Year-Round Knitwear Must-Haves
By Rebecca Spinner Photos Sara Bakker Models Alex and Jodi Dow (couple) , Julieann Gauthier
Even after packing our sweaters away for the summer, most of us hang onto one to keep us cozy at night, beside the water, and during “shoulder season” days. Whichever pullover or cardigan you pick for summer needs to be versatile and sturdy. At Rustico Bay Wool Sweater Company, says owner Kathy Winter, “we have certain criteria-our products must be handcrafted, Canadian-made, sustainable and premium quality.” Winter’s father founded the Sweater Co. two decades ago after hunting for such a sweater. “He wanted a handknit traditional fisherman’s sweater, but he couldn’t find one. He looked all over the Island,” explains Winter, a North Rustico resident whose family has run North Shore tourism businesses since her childhood. “Eventually, he contacted a local knitter.” The Sweater Co.’s North Rustico location now abounds with Island- and Canada- knit, neutral-coloured button-down and pullover wool sweaters along the lines Winter’s father envisioned. The garments are knitted almost exclusively from wool from Canadian sheep (although alpaca, British, Icelandic, and Irish Merino wools are also available). “Our knitwear is timeless and classic,” Winter says. “Wool is a great natural fibre.” The shop also carries Canada-knitted cold-weather garb (hats, socks, mittens and so on), giftware like prints of works by local artist Maurice Bernard, and blankets by MacAusland’s Woollen Mills. Winter says “warmth, charm, and coziness” guide the Sweater Co.’s customer service. That approach extends to their out-of-province clientele: “We have photos of customers all over the world wearing their sweaters-from Australia to the North Pole!” At the same time, Winter emphasizes that the Sweater Co.’s local clientele has helped the shop through the COVID-19 pandemic. “I’m so impressed with Islanders. They’ve really come out and supported us.” Those Islanders who pull on a Canada-knit sweater on nippy summer days will probably bundle up in the same garment almost daily come winter; in short, these local sweaters are year-round must-haves.
“A classic knit fisherman’s sweater never loses its appeal,” says Kathy Winter, owner of Rustico Bay Wool Sweater Company.
Rustico Bay Wool Sweater Company | 7218 Main Street, North Rustico | 902.963.3576 | www.rusticosweaters.pe.ca
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