties, and I didn't know what to do when I was buying. It doesn't go up. smile The first person I dealt with was still living in Belgium, so it was made in Belgium at the time, but now it is a brand that makes sweaters deep in the mountains of Tokushima Prefecture. All sweaters are made using a traditional hand knitting machine, a theory that is absolutely impossible for other sweaters. In the first place, the existence of a hand knitting machine is almost non-existent in Japan and the world. What's more, this brand uses a hand knitting machine for home use. Even those that exist today in Japan are said to be "industrial" knitting machines, which are completely different from those made for "home use". And, making full use of it, it is produced in a completely original process. That is MOTHER HAND artisan. 2021, February. Head to the Tokushima atelier where MOTHER HAND artisan sweaters are produced. Tokushima still has snow. The atelier, which was originally my destination, is deep in the mountains, so when you enter Tokushima, you can see the mountains along most of the way. The river water is clear, The closer you get to the studio, the more green you get and the closer you get to the mountains. When you enter the mountain, the road where there was a guardrail at first, Gradually it disappears, and a lot of snow remains. Well, it's a place like this, so I can concentrate on production, and I can feel that it's here that it's finished with this quality. And this view makes me want to wear a sweater because it looks cold. smile There are orderly rows of white-only sweater samples. MOTHER HAND artisan produced from here. It looks very simple, but what is included in it is a masterpiece. The sky is very close, the atelier is surrounded by forests and the air is clear. The building in this picture is not my atelier. And here is the site where sweaters are created. A space where several hand weft knitting machines are arranged in an orderly manner, creating a sense of tension as if the threads were stretched. Hand knitting machine for home use by the brand. A row of latch needles is lined up, threads are hung here, and a sweater is knitted. We own multiple hand flat knitting machines and make full use of them for each gauge. Knitted fabric is formed stitch by stitch by manually moving the handle. Due to the nature of the knitting machine, it seems to use considerable hand strength to make one piece. As the name suggests, the "household hand knitting machine" is an old tool that once existed in Japanese homes. However, the number of such devices decreased with the passage of time, and the number of people who could use them decreased. Nowadays, it is rarer than hand-knitted sweaters, and even if it is an "industrial" hand knitting machine that can produce a constant amount, as mentioned above, the existence of "household hand knitting machines" itself and the people who continue to run brands with it. It does not exist outside of MOTHER HAND artisan. But this brand doesn't stop there. Designed so that the owner and wearer can wear it most comfortably for a long time. It's based on its own theory. I call this sweater "God's sweater". seriously. Really. This season, our shop has 4 types of development. But I only have 3 types so far. That's the kind of thing that takes a lot of work. So, today I'd like to introduce you to three of them. MOTHER HAND artisan GENT material_SUPER FINE WOOL SUPER 100'S 75%,ANGORA 25% color _ BORMIDA melange fit_PLUS FIT size_3,4,5,6 MOTHER HAND artisan GENT material_SUPER FINE WOOL SUPER 100'S 75%,ANGORA 25% color_GRIGIO 6 fit_PLUS FIT size_3,4,5,6 I've talked about this many times before, but MOTHER HAND artisan's "golden ratio" is a blend of 75% super 100 wool and 25% angora (angora rabbit). Crewneck GENT. As you can see, there are no ribs on the edges of the neck, sleeves, and hem, and the edges of the knitted fabric are neatly processed, making use of the characteristic "curling" of the knitted fabric. And the skills of MOTHER HAND artisan are hidden in various places that shape this sweater. Well, if you see the actual product, you can understand the careful processing of the knit on the edge of the fabric, First, here. It's a little bit like a boat neck, or rather, it doesn't go that far, but it's a neck shape that opens to the side. And the neck is curled both front and back. Both sides of the neck are the most stressful areas when putting on and taking off this sweater. Right here. Only the left and right sides of these are not curled at the edges. Only on both sides where this is not possible, the thread of the knitted fabric is changed to a thread that is several times thicker, and the thread is put back on the knitting machine, and the triangular shaped fabric is made stronger and stiffer. You will know this if you touch it. What I mean by that is that usually after the shape of the clothes is completed, the specifications for reinforcement are added at the end. But that would add a "plus" to the look. That is different from what MOTHER HAND artisan aims for. "Subtraction" sweater. Anyway, it's not about adding to the look and adding to it. That's why I knit it on a hand weft knitting machine, and when I find a place that needs reinforcement, I incorporate the reinforcement into the knitted fabric from the beginning. I'm aiming for a simple sweater that doesn't overstate the look of "pull and pull". And this sweater, as a big feature, There is such a thing as "making parts as one". "body" and "arm". It consists of only these two parts. However, it is extremely complicated and difficult to understand. Originally, the "body" is divided into two parts, the "front body" and the "back body", but MOTHER HAND artisan knits the front body and the back body in a continuous fashion without separating them. . You can see it in the shoulders in the photo above. Continue knitting the front body, change the direction of the knitted fabric so that it does not feel cramped when it reaches around the shoulder, and continue knitting as it is. Further, when the back body is reached, the direction of the knitted fabric is switched again, and the knitted fabric is knitted without interruption. That's why the inside of the sweater, that is, the skin side, has no seam allowances or overlapping fabrics, making it a very "flat" structure. And the flat structure is also utilized in the arm. But this is another shot, it's dangerous. No matter what type of clothing you wear, sleeves tend to taper from the shoulder to the tip of the sleeve. Like a photograph. The width of the shoulder around the armhole and the width of the cuff are completely different. this. This is a picture of the part that corresponds to the inside of the arm. Please take a good look. Can you see that the "eyes" of the knitted fabric intersect toward the center from the two directions? If it is a normal knitted fabric of this kind, there should be a seam allowance on the back side. But you know, Look. MOTHER HAND artisan, no seams. Thanks to this, there is no discomfort. That's why I'm also wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt today. I don't feel anything when I wear it. in a very positive way. This is a technique called "widening" and "reducing". Using that technique, it is normal to cut a large knitted fabric, which is normally knitted flat, according to the pattern, sew it and join it together, but that is not the case. Aiming for a set finished shape, the stitches are increased or decreased, and by connecting them without sewing, a three-dimensional figure is created. This is MOTHER HAND artisan quality. And the "widening eyes" and "reducing eyes" are not only on the arms, but also on the body. For areas that are likely to be scooped out inside the armhole, reduce the number of stitches and continue knitting. By using a hand weft knitting machine to increase or decrease the number of stitches as you knit, you can create a sweater that is very comfortable to wear. This is the back. The MOTHER HAND artisan sweater that is knitted in this way has only two parts where it is sewn. Armhole and body side. Only these two. There is nothing around the inner neck, it is flat and very comfortable against the skin. As mentioned above, there are no seams on the inside of the sleeves either. This is the connection between the bodice and the sleeves. In knitwear, stitching is called "linking". Armholes are hand-linked. In other words, the armhole cuffs are hand-stitched. Moreover, the world of knitwear is a world of mathematics, and each stitch is strictly controlled during production. Especially, as mentioned above, the number of stitches is very important, such as "widening stitches" and "reduced stitches", so this sweater is knitted with great importance. I'm adding it. Furthermore, due to the structure of clothes, the sleeves are made wider than the armholes on the body. Because it is necessary to make the shoulder move. If you make both of them with the same size and combine them, the shoulders will be too cramped and difficult to move. Therefore, by making the sleeves larger than the armholes and combining them with the body, the shoulders will be rounded and the clothes will be able to move smoothly. At MOTHER HAND artisan, Mr. Nagai counts the stitches on the sleeves that are larger than the armholes and evenly distributes the stitches by hand to create a comfortable shoulder shape. The world of arithmetic. This is what I tried a little at the atelier. It's a fairly straightforward process. And it's not just one piece. All the models that we carry in our shop are completed through this process. On the other hand, the sides of the bodice are sutured using a linking machine like this. Even if you say linking machine, it's super analog. As shown in the photo, the stitches are passed through the parts of the machine one by one, set in a unique tool with a handle, and sewn together by turning the handle. The sides of the bodice are straight, so it seems that such a tool can be used, but the armhole of the set-in sleeve is three-dimensional, so it cannot be used. And MOTHER HAND artisan's sweaters are made one by one over time, and of course the materials are wonderful. As I wrote at the beginning, the material is 75% wool and 25% angora. This is the representative material of the brand that has been perfected over the years. I'm also fascinated by this material and have worn many sweaters from this brand and it's amazing. There is no tingling sensation that directly hits the skin from the beginning. But at first, of course it's fine, but I don't want you to be satisfied with this. this. All sweaters come with a hangtag with care instructions. yes. It has instructions on how to wash it. If you're reading this blog and can only read English, it doesn't matter if you are. I also write in English. Rest assured. Well, let's leave it at that. If you wash it according to this method, this material will change positively. Overwhelming skin contact is achieved, and clogging and heat retention are also improved. This is a masterpiece. God. God. MOTHER HAND artisan. Many people have a negative image of knitwear. Do not wash. The mindset does not exist and washing is recommended. Well, I ignore this method and throw it in the washing machine, but please do so at your own risk. at your own risk. And as it is repeatedly washed and worn, it becomes familiar with the wearer's body and evolves into a sweater that can never be taken off. This is MOTHER HAND artisan. GRIGIO 6, which is very close to black, and the blue melange color that has been appearing a while ago. It's more of a gray category, but it also has a slightly reddish brown look. I like the color. which one to choose I will leave it to you. MOTHER HAND artisan GEEL material_SUPER FINE WOOL SUPER 100'S 75%,ANGORA 25% color _ ALABAMA fit_PLUS FIT size_3,4,5,6 And this. It is the same process as GENT, but the model GEEL is made by knitting it into a large size and applying "frilling". The GENT I mentioned earlier becomes clogged with washing, but this one is clogged from the beginning. But if you wash it in the same way, it will clog your eyes. Today, as I write this, I'm wearing the first Belgian knitwear, and it's really tight. Great thickness. That's why I wear a short-sleeved T-shirt underneath even on days like today. This one has a slightly higher neck. It's not a turtleneck, but when you wear it, it feels like it's standing along your neck. And this thickness even in a brand new state. A clogged eye that you can definitely see. I think it looks kind of matte. This is. back. There are no seams here either. You can experience this unique solidness that is not often found in knitwear without anything to get in the way. I'm sure you'll be satisfied with the hit on your neck, no, I think you'll be impressed. It's good to enjoy clogging eyes from the beginning, and it's okay to clog your eyes yourself. I've experienced both to the fullest, so GENT and GEEL are a matter of preference, including usage. oh yeah. Customers often ask me, will it shrink after washing? It shrinks, doesn't it? Because I wash it. But it doesn't shrink a lot, it just shrinks a little. Also, the washing instructions on the tag are very easy, and it says to finish with an iron, but you can iron it and make it very large. So, as long as you don't use alkaline detergent in hot water near boiling, you don't have to worry about it. Therefore, please choose this sweater not only in new condition, but also in anticipation of wearing it. I'm sure you'll be able to wear it again and again in the coming winter. And GENT is \39,600- (tax included), GEEL is \48,400- (tax included). This is a price only MOTHER HAND artisan can offer. I think the quality far outweighs the price. If you like it, please take a look. It will go on sale tomorrow, the 19th (Friday).