Lil Knits

Australian handmade knitwear.

Ethically made. Locally made. Made to order. Minimal waste. Sustainable. Transparent.

Lil Knits make comfortable and elegant knitwear, designed to be worn and loved for a lifetime.

Lil Knits is located and manufactured in Melbourne, Victoria.

Who makes your clothes?

Myself and another local knitter.

Can you share a little more about your values?

Locally made: Garments are manufactured by two knitters in Melbourne.

Made to order: Garments are predominantly made to order to minimise waste and assure customers are committed to the purchase of the garment through their willingness to wait for production.

Minimal waste: Garments are made to order, dead stock yarn is used for one-off products in our (about to be released) ‘Extra Lil’ pieces’ range.

Sustainable: Through our approach to production, selection of materials (all materials used are either 100% natural and biodegradable or recycled), packaging and logistics (we used full biodegradable satchels and a carbon neutral courier).

Transparent: We are always seeking ways to further improve and see the operation of Lil’ Knits as an educative journey for ourselves and customers alike. Currently yarn is imported from overseas, which is by far our biggest shortcoming in terms of sustainability. Sourcing a similar fibre locally has been a project for about 4 – 5 years now and there is still no apparent solution for us. Our made to order operation and higher courier costs invite conversations with customers about the cost of ethical production and trading in the fashion industry.

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Which particular fabrics do you use?

We only use 100% natural or recycled materials to promote sustainability. Natural materials have unique properties in comfort and wearability plus they have less of an ecological footprint in laundering. Wool for example has a lot of self cleansing properties, and of course doesn’t contain the micro plastics that many synthetic fibres shed when washed. We are best known for our Peruvian Highland wool products (the big knit products), which is one of the softest wool fibres in the market. Many people who usually cannot wear wool are able to wear it. It’s comfortable and luxurious which reflects the price point that is determined by our production.

Any extra efforts you make at Char Studio that you can share?

I love to promote the work of other young creatives as my brand grows. An example of this is through web design, photography and marketing where I work mostly with passionate individuals who are starting out their career. It can be so difficult to kickstart and I think the creative industry is so undermined. As a small business I often have small budgets, so think this is such an interesting way to work to each of our strengths to build a portfolio and improve the output of our work together. Plus, seeing designs that I produce so independently through the lenses of other creatives is the most exhilarating feeling, it’s a no-brainer for me these days. At the beginning I tried to do it all myself and while that was saving me a bit of money here and there, sharing creativity with others has been priceless.

Can you share some labels you admire?

Kuwaii, Permanent Vacation, Sister Studios, Sunshine Symbol, Dominique Healy, Par Moi, Post Sole Studio

Price guide:    $300 – 500 up to $500+

Size guide:      6 – 12

lilknits.com.au@lilknits