Thank God Its Finally Winter

Thank God Its Finally Winter

Its been a long time coming but finally some cold weather. I mean proper winter type cold, showers, dark skies and the desire to keep warm and cosy.

While our part of the world has enjoyed an extended summer well into May, June has now brought a welcome correction to all of that.

Its great to have the definite seasons and the clothes that go with them. Out come the polo neck jumpers in wonderfully textured cables and textures. Wool really does shine at this time of the year and what better way to enjoy it all than to wear wool--preferably in Casaveen's great knitwear range.

While the mid year solstice is nearly here, it will still be a while before we get lighter mornings and evenings.

So rug up, snuggle down in front of the heater, tuck into warming curries and stews that are so right for this time of the year. Not to mention the occasional drop of red.

Enjoy the Winter. Its the best way to really appreciate Summer.

Without the changes in the seasons, it would all be really boring.

What is the Real Value of a Casaveen Product?

Its interesting how perceptions differ so greatly on what is valuable and what is cheap.

While it is easy to look at a cheaper product on the market, the reality is not necessarily that it is.

Consider these questions each time you purchase

• Why you are buying this item?
• How long you expect to use or wear it ?
• How easy is it to maintain in good condition?
• Will it will still look as good in 5 years time?

Its much easier to make a judgment on whether you are getting value for money.
It is really all about the quality.

Here at Casaveen we know how good our knitwear is. Having worn some older pieces for many years, they still refuse to wear out. This is not good for business in the short term but we have found many of our returning customers like the fact that Casaveen garments stand the test of time and still look good after many years.

When we take people through Casaveen on a factory tour, we frequently hear that now they understand why the garments cost what they do. They see how much time, effort and expertise goes into making each piece and realize that price is not an issue as you get what you pay for.
Yes, there are cheaper jumpers and cardigans on the market. In fact there are many cheaper alternatives at everywhere you look.
However once you factor in how many times you wear it, wash and it still looks good, you might be surprised at it's real value.
If you only get a few wears out of it till it loses its shape, starts to pill badly or falls apart, that's not cheap at all. That's expensive as it gets thrown out after a short time and after not a lot of wear.
You do get what you pay for.

Occasionally garments do come back for repair. We assess whether it can be repaired or not then advise the cost of the repair. If we can fix it we will, although bear in mind there are some repairs that are impossible.

Over the years we have had some interesting garments sent back for repair. We had a garment come back  as a horse had chewed the sleeve. Fortunately we were able to match the yarn to knit another sleeve. It then came back a second time as the horse proceeded to repeat the performance!
Now we don't hold ourselves responsible for animals chewing favourite pieces of clothing. However we do know that many of our garments become those favourite, comfortable pieces of knitwear that are hard to part with.

So what value is Casaveen knitwear? Its investment dressing at its best. Your garments will last, look great for many years to come and you will have many wears of it , so its value is very high.

New 2013 Range for Casaveen Knitwear

Are you finding it hard to get pure woollen knitwear that fits you, looks and feel good and is made here?
If you want superb quality, great style, stunning colours and made in Australia, HERE WE ARE!

Our new 2013 catalogue has just been delivered, hot off the press.

Magra, Sandford, Glendevie, Liawenee, Bridport, Copping, Hillwood, Hampshire, Legerwood, Sandy Bay and Lucaston aren't just charming Tasmanian places. They are our newest styles and they are all made with pure new wool by our skilled staff here in Oatlands, Tasmania.
We don't just knit any old jumper we knit your jumper exclusively just for you!
That's our catch cry and its exactly what we do.
You choose the style, colour and size and we do the rest. Its that easy!

New colours for this season are Peppermint, Cranberry and Shocking Pink. All colours are available in both the Classic and Fine ranges with the exception of Charcoal and Bluestone--only in the Classic, Charcoal Marle and Denim Marle--only in the Fine.
We have also added a Mid range, a weight between Classic and Fine and available in all colours.

This year the garments are now being dispatched in ziplock bags. Keeping your garment in this bag will keep it fresh and away for the occasional bug that regards wool as the perfect dinner.

Please browse the updated website and we hope you find our newest styles, along with our tried and true faithful stayers.

We know our garments really don't wear out so why not add some more to your wardrobe!

In January I had the opportunity to try out our newest aran styled jumper at the great ski area of Crested Butte in Colorado, USA.
Crested Butte Mountain, pictured in the background, allowed a great test in very cold conditions. With temperatures below freezing and getting down to -24 Celcius, not only was I comfortable, I was warm and toasty without wearing lots of layers.
There was a need for a outer waterproof layer once the sun went down and certainly a light layer underneath, but I didn't need "lots" of layers to stay warm and toasty.

The Liawenee jumper in the photo is part of our new range which we are rolling out over February.
Knitted in our Classic yarn, you can choose a polo, crew or turtle neckline and as always, in any of our colours.

Our trip to Colorado was an eye opener. Check out the video of Allan extolling the virtues of our wrist warmers! He thought they were fantastic especially as it allows your fingers to stay free while staying warm.
It was a fantastic trip and was an interesting experience to have such cold weather in January. I know Tasmania is cold but this is a whole other level!

Whats Happening at Casaveen.

Whats Happening at Casaveen Knitwear?

Well, its been a long time between posts.

Casaveen Knitwear is still here doing what it does best and that is knitting great knitwear.

We are currently working on our newest range for delivery in early 2013. Stunning new styles and colours influenced by trips to Europe then worked into contemporary styles that suit the Australian climate and lifestyle.

We seem to be a more relaxed and comfortable destination and our clothing reflects that.

Our favourite fibre is still wool. That magical fibre that resists dampness, resists fire, moves with the body and keeps its shape. It drapes like a dream and keeps you warm. The ultimate comfort fibre!

Its fantastic to have such great weather now particularly after a long, cold winter. Makes you forget the frost on the ground, white as a sheet and often black on the road which is not much fun.

The Australian summer comes complete with cricket broadcasts during hot and hazy afternoons. Very different to our winter.
Not quite so laid back for us here though!
Now in our knitting room we have 5 machines pounding out garments while the radio blares out the cricket score that you can just hear above the noise of the machines. It puts a whole new spin on the world of cricket!

We'll just keep on knitting, enjoying the summer warmth and the cricket!

Why Wool?

It’s a fair question considering the variety of fibres that can be used in knitwear.

For Casaveen Knitwear, it all began by knitting the wool we grew at Casaveen, a 6.000 acre farming property at Lemont in the midlands of Tasmania. It was a huge buzz to look at the wool on the backs of our sheep knowing it would become a jumper that would be on the backs of our customers.

For our knitwear it’s always been a priority to produce the best and wool was first choice.

We do know about wool, we grew it – or at least our sheep did. We understand its fantastic properties of shape retention, how well it takes dyes, how safe it is as it is much harder to set fire to, I mean the list goes on and on.

There really was no other fibre that could perform, and still can’t, as well as wool does as far as we are concerned.

It’s so comfortable to wear especially when it’s low micron. Just so soft against your skin without any itch. We only ever use premium wool so our garments are very soft. Think warmth and luxury.

Looking after it is not a big deal. If it’s superwashed you can throw it into the washing machine on a gentle cycle which is easy to do. If it’s not superwashed just hand wash and spin out the excess water, lie it flat to dry and iron it on the correct setting. None of this is hard and the result is really worth it.

Casaveen pure wool knitwear goes on for years, in fact they don’t really wear out!

Let me hear what you think about wool and why you like to wear it.

Stay toasty.
Clare

Fine Range Dominates Casaveen

As Easter approaches my thoughts turn to time with family and friends, Hot Cross Buns, Chocolate, and importantly, time to relax!

At this time of the year our factory is frantic. We are madly knitting and putting garments together to dispatch to all our customers. We will be like this for the next few months as we make our special knitwear with all the choice of colour, size and style. Because we custom knit for you, we don't always have your chosen woolen garment in stock. But as we'd rather you had something that really fitted properly and looked good, we are happy to have this service for you. It gives us all a huge kick when we know you are happy with your garments!

Our newest machine is now installed and running. It is another 12 gauge machine expressly for knitting our new line of Fine Merino Extrafine Knitwear. We've been inundated with orders for both the Classic (medium weight) and Fine (light weight) ranges. However we needed another fine gauge machine to cope with the demand for the Fine range and it takes 3 months for the machine to be made and transported from Japan to Tasmania.

It's now up and running with plenty of knitwear coming off and waiting to be put together in the Finishing area. This is where the garment is put together on the linker, handfinished, has buttons or zips attached and then final checking and pressing before going down to be dispatched.

Our newest catalogue is now out and we have some big changes this year. Not only do we have the introduction of the Fine Range but we've changed the way we show our colours. We trust the images on our "Size & Colour" page are easier to see and while they do not have the authenticity of the yarn samples, we are happy to send you out colour swatches if you would like to check the colours and feel of the fabric.

I wish you all a safe and enjoyable Easter.

Stay toasty
Clare