This soft, warm hat is made of pure merino wool. It features a ribbed knit, allowing it to fit snugly on the head, and has a double cuff, which provides extra warmth in that area. The crown is not quite as high, so the ears are only partially covered when worn.

The knitwear manufacturer Merz b. Schwanen had existed since 1911 in the Swabian Alps, once a traditional textile-producing region. In recent times, a Berliner, Peter Plotnicki, revived the tradition. Once more, the company is manufacturing shirts and sports trousers in the area – for the most part on original knitting machines dating from the 1920s or at least the 1960s. Their slow operational speeds are an advantage: They provide for the high density, characteristic structure, and substantial feel, as well as the excellent shape retention of the knitwear. A small but remarkable detail: Plotnicki has the clothing labels with the original Merz b. Schwanen logo and lettering crafted on an old weaver’s loom for jacquard ribbons.