The color of knitting

Daruma and their yarn and thread products

Daruma生產的棉線的品質,是靠耳朵來維持的。

在他們位於伊吹山上的工場,每天早上八時機器便開始運作,機器將細線編成較粗的棉線,咔擦咔擦的聲音規律,哪裡稍有細微的雜音,工人們便知道哪裡有異樣。這些,都是全憑他們百多年的歷年,累積下來的經驗。

Daruma創辦於1901年,當時日本女性的和服的材質潮流,漸漸由木棉轉向絹質,創辦人橫田長左衛門看準了時機,決定研發適合用來縫製絹質和服的細線。「價值是暫時的,品質是長遠的」,是Daruma的信念,每一卷線,都追求統一鬆軟的程度、粗幼程度,當指尖捏著毛線滑下去時,是平滑的、不會凹凹凸凸的。

百多年來Daruma迎向時代變遷,產品變動了,這信念卻沒有改變。現時他們除了絹縫線外,還有各種各樣色彩柔和美麗的毛線等,又因為現時大家多視編織為興趣而非生活所需,於是出品了編織套裝,一套包括了設計圖、所需的毛線等。另外,還出版了書籍系列《Daruma Pattern Book》,教導編織之餘,也讓人更了解Daruma的世界。

The quality of Daruma’s yarn products is primarily maintained by ears.

In their factory located in Ibuki, the machines begin running every day at eight in the
morning to spin the thinner strands into the thicker threads. The workers can identify
problems with the manufacturing process with even the slightest abnormal sound coming
from the machine. This unusual talent is an accumulated effort of the preceding
experience that has already spanned more than a hundred years.

Daruma was founded in 1901, when there was a shifting trend of kimono fabric from cotton
to silk. The founder Chozaemon Yokota seized the opportunity to develop a delicate
thread for making silk kimono. “Value is temporary, but quality is everlasting” is the motto
of Daruma. Every spool of their thread shares the same softness and thickness; pressing
your fingertip down a thread, you can feel the surface is silky smooth without any bulge.

As a brand with more than a hundred years of history under its belt, Daruma has modified
their product to adapt to the changing need of the society without altering their
fundamental motto. Apart from silk thread, Daruma has also added beautiful soft color yarn
and other threads to its production line. Knowing the fact that most people see knitting as a
recreational habit than as a necessary activity, the brand launched knitting packages that
include a pattern and the required yarn. To let its audience learn more about the world of
Daruma while teaching about knitting, they also published a Daruma Pattern Book series.

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