VESIKKO turtleneck, off-white
100 % alpaca submariner knit
22100 % Fine Special alpaca wool
Whether you’re sailing in autumn storms or perusing your favourite book in a lounge chair – you can count on Vesikko. It has everything you could ask for a garment that is worn in considerable numbers. Extremely stylish, but uncompromisingly practical. Pairs well with Japanese raw denim and hiking boots.
Vesikko sweater is designed to be a faithful and long-lasting partner. The development of this garment from a draft to the finished product was not a hasty project: this will stay in our collection forever, so we wanted to make it absolutely perfect.
- 100% Fine Special quality alpaca wool. Breathable, soft and warm. Check out the features!
- Gorgeous, durable and elastic 4-ply knit.
- Reversible sleeves with enough length to keep hands and wrists warm.
- The collar can be raised to protect the neck. Foldable both inwards and outwards.
- The material softens in use and reaches its full softness after a couple of wears.
- Made responsibly in Northern Europe.
| Color: Off-white |
The design of the sweater is based on the submariner, a turtleneck sweater originally worn by British submarine fighters, which has become a permanent classic of men’s style.
Instead of traditional lambswool, we made it from the Andean gold: 100% Fine Special quality alpaca wool. This rare, high quality fibre feels comfortable against the skin, is warmer than regular lambswool and stays clean even in heavy use, being naturally stain and odour resistant. The knit is a sturdy but pleasantly flexible 4-ply rib that has been used in our Shawl Collar cardigan for many years.
Alpaca, the Gold of the Andes
The material of this product – 100% Fine Special alpaca wool – is our most durable fibre quality.
Alpaca wool is one of the most extraordinary and rare natural fibres in the world. It’s not well-known by many, but once you get to know it, you’re hooked! Its exceptional breathability, excellent resistance to pilling, and beautiful, fluffy glow are something you just won’t find in other materials.
Unmatched warmth and breathability
Are you always cold, or alternatively, are you unable to wear knits because they are too hot? Alpaca is the perfect solution for both those problems: alpacas have adapted to different temperatures, as it is hot during the day and chilly at night in the Andean mountains where they graze. Over the millennia, alpaca wool has developed special properties in terms of both warmth and breathability.
Alpaca vs. Merino
We often get questions about the properties of alpaca wool compared to other materials. In comparison to merino wool, alpaca wool stands out especially for its superior moisture transfer qualities. Alpaca fibre is untreated and has a natural ability to absorb and transfer moisture effectively.
Commercial merino wool is treated to make it machine washable, in a so-called superwash treatment: the surface of the wool is coated with resin. The treated fibre loses much of its absorption capacity. The surge in the popularity of merino wool has made it increasingly challenging for a customer to discern between different levels of merino wool quality as there is now a vast array of merino qualities available in the market.
Alpaca wool – it only gets better with use
Most of our knits are densely knitted – we don’t cut corners on material use – so they need some time to soften up. This is necessary in order to make garments that last longer, and as you know, longevity is one of our core values. You can speed up the softening by brushing or steaming the knit, or ease it in by wearing a shirt underneath at first. Over time, the inside of the knit gets a soft, fluffy layer, typical for alpaca wool, making it feel really smooth and lightweight on you.
The secret to the smoothness of alpaca wool is in its fibre: it has fewer and tinier scales on its surface than other wools. Thanks to those smooth and long fibres, alpaca wool doesn’t pill easily, which our customers really appreciate.
We recommend your normal clothing size. The dimensions of the knit may appear snug, but fear not. The type of knit is significantly elastic, which is taken into account in the sizing of the product.
The model of the main picture is 188cm / 88kg and uses size L. The model of the second and third pictures is 177cm / 77kg and uses size M.
Dimensions and size
Note! There may be little variation in the dimensions of products made from natural fibers. However, the knit has good elasticity and the knit adapts to the wearer after a few uses.
Our customer service will be happy to advise you on choosing the right size.
Taking care of your Alpa® alpaca garment is super easy! You don’t have to wash it a lot. In fact, most times, just letting it air outside is enough to make it fresh again. If you wear another shirt under your knitwear, there will be even less need for washing.
If the garment gets stained or musty and is indeed in need of a wash, we recommend washing it by hand in cold water, using a gentle soap and squeezing it softly (avoid rubbing). After rinsing, roll it in a towel to get rid of extra water, reshape it and let it dry on a flat surface to avoid any unwanted stretching.
The whole washing from start to finish takes about 10 minutes – so it’s really easy to take care of your alpaca garment. Washing it once or twice a year should be enough in normal use.
Our cooperation with KASPERI, known for its high-quality backpacks and bags, is based on a common vision: we create uncompromising, high-quality products that denote timeless aesthetics, responsibility and longevity.
We met the KASPERI team at a fashion fair years ago, and we have admired each other’s products ever since. Our cooperation began with joint photo-shoots in stunning nature locations. Alpa’s knitwear has been the choice for the avid hiking entrepreneurs of KASPERI for many years, Janne and Michael, who have been sharing their adventures both on the islands of the Baltic Sea and in the fells of Lapland.
On those adventures, the properties of alpaca wool have convinced them of its uniqueness. Together we came up with an idea to implement new, more robust knit designs: KASPERI’s people take care of product sketching and product philosophy – we bring on board our world-class material and know-how in knitting production and design.
The first fruit of our work is now complete. It’s Vesikko, the perfect Submariner knit, the undisputed captain of our knitwear collection. While the coarse sheep wool might have been sufficient for the submarine crew on British submarines, we wanted an update – thus was born the supreme alpaca wool submariner. The name Vesikko dates back to the Second World War and the Vesikko-submarine of the Finnish Navy, which is now on display and open for visitors at the Suomenlinna Museum in Helsinki.
This Alpa® knitwear piece is responsibly manufactured in Lithuania at the production facilities of our long-term partners. Our partners have decades of experience in manufacturing high-quality knitwear products, and together we have uncovered the secrets of knitting with the rare alpaca wool.
Delivery Methods & Costs:
EU:
- GLS: 2-7 working days, 10 €
- DHL Express: 2-4 working days, 30 €
- Free Standard Shipping for orders over 200€
UK:
- Deliveries over 135 pounds only due to new VAT rules post-Brexit.
- GLS: 5-6 working days, 10 €
- DHL Express: 2-3 days, 30€
United States, Canada:
- DHL Express 35€
Rest of the World:
- Contact info@alpaknitwear.com for details.
Duties & Taxes:
- When ordering outside the EU, duties/taxes are NOT included in the shipping costs, and value-added tax 24% is deducted from your order total automatically. Refer to local custom officials for these costs.
We strive to make shipping easy and hassle-free! For any questions or more information, please contact our customer service.
- Shipping in 1-2 days
- Fast shipping and free returns in EU
- Responsible production – all knits made in EU
- 100 % satisfaction guarantee
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NLVESIKKO turtleneck, navy
I received my beautiful sweater just in time for Xmas. The quality is super. The Alpaca wol is really great quality and comfortable to wear. I would highly recommend these products. I was complimented on it by a stylist from a A brand out of the blue when I first wore it. Lauri also personally followed up with me on shipping when I asked him about timing (As just before the holidays that is always a challenge).
DKBeautiful knitwear
I am so happy that i bought this Submariner. The Off-White is beautiful. I was surprised by how heavy this knitwear actually is. And by how warm it is also. It was a bit itchy at first, but as advertised, it gets softer and softer the more one wears it. The sleeves have a perfect length (THANK YOU !), as also has the turtle neck which allows to unroll it up to the ears if you want to. The fabric seems incredibly solid, but still i do not let my cat express his satisfaction on it… I gather this submariner is one of those clothes you keep and use during years and years, if not decades. Since I bought this one and am so happy with it, i have also ordered the new Crew Neck and i can’t wait to try it.
BE
United KingdomGifted as a wonderful present
I have become very allergic to standard wool, so my old wool submariner had to go. I gave it to a friend, so they replaced it with this as birthday gift. No more sneezing fits when I put on a jumper! We make damn good jumpers in the UK, and often for a very reasonable price. The traditional submariner being such an example. This shares all the good qualities of a traditional submariner. It's durable, with high quality seems and allows for good mobility. The raglan sleeves were a good idea. I wear this hiking and working outdoors in the winter and on the occasional climbing trip. It's holding up well. I have a lot of jumpers that are 20 plus years old and going strong, so despite the high initial cost my experience tells me that this will be a worthwhile investment. Buy well, buy once!
NL