# The REAL Spirit of Shetland Crewneck Sweater Review (pics)



## Untilted (Mar 30, 2006)

Huge props. The finest-made shetland sweater I've ever seen/owned.

The wool is not refined, but not shaggy like J.Press. Sizing is nearly perfect. Perfect sleeve length, neck size. and body length IMO. A bit of excessive fabric underarm, I'm sure this can be fixed on my next order. The collar's got a very robust look, (much like the old bean norwegian sweater) unlike Press and Brooks. For a hand made sweater that's custom made for you, I think the price they charge is very reasonable. I always hear people on the forum having fit issues regarding shetland crewnecks, well you wont have a problem here. You give the measurements, they make the sweaters accordingly.

My next sweater from them will either be fair isle or sky blue. The process took 3 weeks. Order some now! you'll get them by new year and still have 2-3 months to sport them.

Front of the sweater:

Back of the sweater:

Robust Collar:

is it really seamless? Phil once said they are seamless. but arent these seams?

With a tweed jacket:

*A huge thank-you to Phil, who discovered this gem.*


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## HL Poling and Sons (Mar 24, 2006)

tilt, beautiful sweater: great color, great knit/wool, and I love the width of the waist band and length of the cuffs. It's so difficult to find sweaters with enough length at the cuffs to enable turn ups.

My only surprise and a disappointing one at that, is the shoulders. I'm surprised they're not saddles. Did you specify this or is this their standard model? What do you think about it?

HL


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## oldschoolprep (Jun 21, 2007)

*Does Spirit of Scotland Also Make Cableknit Crewnecks????*

A very nice sweater indeed. By the way, do you know if Spirit of Scotland makes cableknit crewneck shetlands as well? I could find no information confirming whether they do on there website. Thanks in advance!

_Quoted text and pics removed for redundancy. Excessive quoting of large numbers of pictures simply clogs up the thread.--AlanC_


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## Danny (Mar 24, 2005)

HL Poling and Sons said:


> tilt, beautiful sweater: great color, great knit/wool, and I love the width of the waist band and length of the cuffs. It's so difficult to find sweaters with enough length at the cuffs to enable turn ups.
> 
> My only surprise and a disappointing one at that, is the shoulders. I'm surprised they're not saddles. Did you specify this or is this their standard model? What do you think about it?
> 
> HL


I asked them about this a few months ago and they said they don't do saddle shoulders. That was the deal killer for me. Looks like a nice sweater. Thanks for the review.


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## iammatt (Sep 17, 2005)

Fantastic sweater. Really, really nice.


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## kforton (Oct 26, 2005)

That looks like a very nice sweater. Will they really make any size? Like a 54?


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## ATN (Feb 2, 2007)

Great looking sweater. Thanks for posting the pics. I received two a couple weeks ago and my experience was the same as yours.

What is the name of the color?


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## gtguyzach (Nov 18, 2006)

Wow, looks great Tilt. How did you do a custom order, just by email?


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## Tom Rath (May 31, 2005)

Great looking sweater, glad you like it. Its a seamless sweater because you will notice there are no side seams. The sweater is made without seams, but you will see those small areas on the shoulder where the yarn is sewn in such a way to give the sweater shape at the armholes. There are folks on here who have more techincal knowledge than me that can speak to the details. But the main idea is there are no side seams, making it a seamless sweater.


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## AlanC (Oct 28, 2003)

^So what you're saying is, it's seamless?


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## M. Charles (Mar 31, 2007)

I think there is a common misperception here about seams on sweaters. This is one of the very best shetlands I've ever seen, so don't think I mean in any way to take away from this great sweater.

My point is simply that, for a handknitter especially, a seamless sweater is easier to make than one that has seams. This is because a seamless sweater is made like a sock, in the round, and there's no piecing necessary. Sweaters that are made in this way, I'm told, are almost always raglan sleeve.

Sweaters that have set in sleeves require that they be made in pieces. This is more difficult to make, because all the pieces have to align correctly, especially on a saddle shoulder--in between the visible seam on the collar bone and the other seam on the back. Getting this to "sit in" properly and work with the shoulders correctly is hard work--much harder than knitting a single piece raglan "in the round."

Again, this is in no way to take away from Tilt's gorgeous sweater. I'll be ordering one very soon. It's simply to say that the idea that a one piece sweater is necessarily more complex or difficult than a set in sweater is simply not correct, at least from the standpoint of a handknitter.

[I am not a handknitter, but recently had an Aran sweater made by a master knitter who has been knitting for 60 years.]


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## Concordia (Sep 30, 2004)

Nice sweater, and lucky you for finding a perfect fit.

Another source I've seen, with much the same styling but more hand-made options and custom-sizing:

https://www.shetland-handknits.co.uk/welcome.html


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## Untilted (Mar 30, 2006)

oldschoolprep said:


> A very nice sweater indeed. By the way, do you know if Spirit of Scotland makes cableknit crewneck shetlands as well? I could find no information confirming whether they do on there website. Thanks in advance!
> 
> _Quoted text and pics removed for redundancy. Excessive quoting of large numbers of pictures simply clogs up the thread.--AlanC_


just send them an email, they always get back to me fast.


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## M. Charles (Mar 31, 2007)

Concordia said:


> Nice sweater, and lucky you for finding a perfect fit.
> 
> Another source I've seen, with much the same styling but more hand-made options and custom-sizing:
> 
> https://www.shetland-handknits.co.uk/welcome.html


Isn't this the same outfit? Their webpages seem to be linked to one another, as I recall.


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## Untilted (Mar 30, 2006)

kforton said:


> That looks like a very nice sweater. Will they really make any size? Like a 54?


ANY size. certainly a 54. Send them the measurements of a sweater that fits you well (sleeve, chest and body length) and they'll copy it. They might charge a little more for 54 since it probably uses more shetland wool.


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## Untilted (Mar 30, 2006)

ATN said:


> Great looking sweater. Thanks for posting the pics. I received two a couple weeks ago and my experience was the same as yours.
> 
> What is the name of the color?


Salmon. I got it because J.Press no longer makes sweaters in this color (and Andover shop doesnt make small sizes)

From an older Press catalogue:


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## Untilted (Mar 30, 2006)

gtguyzach said:


> Wow, looks great Tilt. How did you do a custom order, just by email?


By email indeed. I emailed them my credit card numbers and specifications.


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## Untilted (Mar 30, 2006)

M. Charles said:


> Isn't this the same outfit? Their webpages seem to be linked to one another, as I recall.


Yes I think they are essentially the same company.


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## M. Charles (Mar 31, 2007)

I'm a bit confused--on the website it says they come in 5 different sizes, at least with regard to chest measurements. 

Can you really give them all your measurements (including length) and they make for 46 pounds?


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## Untilted (Mar 30, 2006)

I know it sounds confusing........ but it worked! Email Barbara, she's the person who took care of me. They charged 115 dollars on my credit card including shipping.


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## NavyBlueBlazer (Oct 10, 2007)

I definitely like the set-in sleeves and collar. I really do not like raglan and saddle shoulder sleeves on Shetands. Raglans just look too relaxed and droopy.


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## wnh (Nov 4, 2006)

Untilted said:


> They charged 115 dollars on my credit card including shipping.


$115? How much was shipping? This (right link, correct?) states that the approximate price in USD is $76. $40 for shipping seems a bit steep, if that's correct. Is the USD approximation just outdated?

Beautiful sweater, by the way.


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## Untilted (Mar 30, 2006)

The USD approximation is really outdated.

46 pounds (sweater) + 10 pounds (shipping) = 56 pounds

56 pounds = 114 dollars today.

Angry about the declining dollar


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## Desk Jockey (Aug 19, 2005)

With over $2 to buy a pound it's closer to $100 than $70, so yes outdated.

Edit- I hemmed and hawed and got a drink and Tilt beat me to it, rats. Beautiful sweater, too.


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## Brownshoe (Mar 1, 2005)

That's a beauty, Tilt. The fit looks terrific.


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## ROI (Aug 1, 2004)

Untilted said:


> Huge props. The finest-made shetland sweater I've ever seen/owned.
> 
> The collar's got a very robust look, (much like the old bean norwegian sweater) unlike Press and Brooks. For a hand made sweater that's custom made for you, I think the price they charge is very reasonable.
> 
> Robust Collar:


How is the neck of the sweater fashioned? Is it a single thickness of knitted material? Or is it doubled over like a tube?


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## Untilted (Mar 30, 2006)

Tube.


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## Tom Rath (May 31, 2005)

AlanC said:


> ^So what you're saying is, it's seamless?


Sorry for that convoluted explanation. I was well into my 2nd glass of scotch last night when I wrote that.


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## mpcsb (Jan 1, 2005)

Really nice, esp like the color.


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## JDC (Dec 2, 2006)

M. Charles said:


> I think there is a common misperception here about seams on sweaters. This is one of the very best shetlands I've ever seen, so don't think I mean in any way to take away from this great sweater.
> 
> My point is simply that, for a handknitter especially, a seamless sweater is easier to make than one that has seams. This is because a seamless sweater is made like a sock, in the round, and there's no piecing necessary. Sweaters that are made in this way, I'm told, are almost always raglan sleeve.
> 
> ...


I've not heard anyone claim seamless sweaters are more difficult to produce. Seamless construction is preferable simply because it results in a smoother/more finished look and enhances durability.

And to Tilt: no, those are not seams in your photo. Seams join separate pieces together and are sewn with thread. In your sweater the knit is continuous, and simply changes direction for the shoulders.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

That is one very handsome sweater and very well priced for the quality recieved...may you wear it in good health!


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## Connemara (Sep 16, 2005)

I think I'm going to order one in salmon today.


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## Connemara (Sep 16, 2005)

OK, placed my order today for a crewneck in Moorgrass. This is what I imagine the Scottish landscape looks like.


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## jpeirpont (Mar 16, 2004)

Great fit, I might follow your lead, I have no sweaters that fit me in the manner I prefer. They all seem so droopy.


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## Untilted (Mar 30, 2006)

Connemara said:


> OK, placed my order today for a crewneck in Moorgrass. This is what I imagine the Scottish landscape looks like.


Great decision.


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## Eustace Tilley (Sep 23, 2007)

Can one only specify the chest measurement, or the waist as well?

Beautiful shetland btw.


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## stcolumba (Oct 10, 2006)

.....


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