The Kala Sweater Story
There are a few reasons you haven't seen this sweater until now, but I'm so honored to finally share the story. It’s a slow fashion story that began three years ago when Jordana (of TATTER) met Mia (of 11.11) at a textile symposium in Mexico and fell in love with her and what she does. Mia’s company creates gorgeous handspun, handwoven clothing. Jordana believed hand knitters would really respond to the fiber, so they embarked on a yarn-making journey together.
The following year, my angelic friend Allison (who works with Jordana) reached out to me when the yarn was nearing production-ready. She asked if I might want to try the yarns and help them launch a crowdfunding campaign for the knitting community. I eagerly replied yes. (By eagerly, I mean gushing about how thrilled I was to hear of the project and participate in any way I could help most.)
Then a package arrived, and I fell in love, too.
The off-white (natural) and indigo skeins you see in this photo are made from Kala cotton. Grown in Kutch, India, Kala is a naturally organic, purely rain-fed crop (the farmers do not use any pesticides or synthetic fertilizers). This climate-beneficial crop also helps to remove carbon from the atmosphere. No industrialized machinery is used to make or dye this yarn. It's ethically made by the skill of farmers, dyers, and spinners in India.
Before continuing, take a few minutes to watch this gorgeous video and see for yourself.
At this point, I loved absolutely everything about supporting the project and began swatching. It wasn’t long before an idea for a sweater using Kala was formulated. I showed the concept to Mia, Jordana, and Allison, suggesting that the pattern be integrated into the collaboration so that knitters would have the option to knit from a pattern intended specifically for Kala yarn. They were thrilled, and over the following months, it went through my production process and came to life.
During this time, Covid hit the world, striking India hard. The second Delta wave in India overwhelmed the healthcare system, leaving hospitals struggling to cope. Key members of the 11.11 team transformed overnight into telephone operators: to find blood plasma, oxygen, hospital beds, and coordinate logistics to get resources to people most in need. Infections started to slow in April of 2021, and in the words of Mia, “We are revisiting the project a year later with a renewed sense of gratitude for the privilege of continuing what we started together.”
Today, I am so happy to announce that Kala yarn is in stock (at Tatter and 11.11), and the Kala sweater pattern is now available. The easy-fitting silhouette is perfectly paired with the soft handspun quality of the cotton fiber. If you can, consider making a purchase.
I sincerely hope you will fall in love, too!
Note: My work on the Kala sweater pattern was always meant to be a gift to the collaboration and it is available only through 11.11 at this time (linked above). After everything, Mia decided that the pattern proceeds will go entirely toward covid relief. 🤍 If you have any questions regarding ordering, please contact Tatter or 11.11 directly. Thank you!