Q&A with S.N.S. Herning

P&S: Can you share the origins of S. N. S. Herning and the story behind the brand’s founding?

Søren : S. N. S. Herning was founded by Søren Nielsen Skyt in Herning. We still have the original trading licence issued to him on 3 September 1919. As a young man, he made and sold woollen knits to people in central Jutland. In the 1920s he realised that fishermen on the West Coast needed very strong and warm jumpers for long hours in harsh weather. He began producing these with his father, setting up a hand knitting machine in the corner of a paper mill. The defining feature was the insulating bubbles, a technique that made the sweaters more heat preserving while using less yarn.

P&S: How has the company managed to stay true to its roots while adapting to new generations?

Søren: Our core motto is simple: no changes, only improvements. Being a family business has always shaped us. When you look at old photos of Søren Nielsen Skyt with his sons, you can see the craft being passed directly between generations. We are not guided by trends in the fashion world. Instead we focus on understanding what can be accomplished with knits and how each season can add quietly and meaningfully to our story. We are not trying to adapt to new generations and perhaps that is why they choose to adapt to us.

P&S: What traditional knitting techniques or methods are still used in production today?

Søren: Most of our techniques are traditional and our production line reflects decades of machinery and know-how. We still use punch cards to programme equipment from the 1950s and computers from the 1980s to secure authentic patterning. Our originality lies in how techniques are combined and rethought. One example is our modification of existing melange practices, which we once referred to as meta mechanical melange. It is created by mechanically mixing yarns that are already melange, producing a more nuanced and textured result. We first explored this with the Stark cardigan around 2007 and continue developing the idea today.

P&S:  Where do you source your wool and other materials, and what contributes to their quality?

Søren: We work with long time trusted partners, some of whom we have collaborated with for more than 35 years. Historically our approach has always been intimate, much like the original knitting mill where the family home was part of the factory buildings. The quality of yarn begins with good raw materials, but durability is determined by how you handle twists and tensions. Once we know exactly how a yarn behaves, we know how to knit with it in order to bring out the best possible fabric.

P&S:  What core values guide S. N. S. HERNING today?

Søren: Do your best to make your best better. Be honest, humble, and never complacent. 

Knitting is only the medium. Creating value is the core.