Our Craft


The word in-tarsi-a derives from the arabic word tarsi, a technique which dates back to more than 1000 years ago. It was widely used in the Arabic world as a very sophisticated handcraft skill of decoration applied to different types of material (wood, clay, yarn). 

Hand Intarsia: a term which perfectly defines the concept of a traditional craft: that of inlaying by hand. With reference to knitwear, Intarsia means that any design, however subtle and complex, can be knitted into a garment, thereby allowing free rein to creativity.

It also describes how a pattern is knitted into a garment rather than added to an already knitted fabric (as with Jacquard knitwear). Our designers’ concepts are transferred to charts which the Intarsia knitter reads as he skilfully feeds a multitude of coloured yarns through his Intarsia knitting frame and eventually creates a beautiful piece of craftsmanship. The result is a sumptuously light, confortable garment. 

Intarsia knitting has provided a livelihood in Tweeddale, in the Scottish Borders, for many generations of local people. Glenevan employs the most skilled of knitters who pursue their craft using the purest quality cashmere yarns in the finest shades.

Garments are only allowed to leave the factory once they have been thoroughly checked by our skilled knitters in different light conditions.

Since its foundation, Glenevan has elevated the skills of hand Intarsia knitting and design to the highest levels of craftsmanship.

The skills we use are unique to the Scottish Borders. For this reason, all our garments are fully knitted and finished in Scotland.

Check out latest collection here.