Albam Clothing

Just received this from Albam:

Many thanks for your email. Unfortunately it is the last run of Albam products produced at Stevenage Knitting Co.

We defiantly agree that this is a disaster and a loss for British manufacturing as a whole.

Please feel free to get in touch if we can assist you further.

Best wishes,

It makes me when awesome things come to an end.

Originally Posted by hoit1981

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Just received this from Albam:

Many thanks for your email. Unfortunately it is the last run of Albam products produced at Stevenage Knitting Co.

We defiantly agree that this is a disaster and a loss for British manufacturing as a whole.

Please feel free to get in touch if we can assist you further.

Best wishes,

It makes me

when awesome things come to an end.
I hear ya. It's especially a shame because many of us are only recently being introduced to great old mills like Stevenage via shops like Albam. There is clearly a renewed interest in quality products manufactured in the UK, US, etc. I sometimes wonder if, lately, companies like Alden and Quoddy don't have orders coming out of their ears. There's also lesser known companies like Columbiaknit in Portland, Oregon, and Centralia Knitting Mills in Centralia Washington, that are being asked to create knits for start-ups (like Archival Clothing) that want stuff that was knitted the way it was years ago. No doubt Stevenage knows its business. But still, it's too bad they couldn't have held on a little longer to assess whether all this renewed interest might translate to enough increased demand for Stevenage products that would allow them to continue & possibly flourish. We'll never know. Let's just hope that Albam will continue to introduce us to gems like it's done in the past with the Fisherman's Cagoule and the the Winter Irwin Shawl Cardigan.

I'm interested to see what Albam does now. I'd written in my blog earlier this year how the company sells that beautiful Irwin cardigan each spring and winter, as if it'd go on forever.

Just received this from Albam:

We should be producing the Irwin Shawl in the future but as of yet I have no specifics on the plans for this. With regards to factories, there are still a few decent manufacturers within the UK as well as brands like ourselves that are willing to use them i.e. Old Town and Nigel Cabourn.

I am unfortunately unable to provide any details regarding new factories we may be using. Apologies about this.

Please feel free to contact me if I can assist you with anything else.

All the best,

So, it should be interesting to see what an updated Irwin Shawl made for Albam by a different manufacturer would be like...

Originally Posted by baba booey

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I picked up the chunky zip cardigan and the Irwin shawl that are both made by Stevenage Knitting Co, very nice. I went tts, and they fit great. If there is an American stockist I would love to know because I got nailed with customs on my order.
How did the customs issue work out? Did you need to go somewhere to pick up the package and/or pay duty?

So, I've been waiting for what seemed like an eternity for my Winter Irwin Shawl Collar Cardigan from Albam (partially because it had to clear customs but mostly because I just couldn't patiently wait!).

Then this morning I happened to read or hear (I can't even remember which) that today is Steve McQueen's birthday (he would've been 81). And Steve was known to sport a sweater very similar to the Irwin model from Albam:


So, what arrives in the mail today, direct from jolly 'ole England?




I may end up looking more like Mr. Rogers than Steve McQueen, but I must admit I feel a tiny bit cooler just for having this wonderful garment (knitted by Stevenage Kniting Co, which has decided to cease operation) by my side.


Here's some additional information from a very entertaining blog: http://stevemcqueenstyle.blogspot.co...cardigans.html





http://www.albamclothing.com/product...r-cardigan.asp

Nice cardi. It's always sad when great manufacturers go extinct. And thanks for cropping out Steve McQueen's ding dong.

Originally Posted by zissou

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Nice cardi. It's always sad when great manufacturers go extinct. And thanks for cropping out Steve McQueen's ding dong.
Hah ... if people want the real thing it's easily found on the net. I wanted to keep the focus on Steve's cardi.

Please excuse the poor quality of these photos, but here's a shot of the Stevenage "A Whaler Sweater" label, found along the side seam:

The knit looks an awful lot like one of my Cabourn sweaters. I wonder if they made it.

And how is the construction of the Whaler? Let me guess... you're feeling so happy about it that you want to whip your knob out too?

Originally Posted by hoit1981

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And how is the construction of the Whaler? Let me guess... you're feeling so happy about it that you want to whip your knob out too?
thaaat's-right.

The only thing about the sweater is this: the pockets on the front appear, from certain angles, in certain light (sunlight, as opposed to articial lighting) to be of a slightly different color from the rest of the sweater. I'm not sure what Steve would say about it, or if he'd tell me to go get my %%*@%#$8& eyes examined.

Well CEE88, you know what to do if you don't want it (wink wink, nudge nudge)

Thoughts?

Originally Posted by CEE88

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Thoughts?
I like the pockets on my (A/W 09) better

Okay, here's the situation -- love my Winter Irwin Shawl Cardigan ... except I notice something peculiar about how it looks in certain lighting.

indoor lighting


lots of natural/outdoor lighting


Assuming you can see the color difference, I have three questions: First, is it supposed to look different (and, if not, what would cause this 'imperfection' - a different run of wool)? Second, does it matter? Third, any possible solutions (besides confining it to indoor use )? Thanks.