Sometimes the things we become or create are set in motion before we ever know. The name &Daughter comes from this idea, a love for something passed implicitly through generations.
Founder Buffy Reid's Irish Granny was an amazing knitter, she passed that knowledge and passion onto her son. He began his career selling the Donegal tweeds and Arans of his birthplace and made his life’s work Irish and Scottish knitwear of the highest quality.
Now Buffy has taken on this passion with &Daughter and is privileged to work with many of the makers and mills that he did. It is a legacy of time, skill and knowledge passed on and to be cherished
Today &Daughter work with five yarns and five makers. Their yarns are 100% natural and spun in the UK & Ireland and our makers are based in the UK and Ireland too. They believe in the beauty and strength of a local and specialist supply chain. It allows us to know our partners, who are small, independent businesses just like us. It allows &Daughter to support and be part of a unique and historic industry that dates back hundreds of years. Generations of craftsmanship and knowledge passed through time. It is a small, self-reliant supply chain that keeps the life cycle of their garments as economic and environmentally friendly as possible.
It is argued that Scotland spins the best yarns in the world and possibly makes the best knitwear too, because of the purity of Scottish water. &Daughter wool and cashmere yarns are spun by Todd and Duncan, who are situated on a nature reserve in Loch Leven in Scotland. The purity of the water is incomparable. It is the cornerstone of everything they do in their spinning process. From the first wash of the raw fleece when it arrives at the mill to the dyeing process. They cherish and protect the water from the Loch, using environmentally-friendly washing processes which allow them to return the water to the Loch after use without harm.
Buffy believes that "that sustainability means something defined by permanence, that endures through time. For an object to sustain, it needs to be made well, from a quality raw material that is fit for purpose and made in a way that will withstand the life it's designed for. This means that from sheep to finished jumper we aspire to create the strongest, most supportive supply chain possible."
