Save Mumma K-nit

K-nit, founded by Mark Layfield and his mother, Carole, and brother, Simon, are known for making beanies with the world’s most customisable designs. All their products are handmade from sustainable materials, and have a distinct style that people are falling in love with from all across the globe. Customers can currently use a web application to customise their beanies, and with over 40 different colours and 11 different styles available they can essentially produce thousands of different combinations. Styling your own beanie means the chances of you meeting someone else with the exact same beanie are tiny.
 
K-nit was founded by the Layfield family in 2014 after Carole hand-knitted a beanie for one of Mark’s friends, Harry, using old materials and tools left over from her design days. This personalised beanie had Harry’s name on it, and was so well received that pretty soon all of Mark’s friends were asking Carole to knit them one of their own. The Layfields built a website, refined their business model to allow them to handle larger orders (while still providing customisation), and developed the brand. Before they knew it, K-nit was born. The business is a local success story, having started from humble beginnings in a garden shed in Nottingham to shipping products worldwide, while winning awards and receiving global press coverage. However, their ability to grow is limited by how many beanies Carole can make, which is why they are looking to scale their operations off the back of a Kickstarter campaign.
 
Mark had this to say: “We have had enquiries from distributors on four continents, but my Mum can’t knit them fast enough! Major retailers like Snow+Rock have even asked about us supplying them, so the demand is there if we can just scale up production. We’ve looked across Europe for a manufacturer who can hand-make our knitted products to the same exacting standards my Mum has. We’ve found an amazing factory in Portugal, but they require minimum orders to be placed. A successfully funded Kickstarter campaign allows us to reach the minimum order amount, and will in turn mean we can offer exclusive rewards and discounts to our backers that will only be available during the month or so of the campaign”.
 
K-nit’s rewards include stock beanies that can be sent immediately, and customisable beanies that a backer can colour however they like. They will also be including limited edition designs and personalisation beyond anything they’ve ever offered before, and taking a load of backers on a surf trip to Portugal where they can visit the factory, and to Cornwall, where they can take part in a photo-shoot for K-nit.
 
If you fancy getting your hands on a completely one-of-a-kind beanie and helping a small Nottinghamshire business to go global, simply visit www.kickstarter.com/projects/2009425850/k-nit-the-most-customisable-knitted-beanie-designs to find out more.