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| All Photos of/by Muffy Aldrich |
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| Port & Starboard. (Or when wearing it reversed, Starboard & Port.) All Photos of Muffy Aldrich. |
And now they have re-introduced two smashing versions from their archives.
With special permission from the Royal Navy, they have introduced the Cresta Run (which is a natural ice track in St. Moritz), one of the oldest races in history and one of the first events at the Winter Olympics. They will donate 10 pounds from each sale to Royal Navy and Royal Marine’s Charity.
And also from their archives, the very snappy Port & Starboard Guernsey. Le Tricoteur will donate 10 pounds from each jumper sold to the Guernsey Sailing Trust.
As always, these garments are Made in Guernsey,
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| Port & Starboard and Cresta Run |
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| Photo of Muffy Aldrich |
Cordings of Piccadilly has added a brilliant new color to their expanding stable of colors in their 4 Ply Lambswool Cardigan. While it photographs brighter than it is, the rich berry color needed to be shown! Beautifully made in Scotland. And check the size charts - this one runs larger than those in the past.
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| Photos by Salt Water New England |
Shown:
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| Photo by Salt Water New England |
A reader question:
Hi Muffy,
Longtime admirer of the blog -- an oasis!
Question for the community:
Do we all still send/give handwritten notes (whether thank you notes or short notes for other occasions)? One lesson I imbibed from my father -- in every way a gentleman of the "old school" -- was the value and importance of the handwritten note. He gets his personalized card stock from Smythson of Bond Street (while I take one of his into a local shop to get an almost exact facsimile at a much reduced price). I've found that the reaction one gets when giving such a note -- even from those not raised with similar tastes or traditions -- is uniformly positive; in fact, people seem to be shocked at how much they appreciate it (almost as if the tradition was about something true and meaningful in the first place, imagine that).
Assuming many still do, what is their general philosophy? When and for what purposes should they be sent? With what tone or in what style ought they to be written? Perhaps more esoterically, do people slash out their last name if writing on personalized stock to a friend or family member? (This last practice I have seen done, but not by my father, leading me to question whether it is really "done", if you catch my drift.)
Anyway, I'm interested in other people's thoughts and stories about this fun little tradition.
Best Regards,
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| Indigo and Kelly Stripes on Top, Coming Soon! Photos by Salt Water New England |
Some things shown:
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| Photo by Salt Water New England. D4. |
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| Photos by Salt Water New England. D3. |
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| Photo by Salt Water New England. D2. |
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| Hand-knit in Ireland by Ladies with Knitting Needles -Photos by Salt Water New England |
It used to be that if you travelled to Ireland and brought back an Irish/Aran Fisherman sweater (or likely more than one) they would have been hand-knit. And by that, I mean made by Irish ladies with knitting needles. And I am talking about pure wool, often Merino wool. Not wool blends and certainly not cotton.
While it was once the case that virtually all Aran Sweaters, or Irish Fisherman Knit sweaters, were hand-knit in Ireland, there are now three basic categories, which can easily confuse consumers. By design. These are hand-knit, hand-loomed, and machine made.
I have had them all. Irish knitwear companies have sent many to me and we have also had our own, bought at source, i.e., in Ireland. And it should say something that I currently only have the true hand-knits left, five of them to be exact, and one hand-loomed cardigan. The rest I have given away.
Beyond how they are made, I look at where they are made, and of what are they made.
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| The Pelmo in Oatmeal - Photos by Muffy Aldrich |
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| Photo by Salt Water New England |
This is her own design from ten years ago, which she did for Harley of Scotland, her family's company. Shown here in Honey, she also offers one in Duck Egg Blue, as well as a cardigan in Honey. And three different Strawberry Patch colors for the children at Little Bosie!
Shown:
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| Photo by Salt Water New England |
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| Photos by Salt Water New England |
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| Photos by Salt Water New England |
I wrote earlier that Steele reminded me of the kind of products that I used to stumble upon at L.L. Bean during their golden era. Rugged. Casually tasteful. Thoughtfully useful. Buy it and don't think about it for decades.
This log carrier and log holder are perfect examples. And the log holder is just as sturdy as you want a log holder to be.
It's been getting daily use. Now to refill the wood shed...
Shown:
- Steele Log Carrier <https://www.steelecanvas.com/products/steele-log-carrier>
- Steele Log Holder <https://www.steelecanvas.com/products/steele-log-carrier-stand>
Also Shown:
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| Photos by Salt Water New England |
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| Admiral 4 Ply Geelong Polo Neck Sweater - Naval Jack |
Also Shown:
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| Made in England |
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| Photos by Salt Water New England |
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| Photos by Salt Water New England |
A reader sent me this article from The Atlantic. Some quotes:
As the sheer quantity of clothing available to the average American has grown over the past few decades, everything feels at least a little bit flimsier than it used to...
The most obvious indication of these changes is printed on a garment’s fiber-content tag. Knits used to be made entirely from natural fibers.... Now... the overwhelming majority of yarn used in mass-market knitwear is blended with some type of plastic.
Knits made with synthetic fiber are cheaper to produce. They can be spun up in astronomical quantities to meet the sudden whims of clothing manufacturers... But by virtually every measure, synthetic fabrics are far inferior.
- Your Sweaters Are Garbage. Even expensive sweaters have lost their hefty, lush glory. <https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2023/10/sweater-clothing-quality-natural-fibers-fast-fashion/675600/>
To see all SWNE entries tagged 'sweater', click here: <https://www.saltwaternewengland.com/search/label/Sweater>
