Peter Scott & Co Ltd

1. Peter Scott & Co Ltd Finest Quality Knitwear Since 1878

2. Company History • Founded in 1878 by Peter Scott • One of the oldest independent Scottish Knitwear manufacturers in operation • Manufactured undergarments until late 1950`s • 160 employees

3. Yarn • Two types of fibre used to spin the yarn - Animal & Plant • Fibre: Unit of hair, whose length is 200 times greater than its width. Length of fibre very important. • Staple fibre: Fibre of limited length - all natural fibre • Fibres are drawn and twisted • Friction between the fibres holds the yarn together with the twist

4. Luxury Yarns:- Cashmere • From the goat native to Tibet, Persia, Kashmir and China • Australia now supplies raw material on a commercial basis • The undercoat or downy is used for the manufacture of knitwear • Before the fibre can be spun it has to be dehaired to remove the courser hair • Approx 3.5 goats for 1 sweater

5. Luxury Yarns:- Lamora • A blend of extra fine Merino wool and Angora from the Angora rabbit farmed mainly in China • Angora: One of the finest of animal fibres. Selected, reared and scientifically fed. • Ultimately, the hair is combed out by hand, then classified for quality The end result is a luxurious garment of extreme softness and excellence

6. Luxury Yarns:- Lambswool • Mainly produced in Australia from Merino sheep • Taken from the first clipping of the sheep • Clipping causes the further fleece to toughen

7. Knitting • Yarn is delivered to machines from yarn store • Peter Scott use three gauges of machinery: • 21gg / 12ndl - for finer gauge yarns • 15gg / 8ndl for the “bread and butter” sweater i.e. Lambswool • 9gg / 5ndl - for heavier weight of yarns • The higher the number of gauge the finer the weight of garment

8. Knitting • The first step is the rib, skirts and cuffs, knitted with a slack course and draw thread • Rib are run on to bars, one stitch to one needle. A missed stitch would cause a drop stitch where rib the joins main panel

9. Knitting • Plain Frames, BCI Intarsia Frames and Shima Seiki machines used in production of Peter Scott knitwear • Computer aided knitting, with 60 million colours available, using colours for different processes.

10. Assembly • The first stage is called “Body Binding” • The knitting machines produce the various panels i.e. front ,back, sleeves • The top of the fronts and backs are binded along the shoulder in a similar fashion to the running on of the rib skirt • The sleeves are then attached in the same way by a fine seam so as not to irritate the shoulder of the wearer

11. Assembly • Fronts, backs and sleeves joined, next step is to complete the side and sleeve seams, termed appropriately, seaming. Seams to be joined are fed through two cups (grooved wheels) • The wheels, level with each other, are used to keep the tension equal as the sweater passes through • The seaming mechanism adjoins the cups so the parts are seamed immediately on leaving the cups • The garment at this stage is still inside out

12. GREASY BINDING

13. Bar Tacking & Greasy Examination • The garment has now been assembled but before washing the ends of the seams must be tacked to prevent run back • This process is repeated until all the tails have been tacked and the tails removed • The garments are checked for flaws prior to washing • Flaws such as holes, knots, stains are all marked and rectified at this stage

14. Weighing In & Milling • Ready for the wash the garments are sorted into bundles • First the neck trims are matched to the relevant bundles, then they are sorted into qualities and colours • The bundles are then weighed for costing purposes • The garments are then given an accurately controlled wash dependant on quality of yarn important for maintaining colour and handle • Garments are then rinsed thoroughly and tumble dried • Not completely dry the garments are ready to move on to the next stage

15. Boarding:-Turning & Sizing • The term clean is given to the garments now they have been washed, from here every care is taken to ensure they remain meticulously clean • Received in a damp condition from milling they are turned the correct way around, tumbled to a completely dry state and sorted into their sizes • The garments are all knitted with a size mark or thread to differentiate their sizes • 36”=2 marks • 38”=3 marks • 40”=4 marks • 42”=1 mark

16. Boarding:- Paris Press • The press can be compared to a body with two moveable arms • The arms are raised, the garment is pulled over the body, the arms are lowered • A pedal is then depressed which expands the machine to the size that coincides with that of the garment • The seams are then straightened and steam is blown through for a few seconds • A drying cycle then follows with the steam being vacuumed away • The garments are then removed, folded into “production fold” and sent forward with their respective trimmings

17. PARIS PRESS

18. Trimming • There are numerous operations in this department • Lock stitching is used for attaching ribbon to cardigan fronts • Button hole machines stitch a button hole then cuts the hole through the centre of the stitching • Buttons are then stitched on by another machine specifically made for the job

19. Cutting • The operator places a cardboard shape on the garment, the outline of which is determined by the shape of neck required • The centre mark on the shape is aligned with the centre mark made at the knitting stage • The operator then cuts around the shape removing the piece of fabric at the neck • The waste move with the garment to be used for mending any holes that may occur

20. Collar Binding • The collar is attached by the operator by running on the stitches to the points on the machine • The neck are of the garment is then run on, and for a second time the collar, creating a sandwich with the sweater in the middle • The parts are then linked together by the looper/needle mechanism • The next stage is to remove the “hold on” courses • The neck at this point are still unfinished and are forwarded to the hand sew department where the two ends of the collar are stitched together

21. COLLAR BINDING

22. Looking (Examination) • Garments are given a thorough examination for flaws, using a magnifying glass • Types of flaws that can be found at this stage are • knots • thick or thin rows of knitting • foreign hairs, either spun in the yarn or picked up during manufacture • dirty marks or stains • Garments found to have any of the flaws above are rectified by the menders prior to being sent forward • Garments may be rejected as a “second” if the flaw was excessive

23. Pressing • The garments are placed on the bottom of two beds, the upper being moveable • When the operator is happy the side seams and sleeves are straight and the collar pinned to shape the top bed is lowered • Steam is then passed through the garment for a few seconds • The top bed is lifted and the residual water is vacuumed away • Shirt collars are all individually hand ironed

24. HOFFMAN PRESS

25. Final Examination • Final examination for any flaws that have gone unnoticed or occurred since the last check • The garments are all measured to ensure the article lies within the permissible dimensions, any discrepancies are adjusted in accordingly • This department is to ensure the garment is in perfect condition prior to despatch

26. Tabbing and Stock Department • Once the garments are checked they are then ticketed, folded and inserted into polythene bags prior to being stored in the stockroom • The garments are now ready to tab, barcode where required, and ship • When the despatch dates arrive the order is checked against the original order, packed, invoiced and shipped to their destination

27. Embroidery • Designs are sent in for logos, which can be anything from letterheads to other embroidered goods • Designs are scanned & transferred into instructions the embroidery computer will understand • Machines can embroider up to 12 garments at once • Almost any type of badge can be made from the simplest script to the more complex appliqué