Tricot | Our materials

Tricot materials

Tricot has very high standards when it comes to selecting materials according to strict sustainability guidelines. That is why, from the very beginning, we have been striving to use materials like organic wool and cotton, natural wool and wool blends. Not only are the knits created from these materials are beautiful and warm, they are also durable. Those are pieces you will enjoy wearing and keeping for a very long time, which is what durability is all about.

Recycled cashmere

Cashmere is the queen of wools: in addition to being incredibly soft, it is completely natural, biodegradable, durable and very low maintenance.

Tricot recycles cashmere sweaters, selecting only the best fibres by hand to create a blend of recycled and high quality virgin cashmere fibres. Our recycled cashmere is made of 50 percent virgin cashmere fibres and 50 percent recycled cashmere wool.

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85 percent of the recycled fibres come from production surplus and 15 percent from recycling sweaters. Those fibres are produced by Italian manufacturers specialised in collecting and recycling deadstock sweaters. Cashmere fibres are then cleansed, ground and spun into a brand new yarn that we blend with virgin cashmere fibres.

Our virgin cashmere is a very high quality material—a perfect match for the recycled fibres. Coming directly from sheep raised in the Mongolia, it is very soft and durable.

How is it crafted?

Our recycled 3-ply cashmere is knitted in 7 gauge. What does that mean? It means three cashmere yarns were twisted together and then tightly knitted to create thick durable pieces. So you can wear your knits all year long and enjoy the incredible softness brought to you by Tricot.

Organic wool

For knits that will never go out of shape or style, wool is the way to go. Durable, natural and breathable, this low-maintenance material—meaning you will save water and detergent—is a lifetime companion. Here at Tricot, we are pushing our standards even further, selecting high quality organic wool.

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Organic wool is respectful of nature: it supports sustainable agriculture and animal welfare. First of all, sheep that are used to produce Tricot wool are treated humanely. They also graze and live on organic pastures. And even the wool itself is cleansed following a strict environmentally friendly process.

Our wool, classified as “extra fine”—17.5 microns, also called Super 120—is the raw material used to create high quality yarn. The wool we use to create our sweaters comes from Tollegno, an Italian textile manufacturer providing spinning savoir-faire since 1900. What makes that wool so special is the length of the fibres—only the longest ones are spun into yarn. This makes for super soft and durable knits that will not pill.

How is it crafted?

Our knits stand out because they are handcrafted using the “fully-fashioned technique”: each sweater part is knitted and shaped independently following a definite pattern. Rather than machine sewing all the pieces together, they are stitched together. It is a longer and more costly process, yet it saves yarn and produces a sturdier knit.

In addition, we use English rib stitch. Trivia fact: this puffy stitch it is also referred as “brioche.” This double-stitch knitting technique creates a denser fabric and calls for needles half a size smaller.

Combining those techniques provides unique, thicker knits that are also comfortable and durable.

Organic cotton

Cotton is everyone’s favorite material. Soft, natural and comfortable on the skin, cotton offers a large variety of styles and resists the test of time. And most importantly for Tricot, it is a plant-based material, preventing the use of synthetic fibres. Another considerable advantage of Tricot cotton? It is organic.

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Organic cotton is “clean” cotton. Free from pesticides, GMOs, chemical fertilisers and insecticides, it is grown with care and respect for the environment. And that is actually making a big difference in a world where cotton is the most cultivated crop globally.

Wool and cashmere are usually associated with winter, but cotton, on the other hand, is such a versatile and breathable material that it can be worn on its own in the summer or as a base layer when the temperature drops. The ultimate wardrobe essential.

Roving yarn

This thick and fluffy twisted yarn makes our hand-knitted sweaters extremely soft and warm. It has the characteristic fibre structure of wool prior to being spun into thinner yarns. Warm and fuzzy roving yarn is usually hand knitted with big wooden needles for that great authentic handmade look.

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Roving yarn is a nod to traditional spindle spinning, a technique predating the industrialisation of wool production. This naturally processed wool gives our roving yarn sweaters that unique Tricot look.

Tricot roving yarn is produced by farmers in the Andes where they also hand knit the wool in their neighbouring family workshop. A virtuous circle for local economy.

How is it crafted?

Our roving yarn is hand knitted traditionally with two wooden knitting needles and a ball of chunky yarn. Our Peruvian workshops specialise in this traditional craftsmanship that modern ready-to-wear brands seem to have forgotten about. This very demanding needlecraft can take up to 3 full days of effort to create one single sweater. An exceptional one-of-a-kind piece.

Alpaca

This natural wool is harvested from alpacas bred in the Andes Mountains. Celebrated for the quality of its fibres, alpaca is warmer, softer and thinner than sheep wool. Tricot alpaca is dyed in such a way that when knit, it gives our handmade or intarsia knits our signature heather effect.

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Alpacas are native to the Andes Mountains. Because they live at high elevations, their fleece is harder to come by than regular sheep wool. In addition, alpacas emit very little greenhouse gases and are an environmentally friendly cattle. They graze on natural pastures without uprooting the plants, contributing to soil regeneration. Tricot alpaca is produced by local farmers who also hand knit the wool in their neighbouring family workshop. A virtuous circle for local economy.

Alpacas are an integral part of Peruvian culture. Used as working animals in the past, Peruvians have been raising them for wool and meat for centuries.

How is it crafted?

Tricot alpaca is knitted on a manual knitting machine (gauge 3). This piece of equipment resembles a large piano and is traditionally used by local knitters. Each knitted piece requires the utmost attention and that is what makes our sweaters so unique.