SOLNORD MADE IN HOKKAIDO
SOLNORD, a knitwear manufacturer created by Hokkaido residents using Hokkaido wool.
Their knitwear is a staple that our sister store ARCH proposes for autumn and winter.
This upcoming weekend, December 6th and 7th, we will be holding a limited two-day event on the 2nd floor of ANATOMICA KYOTO.
First, I would like to quote an article written by Mr. Ishitani, the designer, from a past ARCH blog, to explain the background of SOLNORD, which creates products "MADE IN HOKKAIDO."
"SOLNORD's Yarn"
We produce sweaters and knitted goods using wool from sheep primarily raised for meat in Hokkaido.
Unlike Shetland or Merino wool, the wool quality is short-fibered, mainly from Suffolk sheep, thick at the root and fine at the tip. It was once considered unsuitable for knitting.
We research this wool, conduct hypotheses and verifications, and develop our own yarn.
Its fibers contain more air and have the property of retaining the warmth generated by body heat.
Having options at the yarn stage is also unique to SOLNORD.
We offer two types: hand-spun yarn, which is uneven, textured, and light to wear, and machine-spun yarn, which is denser and heavier, produced by a vintage machine from 1956.
Even with the same raw wool, the expression and atmosphere change depending on how it's handled, which is another great pleasure. We create products by utilizing the characteristics of the raw wool without subjecting it to excessive stress.
Spinning is an important process before knitting when making a sweater.
This yarn is one of our main protagonists.
About SOLNORD's Knitters
All hand-knitted items offered by SOLNORD are knitted by knitters residing in Hokkaido.
They are produced with the cooperation of individuals who run their own brands or teachers who run knitting classes.
In Hokkaido, there has long been a culture of knitting at home during the cold winters, and these knitting skills have been passed down through generations. However, this knitting culture has somewhat faded in recent years.
We rarely hear phrases like "my grandmother used to knit for me," which we often heard in the past.
The skill of knitting a single thread into a three-dimensional object is not something that can be easily acquired.
SOLNORD's knitters have knitting as part of their daily lives and possess highly skilled techniques.
And it's not just about their technical ability to knit; we are always amazed by their soft, broad perspective and curiosity, which allows them to embrace new things.
SOLNORD exists thanks to the cooperation of all the knitters.
About SOLNORD's Patterns
All our products are three-dimensional, and our manufacturing is based on the premise that a human body will enter (wear) them.
Also, unlike woven fabrics, all patterns are connected, and we literally knit them by calculation.
We consider the range of motion necessary for a person to move with a single thread, using the elasticity of knitwear plus an extra allowance. We also adjust the neck slope and shoulder line to reduce the characteristic prickliness of knitwear.
Details such as thumbholes and slits are all formed from practicality, which we consider "beauty of utility."
We want to create things we ourselves want to wear. Not just because they sell, but because we want to sell them.
Such intentions are embodied in our products.
by SOLNORD Mr. Ishitani
Using every part of the sheep raised in Hokkaido.
In contrast to fabrics for clothing that would be discarded, wool can be turned into yarn and provided as a product without waste.
Please come and see the Hokkaido-made knitwear, filled with Mr. Ishitani's passion, at our store.
We will introduce the details of the items at a later date.
ANATOMICA KYOTO
Takumi
SOLNORD SPECIAL EVENT
2025.12/6(sat), 12/7(sun)
in ANATOMICA KYOTO