The Goldilocks Yarn: What Our Netherlands Trip Taught Us About Knit

If we’re being honest, our recent trip to the Netherlands brought us some of our biggest breakthroughs so far, along with one of our hardest reality checks.

Learning the Language of the Machine

We spent a full week in Almere, Netherlands, immersing ourselves in the craft of knitting. Our mornings were spent studying yarns, fibers, knit techniques, 3d modeling and learning how to set up/manage a Stoll ADF-16 machine. Our evenings were spent prototyping, taking everything we learned and putting it directly into our design work.

It was intensely rewarding. Technical terms and concepts that once felt intimidating are now practical tools in our arsenal whenever we speak with vendors, suppliers, and collaborators. We left feeling genuinely confident in our understanding of flat knit and what this technology can bring to life.

The "Hand Feel" Wall

But alongside those wins, we hit a hard wall.

We love flat knit because of everything it stands for: targeted, zoned support and a production process that creates minimal fabric waste. It aligns so naturally with our focus on intentional design. But when we held the finished swatches, our hearts sank a bit.

The hand feel just wasn't right.

For us, the way a fabric feels in your hands is the very first step of your journey with a sports bra. If it doesn't feel soft, welcoming, and comfortable the second you pick it up, you won't ever want to put it on.

Searching for "Goldilocks"

Because comfort is non negotiable, we’ve made the decision to intentionally slow down our progress on this piece. Right now, we’re back to work with yarn suppliers searching for our "Goldilocks yarn" a fiber that feels incredibly soft against the skin while still offering the strong support and performance you count on.

We’re not going to rush or settle, because you deserve the very best bra we can make.

Thank you for walking through this journey with us,the breakthrough moments, the snags, and everything in between.

We’d love to know: When you’re picking out activewear, what’s the first thing you notice about how a fabric feels against your skin?

— Alex & Kasey

More soon+