1. Union of Makers 3130 Black Bear Brand30 Black Bear Brand
T H E
P E R F E C T
S T I T C H
DEFINING THE
“BLACK BEAR STITCH”
Union of Makers 31
As we explored what we needed in our
knit collection we started on the search
for the right people to work with.
In Centralia WA, a small town about an
hour south of Seattle, there’s a knitting
mill that’s been producing knitwear,
jackets, and textiles since 1939. This mill
is nearly unchanged and still producing
high quality, hand crafted knitwear the
same way today. This is where our journey
with Centralia Knitting Mills began.
We made a quick connection with
the 3rd generation owner/operator
Randy and started the process towards
producing our perfect stitch.
Starting with specific design goals we
became very involved in the entire process
as the design needs heavily intertwine with
the manufacturing process.
Being engaged in the process and keeping the
close connection of the purpose and design
with the manufacturing process is essential.
A new stitch was born through this process,
everything evolved as we worked together to
meet each detail. This new stitch has been
proudly named the “Black Bear Stitch” by
Centralia Knitting Mills. This process has
started something special. Our stitch is
evolving, we together are elevating the
stitch and design combination.
Photography By Justin Kenna
-Josh Sirlin