Alix's yarn brand

[blessOTMA]

I recently saw this photo of Alix knitting on the royal yacht and noticed the label has not been removed from her yarn....considering the importance of knitting to AF, the girls learned the skill as toddlers and I believe even Alexis knew how, it would be interesting to know AF's brand. Looks French to me...perhaps Swiss? Perhaps a fabric historian would know from seeing this label. The photo date seems to be 1906-07

[GrandDuchessAndrea]

Oh, wow, you are SO observant! That's a really good question; the label seems to say "Au Bo..." Here's a task for us and anybody else interested: look through all the photos of Alexandra Feodorovna knitting, and see if there's any other shots of yarn with the label on it. Who knows, if it was Swiss, maybe Pierre Gilliard introduced it to her! There's one thing for certain: it's not Russian. That would be interesting if the company still existed today. Perhaps if we find out, we could notify the business! "The last Empress of Russia used your yarn!" 

[blessOTMA]

Oh, wow, you are SO observant!

It sort of popped out. But t looked like a small sack of potatoes  to me at first! lol! Since you love  fashion history, I knew you'd like this post ...=)

That's a really good question; the label seems to say "Au Bo..."

The Good...?

...Who knows, if it was Swiss, maybe Pierre Gilliard introduced it to her!

I'm guessing she was using it well before he came on the scene...perhaps even her mother had used it. AF seemed to have brand loyalty. 

That would be interesting if the company still existed today. Perhaps if we find out, we could notify the business! "The last Empress of Russia used your yarn!" 

lol! really, I can see the ad !

[GrandDuchessAndrea]

the label seems to say "Au Bo..."

The Good...?

Yes! I can see the N now! "Au Bon"!

perhaps even her mother had used it. AF seemed to have brand loyalty.

Oh, yes, that's very likely. Alexandra did seem to be the sort of person who would stick with the same brand of yarn, or anything...

I tried Google searching "au bon yarn" but nothing relevant really came up. Humph.

[Sunny]

the label seems to say "Au Bo..."

The Good...?

Yes! I can see the N now! "Au Bon"!

Au Bon Marché? In strasbourg there was a little shop with this name, but it's very generical...
I can knit and embroidering, but i'm not expert in textile brands, alas. I'll try to make a research tomorrow (find a free moment is like trying to won a lottery these days -_-")

[blessOTMA]

I wrote to a fashion historian and they suggested I contact  the state hermitage museum in Russia:
http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/html_En/03/hm3_6_7.html.

Not a bad idea! However there has to be a museum of yarn somewhere...since I believe there is a museum for everything! ...but particularly something as beloved as yarn. It's alot we know the name was in French. I suggest Swiss manufacture only because with all the conflicts with France, it would be well for a young woman growing up in Germany to have a Swiss supplier...I wonder if Alix knitted more as her life went on , or was it at a constant level?  I have wondered how the girls had, what was cutting edge sportswear during the war,  cardigan sweaters  and such, perhaps they knit some of them? Yarn was almost as important to AF as tobacco was to the Tsar!  How she came to us this brand would be interesting

[bestfriendsgirl]

If she used a certain brand of yarn, wouldn't it carry the Imperial Warrant, or is that just for things produced in Russia? Maybe there's a list of Imperial warrant items somewhere.

[Clemence]

I sent an e-mail to ask for their help here:

http://www.vintageknits.com/

[blessOTMA]

I sent an e-mail to ask for their help here:

http://www.vintageknits.com/

fascinating site!

[Lisa]

I think it could be the famous first department store in Paris (France) "Au Bon Marché" (now " Le Bon Marché").
Here is the article on Wikipedia (the French verson is more complete): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Bon_March%C3%A9

[blessOTMA]

I think it could be the famous first department store in Paris (France) "Au Bon Marché" (now " Le Bon Marché").
Here is the article on Wikipedia (the French verson is more complete): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Bon_March%C3%A9

makes alot of sense to me ....thank you for your post!