Today, November 13, 2019 World Kindness Day and World Cardigan Day coincide. What are two things these topics have in common? The beloved Mister Rogers, of course!
When people remember Fred Rogers, the star of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, they recall his messages of kindness. They also usually picture him in one of his cardigan sweaters, which came in a variety of primary color and spoke to the warm and fuzzy nature of his presence. Tom Hanks will soon be seen in these sweaters in his roll of Mister Rogers in the movie “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.”
Just in time for the upcoming holiday season, you can gift a loved one (or yourself) a Mister Rogers Alpaca Sweater. These replica sweaters are made from 100% alpaca wool and come in three iconic styles. Instead of traditional sizing, they will be available in sizes 1 – 6. Completely gender neutral, these sweaters will work for everybody.
Why alpaca? When the designer of the Mister Rogers Alpaca sweater, Kim Brooks, was researching men’s cardigans for another project, she heard a story that Arnold Palmer and Fred Rogers were friends who grew up outside of Pittsburgh in the town of Latrobe. The story goes that Arnold Palmer mentioned that he had been approached to create something for golfers in the way of apparel. Fred Rogers said “Why don’t you do a sweater? Everyone loves sweaters!” and thus the iconic golf sweater had its inspiration. Arnold Palmer’s love and use of alpaca wool in his sweaters had a notable influence on the Peruvian alpaca industry in the 1950s and 60s.
Alpaca is one of the world’s most sustainable fibers. Alpacas are very tender on the earth - they nip grassy shoots leaving roots intact which can regrow, their padded feet are soft on the terrain and their wool, known for softness and warmth, is shorn in order to keep them healthy. The fiber itself is allergen free and safe for everyone to wear as it contains no lanolin and is processed with gentle soaps and far less water than other wools. It comes in a wide variety of natural colors, but also dyes beautifully without having to use harsh chemicals for the dyes to stick. With his message of “be kind” it is easy to assume that Mister Rogers would like these qualities.
Mister Rogers wore a sweater on every show because it was a way to be close to his mother Nancy and take a bit of her love with him when he wore one. Mister Rogers’ mother hand knit each of his cozy sweaters. She would knit about 12 sweaters a year and he and his family members would all get one from her every Christmas. He said that his mom showed her love for her family with these gifts and that a sweater was like a warm hug from a person when they weren’t near.
The Mister Rogers Alpaca Sweaters can be seen at https://www.alpacaunlimited.com/mister-rogers-sweater-collection