2020Knitwear
The Cashmere Seed Stitch
By Drake's
Jul 13, 2022
Over the course of just a few seasons, the seed stitch jumper has become one of our signature pieces. Our latest iteration is knitted from a luxurious pure cashmere.
Unless you happen to be a fisherman from some remote British isle, a lighthouse keeper on the weather-beaten coast of New England, or any other kind of salty sea dog, the jumpers in your wardrobe are likely to be – for the most part, at least – of the plain knit variety. While plain knit jumpers – from merino v-necks to cashmere roll necks – are endlessly useful, sometimes the situation calls for a bit more texture.
The style that looms large in the pantheon of textured knitwear is of course the timeless cable knit. Everyone from tough-as-nails trawlermen to East Coast prep school kids have worn the cable knit in their own way, and it rightly endures as a staple of men’s wardrobes the world over.
However, while classic, the cable knit is somewhat ubiquitous, too. For a while now we have been working on a piece of knitwear that feels a bit more unique to us. A couple of seasons ago this manifested in the form of our Seed Stitch Jumper, which was based on a hand-knit garment from the 1930s that we happened across on our travels. We were taken with the tactility of the knitting pattern, and the visual effect it creates. Working with a highly specialised knitwear factory right here in London, we developed the Seed Stitch Jumper, first in a brushed lambswool, then in a lightweight blend of linen and merino for the summer months. Now, we have knitted it in a luxurious pure cashmere, in a handful of colours ranging from classic navy to a bubblegum pink.
‘We were looking to create something that felt very specific to us, something you couldn’t really get anywhere else,’ our Creative Director, Michael Hill, explains. ‘The first two iterations of the Seed Stitch were well received, so this time around we wanted to make a gorgeously soft version that you’ll keep forever. The yarn is from Todd & Duncan, perhaps the finest spinners of cashmere in the world. My favourite detail is that the jumper is knitted in the round, so doesn’t have side seams. You wouldn’t think this would make a huge difference to how the jumper feels when it’s on, but the comfort it adds is extraordinary.’