Colhay’s specialises in Scottish-made knitwear designed to last for generations and finished to the highest standard. Intrigued about Colhay’s and wondering how to take care of your knitwear? Read on to discover more.
How it started
Colhay’s background is charming. The brand’s founder, Ronnie Chiu, says Colhay’s was inspired by two sweaters his father bought in the 1970s. The sweaters lasted until now, spurring Ronnie into a search for the craftspeople who made such long-lasting knitwear.
Having found the same knitters who made his father’s sweaters, a collaboration was born. With slimmer fits and modern style, Colhay’s collection brings this heritage bang up to date but doesn’t sacrifice any of the exacting standards of the past.
To make sure the brand’s customers understand exactly what makes Scottish knitwear so special, Colhay’s website includes detailed information on how its knitwear is made and why the materials and techniques at each stage of production are the best.
Buy less, buy the best
Colhay’s hopes to persuade people to buy less but buy the best. The goal is for people to invest in heirloom-quality garments that last, like people did before the advent of fast, disposable fashion and clothing.
Scottish-made knitwear lasts because it is densely knitted with far more yarn than usual, hand-finished with strong seams and construction, and not over washed – so the fibres soften naturally with time. The exacting standards of the industry, where the highest standards are observed at every stage of manufacture, are maintained today.
There are no corners cut with Scottish knitwear, which always uses the world’s best fibres, spun into yarn by the world’s expert spinners, and then knitted by the world’s finest knitters.
The result is knitwear that gets better with age, retains its shape even with regular wear, and will pill less over time when hand-washed. Often knitwear tends to lose shape, pill, shed fibres, and thin out over time, with a lifespan of not more than 5 – 7 years.
What to buy
Highlights from Colhay’s collection include the shawl collar cardigan, a luxuriously soft and thick winter favourite, packed with 1.2 kilograms of superfine lambswool in a rib stitch construction, and the luxury version of a naval favourite, the submariner, made of 100% Scottish cashmere.
There are plenty more styles to covet on the brand’s website, with cashmere, superfine lambswool, extrafine merino, cashmere silk knitwear and even accessories to choose from.
Need-to-know knitwear care
It’s all well and good investing in the best knitwear, but customers should also know how to take care of their purchases to ensure they last as intended.
Once you’ve purchased your knitwear, hand wash it after the first 2-3 wears to help settle fibres and prevent pilling. When knitwear is new, fibres tend to be unsettled and can get tangled more easily.
Hand wash your knitwear once or twice a year. A key part of knitwear ageing well is hand-washing it as it settles fibres, prevents pilling, and makes high quality knitwear stronger over time, rather than weaker.
Dry your knitwear flat on a towel after washing. Whatever you do, don’t hang it to dry as it’ll lose its shape, fold it instead.
When it’s not knitwear season, store your purchases in a ziplock bag with no holes to prevent moths. Make sure any garment is completely dry before you stow it away.
When buying knitwear, ask three questions
Are fibres the best, are they the finest and longest of their kind? The best cashmere fibres should be under 15.5 microns in diameter and over 38mm in length.
Was the yarn spun by a Scottish or Italian spinner (top spinners in the world include the likes of Todd & Duncan, Cariaggi, Loro Piana, Zegna Baruffa)?
And finally, where was the garment knitted? You can find out about this usually on the inside seam of the garment where it tells you where a garment is made. If it is made in Scotland, you are in good hands.
