Brand stationery for sustainable knitwear designer Jamie Baldrick

I first met Jamie when she approached me to print some eco-friendly stationery that would add a touch of handmade luxury to her new sustainable knitwear brand. The result was a suite of business cards, swing tags and notecards, letterpress printed using tree-free cotton paper – crisp, professional and, most importantly, kind to our lovely planet.

Jamie, tell me about your business and what you do!

I am a knitter, originally from Northern Ireland, now living in sleepy Warwickshire. I design and make knitwear with factory waste that would otherwise be sent to landfill. A big part of my products is colour! Even though working with waste often means your colours are dictated for you, I like to take what I have and combine the colours in a way that makes my work really stand out. My work is playful, an intentional contrast to what some people visualise when they imagine a sustainable look!

How did you get into knitwear and have you always been a maker at heart?

Usually when I think about this I smile because it’s so obvious to me now that I was always going to create knitwear. My grandparents owned a wool shop in my hometown, “Baldrick’s Wool Shop”, which I would visit all the time when I was a young child. My mum took over the shop when they retired and knitting became a bigger part of my life, our house always was covered in wool, and I even worked in the shop in my teens! I eventually attended Ulster University to study textiles, fell in love with the knit department and I haven’t looked back since!

As a recent graduate, what inspired you to start your business?

I always knew I would have my own business, but I never envisioned starting it this young. I thought I needed years of experience under my belt to validate having my own business. However, like a lot of people, the first lockdown in March 2020 forced me to pause and take stock of what really made me happy. So, I had a “fuck it” moment, applied for some small business start-up grants and thankfully one of them stuck, meaning I could purchase some knitting equipment to help me produce my own knitwear. Looking back now, I am so grateful that I took the plunge as I know I would be miserable working the fashion production jobs that were headed my way.

Your designs (and your stationery) are so vibrant. How would you describe your style?

Thanks to my colour combinations, my work is playful and a little bit kitsch, which really speaks to my personality! I often look to vintage knitting patterns, the type I searched through in my grandparent’s wool shop, for inspiration as I’m drawn to the “so bad it’s good” type of look. I really wanted my stationery to be crisp and clear, to compliment my block colours but also to contrast the vibrancy of the colours. 

Do you have a favourite piece? 

My favourite piece is the “Aisling” Aran, a hand knitted, beaded Aran jumper that I lost weeks of my life to creating! The yarn was so fine, and the beading was so detailed that I knew it would be a one off for my graduate collection. However, I was lucky enough to show the piece with the Craft Council’s Future Edit exhibition earlier in the year. There are a few pieces from my upcoming AW collection that might overtake the “Aisling” Aran as my favourite, but you’ll have to wait until my release day, September 28th, to see those!

I'm always curious about the creative process of other makers, what does your process look like? 

For me, it’s all about the material. I source my factory waste from companies across the UK and Ireland, and what I create very much depends on what I receive. I could get a gorgeous bright colour, but only have enough to knit something small like a pair of socks or a few hair scrunchies. On the other hand, if I’m fortunate enough to receive a bigger batch of waste material, I can afford to experiment with stitches and decide then what I want to create. 

I know you share my passion for sustainability. How do you incorporate it into your process and your business as a whole?

Sustainability is always my priority, not only in my business but in my daily life, my friends know it’s my obsession! I’m looking forward to the day when governments step in with sustainable legislation so it will be the norm rather than a USP! I make all my products with textile waste, a decision I made for my future business as a student when I completed a placement year with a knitwear factory in Ireland. Although this factory was way more sustainable than the average clothing factory, as everything was fully fashioned (meaning it was knit into the required shape rather than cut out of a piece of fabric), there was still a shocking amount of waste heading from the factory to landfill every week! I decided I wanted to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem. 

With my business, I aim for zero waste, which is why I also create my “scrappy” products. These are made with all the tiny scraps that usually end up in the bin, I tie them together, and wind them back onto to cones so I can knit them into new products on my knitting machine. I also try not to send too much waste into my customers’ homes, so all my packaging is plastic free, reusable or recyclable. I could wax lyrical about sustainability for hours, so I’ll leave it there for now!

Why did letterpress printing feel like the right choice for your stationery and what do you feel it brings to your brand? 

I was drawn towards letterpress because I felt the process strongly reflected the effort that goes into knitting, they are both historical techniques that require a huge amount of time to get right! The look and feel of my stationery adds to the sense of luxury I aim to create with my brand. I want to bring back the idea that all your clothes are valuable and should be treated as so, rather than chucking everything into a landfill after a few wears, and this is reflected in my quality stationery. Letterpress printing is also absolutely gorgeous so it’s a win win!

This or that?

Biscuit or cake?

Tv show or movie? Something sci-fi!

Dogs or cats?

Night in or night out?

Park or beach?

Sunrise or sunset?

Family time or me time?

Buy it or DIY it?

Podcast or playlist?

Coffee or tea? I’m addicted!

Any top tips for others who might be at a similar stage in their business journey?

My main tip is to not take social media too personally, it may seem like everyone else is an instant success but, often, it’s not real and there is no correct timeline for reaching success, whatever that means to you! I think a “community over competition” mindset is important too; we can all succeed! 

Finally, if people want to learn more about your fabulous knitwear, where can they find you online? 

You can head straight to jamiebaldrick.com and you can follow all my behind the scenes antics on Instagram @jamiebaldrick.