♥ Sizing Guide ♥
XS (8-10) generally feels initially like an 8 but will easily give to comfortably fit a 10
S (10-12) generally feels initially like an 10 but will easily give to comfortably fit a 12
M (12-14) generally feels initially like an 12 but will easily give to comfortably fit a 14
L (14-16) generally feels initially like an 14 but will easily give to comfortably fit a 16
XL (16-18) generally feels initially like an 16 but will easily give to comfortably fit a 18
2X (18-20) generally feels initially like an 18 but will easily give to comfortably fit a 20
3X (20-22) generally feels initially like an 20 but will easily give to comfortably fit a 22
4X (22-24) generally feels initially like an 22 but will easily give to comfortably fit a 24
5X (24-26) generally feels initially like an 24 but will easily give to comfortably fit a 26
L (14-16) generally feels initially like an 14 but will easily give to comfortably fit a 16
XL (16-18) generally feels initially like an 16 but will easily give to comfortably fit a 18
2X (18-20) generally feels initially like an 18 but will easily give to comfortably fit a 20
3X (20-22) generally feels initially like an 20 but will easily give to comfortably fit a 22
4X (22-24) generally feels initially like an 22 but will easily give to comfortably fit a 24
5X (24-26) generally feels initially like an 24 but will easily give to comfortably fit a 26
Our knits are made to fit comfortably and in a semi fitted cut. They are NOT oversized. If you buy your normal made590 dress size it will fit well with a little bit of room. It should not be too fitted to get on. Please note that when you first put on your cardy this is the smallest it will be as the wool fibres have not yet relaxed. Your knit will soften and give over time so don't be afraid to stick with a size if it feels snug initially.
We recommend you get a size that will button smoothly over your chest. Wool will give at least 1-2cm (if not a little more depending on the knit) so if the buttons gape ever so slightly at the bust this will end up a perfect fit once the cardigan is allowed to give through wearing, body heat and stretching when putting on and off. Please take care when putting on your cardy and don’t pull onto your arm at the end of the sleeves, as this will break the inner arm seams (where the cardigan is sewn together) and create open seams. Instead, gently ease sleeves onto your arm and allow the cardigan time to relax, try not to pull your cardigan on from the arm pit!
♥ Washing and care instructions ♥
We recommend treating your cardigans as carefully as possible, to allow you to wear them for years to come. We wash ours only when really needed, as wool is a very breathable and resilient fibre. To wash them, place your cardigan inside out in a delicates bag, wash only with mild wool wash detergent (only a small amount is needed), on a delicates cycle. Alternatively a light hand wash using wool detergent will keep your cardigan looking even better for longer. Never wring, rub or bleach your cardigan. Importantly, these cardigans are also cold water wash only.
Reshape when wet (this means flattening the cardigan out with your hands, across the front panels and along the sleeves) and allow to dry laying flat in shade. Do not wash with anything that might rub or create pulls in the wool. If you do snag your cardigan on something, pull the thread gently to the inside of your cardigan and NEVER cut the threads, this will unravel the knit and create a hole. Wash at the end of the season (to avoid moth damage, they like to eat the dirty bits of wool!) and store your cardigan with cedar balls when not being worn, as moths find these 100% wool cardigans very tasty!
Made590 staff usually only wash their cardigans once a season before packing them away for summer.
♥ Knitwear construction ♥
Our cardigans are made in a different way to a lot of cardigans you may already own that are produced off shore. Our knitter Bill knits large panels of our merino wool textures, which are then steamed to pre-shrink the fibres. This is done by hand once the panel is laid flat and steamed with a specialised machine.
Pieces are then cut from our custom pattern and sewn together, using rib for the packets which is also knitted on the large scale knitting machines. We then add our custom liberty buttons once they've been made by our button man Mick, and voila! Our perfect little cardigans are born.
♥ Repairing your cardigan ♥
Occasionally we have had customers who have had holes develop in their knits from washing, wearing and stretching of their knitwear over the years. To repair a knit hole is quite an easy process, we have found a good video to explain how to do this or it can otherwise be done by a seamstress or tailor at a relatively small cost. We recommend if you wash your knits as little as possible or only when they need it. If you get food or small marks on your cardigan try spot cleaning first as the most amount of wear happens while washing your cardigans, so the less stress you put them through the better your knit will last.
Another common problem with all knitwear is getting a pull in the knit when it gets caught, rubs against your bag or it could get caught on jewellery. We recommend you DO NOT cut these pulls, instead use a pin or needle or small crochet hook to pull the thread through to the inside of your cardigan so it does not pull further. You can tie a knot in the loop of thread once it's pulled through to the other side if need be, or it could be gently eased back into the knit carefully by pulling in a few directions from the sides.
♥ Mercerised merino ♥
Our Australian mercerised merino wool means it is a high tension merino fibre which all the fuzzy strands have been shaved off when milling to create a completely smooth fibre with a glossy feel. This makes the knits have a completely soft feel (no itching even on a warm day!) and they are highly resistant to pilling. We recommend you still avoid rubbing or wearing your knits against rough surfaces and if you do find some pilling from washing and wear use a knit shaver (available off ebay or at spotlight) to gently remove the pilling.
Merino rarely pills twice, so if you do get some pilling once it's shaved off you can rest assured that should be it for upkeep. We also recommend you store your knits with cedar balls packed around them (you can get these from department stores or places like Howards Storage World) to keep the moths at bay!