Why We Turned Down Merino for This Weird, Springy Wool Instead
By Fernando Santos
If there's one thing people want to know before anything else, it's simple: what is it actually made of? The short answer is Corriedale wool. The longer answer (why we chose it, and why it matters once the piece is on your shoulders) is the nicest part of the story.
You don't need to know a thing about sheep to wear one of our cardigans. But if you're curious, here's the plain-English version of the wool behind every Gigante knit.
So, what is Corriedale?
Corriedale is a sheep breed: a sturdy, good-natured one, originally bred to thrive in big open landscapes and changeable weather. Hardy sheep grow hardy fleece, and that's exactly what we want. The wool comes off the animal with natural bounce and structure built right in.
In feel, it sits comfortably in the middle: not the scratchy, rugged stuff you'd put on a hardwearing rug, but not feather-light either. It's medium-soft, springy and resilient, the kind of wool that has a bit of opinion to it. Squeeze a handful and it pushes back, then settles.
Why it's perfect for chunky knitting
This is where Corriedale really earns its place. Our cardigans are knitted in enormous stitches, and big stitches put a wool to the test. A limp, floppy fibre simply gives up: the loops sag, the shoulders droop, and within a season the whole thing looks tired and flat.
Corriedale does the opposite. Because it has that natural spring and structure, every oversized stitch stands proud and keeps its shape. The cardigan holds its bold, sculptural silhouette instead of collapsing into a shapeless heap, so the piece you take off in the evening looks like the piece you put on that morning.
A chunky cardigan is only as good as the wool holding its shape.
It's hard-wearing, too. That same resilience that keeps the shape also helps it stand up to being worn, washed gently and lived in. (I won't pretend any wool lasts forever, nothing does, but Corriedale is built to be a faithful companion for a very long time.)
We prep it by hand before it ever reaches you
Wool doesn't arrive ready to knit. The roving turns up dyed but unprepped: uneven, with the odd tangle and knot. Before any of it goes into a kit or a cardigan, we comb and prep it by hand so it's smooth, even and a pleasure to work with: no nasty surprises halfway through a row.
If you'd like to see what that journey actually looks like, I've written about how it's prepped, from a cloud of roving to a finished cardigan. It's the bit most people never see, and it's my favourite part.
Is it kind to your skin?
Yes, and we don't just say so. Our Corriedale is certified to Oeko-Tex Standard 100 and meets EN71-3, the same safety standard used for children's toys. In plain terms: it's been independently tested for nasties, and it passed. You can knit with it, and wear it, with a clear conscience.
What if I want it extra soft?
Corriedale's gentle bounce is just right for most people, and it's what gives our cardigans their structure. But everyone's skin is different, and a few of you simply prefer something silkier against the neck.
For that, we also offer merino blends, and I want to be crystal clear about this, because the difference matters. A merino blend is a separate option, not the same thing as our pure Corriedale. Merino is a different, finer fibre that we mix in for extra softness; Corriedale is the resilient, shape-holding workhorse our designs are built around. When you order, you choose which you'd like. They are not interchangeable, and we'll never quietly swap one for the other.
Ways to get your hands on it
Whenever you're ready, there's a door that suits you, whether you want the wool itself, a full kit, a pattern to follow, or a design all your own:
We ship worldwide, by the way. The wool starts its life here in the UK, but it's happy to travel.
So that's Corriedale: a hardy breed, a springy fleece, and a cardigan that keeps its shape. Now you know what you're holding when you hold a Gigante knit.
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