Karen Allen Cashmere

My sweaters, scarves, hats, shawls, gaitors and gloves are made from 100% fine Scottish and Italian cashmere yarns. I design and construct them in my Great Barrington studio working on Japanese knitting machines which can be both hand manipulated and motor driven. I set up as many as 12 separate threadings of two colors in each feed and work with an imbedded binary computer. Collaborating with designs and patterns from 1950’s Japanese artists and my own imagination, I use unorthodox methods with the machines to make unique and extraordinary patterns and blends of fiber, texture and color. Many of my designs in fact grew out of mistakes I made when I was learning to operate the machines in 2003.

The scarves, hats and gloves are co-ordinated to work together in a mix and match sort of way. The hats are the warmest hats I have ever worn and have zero itch factor. The Gaitors are great for skiers. The scarves are luxurious, unique pieces. Very few of a particular design are produced each year. The Verona pullover sweater, the SARA zip cardigan, the two tone ribbed V-neck, and our extraordinary shibori hand dyed pullovers by New Mexican artist Ann Katzen are produced each year in different color ways and variations.