Hand-knit in Kathmandu. Worn for years, not seasons.
Every piece in our Artisan Knitwear collection begins the same way — with a woman in Kathmandu, Nepal, and a single ball of yarn.
This fall, we're expanding our knitwear collection with Dinadi, the artisan studio behind every sweater, hat, scarf, and mitten we carry. Here's a first look at who they are, how the pieces are made, and what's coming next.
Who Is Dinadi?
Dinadi is a knitwear studio based in Kathmandu, Nepal, built around women artisans employed in-house. Some pieces are hand-knit start to finish; others begin at a nearby partner facility, where machine-knit bases are produced under pay and labor standards Dinadi holds above market rate. Every piece, regardless of how it begins, is finished by hand or hand-dyed before it's considered complete.
It's a model built on the belief that meaningful, well-paid work for women changes more than a single paycheck — it changes what's possible for a family. Dinadi holds that standard whether the work happens in-house or through a trusted partner.
The Craft Behind Every Stitch
Every piece in this collection carries a human hand somewhere in its making — whether it's entirely hand-knit or finished and hand-dyed after a machine-knit start. A single pair of hand-knit mittens takes 7 hours. A rib-knit hat can take up to 9.5 hours. That's real time, from real hands, in every piece. And you will find the photo and name of the artisan who made your item on the tag.
Some techniques go further still. Our Shibori Sweater and Shibori Scarf are hand-dyed using shibori, a centuries-old Japanese resist-dyeing technique that creates a pattern no machine can replicate — and no two pieces ever come out quite the same. Our "Zero Waste" mittens are knit using leftover yarn scraps from other production runs, turning what would be discarded into a piece with its own one-of-a-kind color story.
Small variations across pieces aren't flaws. They're proof a person, not just a machine, made what you're holding.
A Look at the Collection
Sweaters
Merino Wool Shibori Sweater — extra-fine merino, hand-dyed in a one-of-a-kind shibori pattern.
Scarves
Merino Wool Shibori Scarf, the lightweight Merino Wool Woven Scarf, and the Yak Wool Plaid Scarf, woven from undyed yak wool sourced from Tibet.
Hats
Merlot Red Rib Hat and the Striped Space Blue Rib Hat, both hand-knit from extra-fine merino wool.
Mittens & Gloves
Blue Striped Handknit Mittens, the "Zero Waste" Plum Purple Mittens, and the Alpaca Wool Half Mittens, hand-knit in a classic Nordic pattern.
More Arriving This Fall
What you see above is just the beginning. We're bringing in new merino, alpaca, and yak wool styles this season — and as each new piece arrives, we'll be updating this post to reflect the current collection.
Want to see more? Follow along on Instagram. In the meantime, browse the full Artisan Knitwear collection. And sign up below to be the first to find out when new pieces come live.
Questions? Send us a DM or find us at @petiteprotea