16 Gauge, Finesse Oblige

My first knitwear love is the 16 gauge. “Gauge” is the finesses of knit fabrics and it is for knitting as carats are for diamonds: they are both indicators of measure and pureness. There is one important thing to know: the thinner the knit is, the more valuable it is. The more valuable the thread is, the lesser complex the processing needs to be.

WHY IT IS PRESENT IN EVERY MY HOSIO COLLECTION. I love gauge 16 because I believe it is sophisticated, light, wraparound and very soft. I have always used and appreciated it, but it is only with Hosio that I found the right environment for a production method that has the advantage of offering a versatile and transversal product, at the same time iconic and representative of our identity, built on knitwear and experience. I am grateful to gauge 16 as it gave me the opportunity to express new concepts and make new experiments by integrating, for example, its basic version both with three-dimensional or fantasy pattern stitches.

WHY YOU NEED ONE. It is an evergreen garment, one of those outfits which should always be present in the wardrobe of a man in both summer and winter. A light and multifunctional passepartout to be worn alone or in combination with heavier garments.

IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE. What is gauge actually? Gauge in knitwear is expressed by the number of needles needed to achieve a certain fineness in knit fabrics. The higher the value of the gauge is, the smaller the size of the stitch will be and, as a consequence, of the needle working on it. The needle is the tool that allows us to create the knit. In  knitwear  are found different gauges, from the thickest ones – for example the Norwegian and Nordic knits- to the thinnest, as gauge16. In gauge 16 the size of needle working the thread has a thickness equal to half a millimeter. Also the thickness of the thread used is extremely low and consequently very thin. It is a very delicate process, which demands skill and attention that can only come from a great experience.

CURIOSITY. To have eyes like a hawk is an essential quality for those who work gauge 16, since the size of the stitches are so thin as to require a very high visual attention.

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