Our Approach

Fleurieu Made is a unique  micro-enterprise in that:
- the knowledge and skills we have gained in machine knitting have been honed over 30 years of practice across almost every type of domestic knitting machine produced and;
- Fleurieu Made products are made exclusively from vintage yarns, sourced from outlets and individuals clearing out their stock. By repurposing existing resources, we reduce waste and promote a circular economy. This is an important aspect of our approach to sustainable small scale manufacturing.

There is a-lot of yarn out there - much of it made in Australia in local mills that no longer exist. This yarn is often exceptionally high quality and specific to a region.

For instance, I purchased three yarns from a woman on the Fleurieu.
They had been in her stash for many years, untouched.
The beige yarns is from Tailored Strands in Victoria. This is a luxury alpaca yarn that knits up like cashmere. The tweed yarn in the middle is Cleckheaton, a popular Australian brand that was purchased by Wangaratta Woollen Mills in Victoria in the mid 1980s. Cleckheaton ranges can now be purchased in Lincraft. The unbelievably warm and soft wine yarn is an Heirloom alpaca yarn made by the Australian Yarn Company, another long standing yarn manufacturer and wholesaler. This is the way that we commit to sustainability - no new yarns until the stash (which is considerable) is all gone. 

The reason that the stash is large is that Fleurieu Made has grown out of another micro- enterprise named CultureCycle run by Angelina Russo, our chief designer. CultureCycle was known for its design and manufacture of high quality merino cyclewear. CultureCycle won 2 Australian Wool Fashion Awards for knitwear in 2011 and 2016. Angelina was a full time academic at the time and the business grew so quickly that she had to reconsider how to maintain sustainability.

Enter a change in life and a reconsideration of sustainable business and Fleurieu Made was created. Follow us for updates on products and services. We look forward to hearing from you.