Out and about at the NGA this cool morning. Wearing my Bordeaux Boneteria Auloronesa. Overhead Neil Dawson’s sculpture called Diamonds.
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Knitting berets was certainly a man's job, its origins lying with lonely shepherds in the Pyrenees of France. When flocks were taken to the high pastures for the summer months, being a shepherd became a very lonely existence. The story goes that shepherds started knitting from the loose wool that was left behind by the sheep in thorny bushes and such, keeping themselves busy and productive at the same time.In other beret news.....
I am learning to knit, and researching beret manufacture, in order that I may make berets myself. I expect this project to take some time. My spinner and knitter friend informed me that making berets by hand was typically men's work, (something I've seen Daan say) and that she had seen old photographs of these men knitting berets. They were known for being fast knitters. Sorry all, I haven't got the pictures to show.
I am also researching appropriate knitting machines, I hope to find one I can drag home. There'll be much to learn.
Everyone needs a hobby eh.
Michael
Super Lujo vs. Elosegui 150 & Ano 1858 vs. Manufacture de Beret
What's your favorite beret?
Could that be the one on my head?
An Elosegui Super Lujo Grande?
The weight, weaving, and felting of the Super Lujo are at the upper end of the quality scale.
The Elosegui headbands are a half inch flat band of wool after folding and bonding resulting in two layers.
Once a Super Lujo adjusts to your head size and after some wear the wool felts more and becomes softer.
But from my experience the ultimate comfort and quality comparison is
The Elosegui 150 versus a Manufacture de Beret.
Since Manufacture de Beret no longer uses the label Boneteria Auloronesa, BA, due to their move to Orthez,
I guess they are now MB.
The MB with the universal headband is always comfortable.
The MB headband is rounded due to the tube where the ribbon runs,
So the headband is not as flat as the Elosegui.
The MB has a better drape than the Elosegui which is stiffer.
The Elosegui 150 with wear becomes equally comfortable.
The weight, weaving, and felting of the wool seems about equal to the MB.
The advantage may be to the 150 because the wool headband does felt a little more than the MB.
Now it seems another contender for best Basque beret would be the Ano 1858 which comes in three sizes.
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Hi Nico.
Lookin' good.
How big is that Diamonds sculpture, and how is it supported?
Here I am, out walking the dog yesterday. It's getting much warmer now, and soon the first spring flowers, the crocuses, will be poking out of the half frozen ground.
Michael
Edited to say that I had a better look at the photo on s better screen, and I can just make out some cables supporting 'Diamonds'
And I suspect that it will soften up as it completely dries.
In Argentine slang 'chirola' means "worthless money", or a coin of 20 centavos. How it came to be a brand name for French made Basque berets, I don't know...Vintage labels,
Etchea translate as house.
Etchea is the bedrock principle of Basque culture,
the family home.
Chirola translates as choose it.
What is that about? Daan
My vote for the next labels is the Berruela which looks like a Basque bastide .and
the Liberator with the French, British and American colors
Sorry, I've tried berets in the past but just don't seem to work for me. I see others wearing them and look just fine. But not I.... guess it takes a certain style, flair, swagger, panashe?