What does 2023 hold for Glencroft?
We are very excited about what 2023 year will bring (yes we know it’s already March, we’ve been writing this little post for a few weeks!), as we continue to develop our British Wool jumper range with a keen eye on sustainability and traceability, and take our Clapdale Wool Project one step further, with the help of British Wool to scale up the project..
We are about to launch the first jumper from our Clapdale Wool Collection – the Thwaite, as well as completing our recent trio of new jumper designs with the launch of the Beck Nordic jumper – all of which have been designed in collaboration with KnitLab North.
Launch of Thwaite Clapdale Jumper – RRP £300
2022 saw Glencroft develop its first prototype jumper made from their unique Farm-to-Yarn 100% traceable Clapdale Wool Project.
Launched in 2021 with funding from the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority’s Sustainable Development Fund, the Clapdale Wool Project saw Glencroft transform the fleece from sheep within a five mile radius to them in Clapham, and transform it into a unique Yorkshire Dales wool.
A limited edition run of just 56 jumpers made from Clapdale Wool and designed by KnitLab North, will be available early this year, retailing at approximately £300 in a presentation box containing the story of Clapdale Wool and much more. A ‘5-gauge made to feel like 3-gauge’ heavy-weight jumper, the Thwaite will be made from undyed wool and will boast a deep knit pattern to add shadow and texture.
Expansion of Clapdale Wool Project
Following on from the success of Glencroft’s Clapdale Wool Project, 2023 will see the expansion of this to take three tonnes of wool with the help of British Wool from seven local farms to be transformed into more items in the Clapdale Wool range.
In a development on last year’s project, this year, 1.5 tonnes of the fleece collected will be made into a pure Dalesbred tweed. As far as we know the first time tweed has been made from this unique hardy Dales sheep breed.
The rest will be made into machine and hand-knitting yarn which, and in a change from the first year of production, will be dyed – both in factory and by hand.
Once again, Glencroft hopes to make a variety of products from the wool, with the hope of launching these as finished garments as part of their 2023 AW collection.
Beck Nordic Style Jumper
Following on from the recent launch of their Martha and Tarbet jumpers, Glencroft is about to launch the final British Wool jumper in its series of new sweater designs – the Beck Nordic style jumper.
Made in the UK from 100% British Wool, this jumper was inspired by Fair Isle and other traditional geometric jumper patterns. The jumper features an oversized pattern running in a band around the top of the jumper in bright colours that contrast the classic grey base.
It features a fashionable button neck high collar.
British Wool Certified Luxury Insoles
Following over a year of development work to connect together the British Wool supply chain with material manufacturing that attaches the latex sole and UK cutting and printing facilities, Glencroft has just launched a unique wool insole.
The first and only insoles to be certified by British Wool, they are made from wool sourced entirely from British sheep farmers. Even the packaging that they come in has been printed locally in Yorkshire, making it the most traceable insole on the market.
At 10mm wool pile thickness, these luxurious insoles are over 250% thicker than their budget counterparts – perfect to keep feet warm in wellies and shoes.
Opening trade doors to South Korea
Glencroft has had a long-established export relationship with countries across the globe – from the US and Germany to Japan.
In 2023, Edward took the Glencroft brand one step further, at South Korea’s Seoul Living Fair, during a trade visit with the Department for International Trade.
