News of Norway, issue 1, 1997
Over the past 40 years, at one time or another, most Norwegian boys and girls have worn Olympic or World Championship sweaters knitted by their mothers or grandmothers. The sweater designs are named after the location of the sports event for which they were created. Dale still carries successes such as "Sarajevo," "Albertville," " Fiemme," "Thunder Bay" and "Lillehammer" in its collection. "The 1997 Trondheim Ski Championship sweater is already becoming a true success," Anett Kallestad tells News of Norway. Ms. Kallestad is one of Dale’s sales managers and their only Norwegian employee in the United States. When asked about the cost of the sweaters—on average about $185 each, she says, "If you want the best quality, then you have to pay for it."
Dale—A Little Village on the West Coast The Dale factory is situated in the little village of Dale, which is surrounded by towering mountains and cascading waterfalls. Back in 1872, businessman Peter Jebsen, who was fascinated by the surroundings of the village transformed the natural power of a waterfall to run a textile mill. Today, some 125 years later, the company is prospering and has approximately 280 employees. With special help from all the tourists visiting Norway, the name of Dale is well known throughout Europe. Dale has agents in Scandinavia, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, the United States and Canada. Dale has its own distribution officein the U.S. with 100 percent Norwegian ownership."Our office sells remarkably well, north on the East Coast and in the Mid West- and also on typical ski places like Colorado," says Anett Kallestad. She is the only Norwegian among 9 other Dale employees in the U.S. distribution office in Waukesha, Wisconsin. She is getting to know the US sweater market.
A Blending of Old and New Classic Norwegian knitting patterns form the core of Dale’s entire design concept, and the designs reflect Norwegian history and culture. The company’s creates stylish contemporary and classical products based on age-old patterns and techniques. The factory also uses some of the most talented professional freelance knitwear designers in Norway. In addition to sweaters, the factory also produces Dale Garn—knitting kits consisting of yarns and instructions.
Sweater Categories
Dale markets several different collections, each with its own distinctive features. The four main categories are the classic, exclusive, casual and sport sweaters. Among the classical ones you will find the authentic Norwegian design and the series of sweaters made for the Olympic Games and the World Championship since 1956. The exclusive ones have trendy colors and are more elegant than the casual sweaters, which are made especially for work, school and leisure. The sports sweaters are made for recreation. Most of these sweaters are with Gore Windstopper, which gives you a sweater that is 100 percent windproof, but yet has high breathability. Especially around Easter time, you’ll see Norwegians in the ski tracks and mountain slopes in colorful, often handknitted, wool sweaters. Grandmothers, who have a phobia about knitting, buy Dale sweaters in secret to give to their loved ones. It is only the experts who are able to see the difference between the handknitted and factory-made sweaters anyway!
From Raw Wool to Finished Product
One of Dale’s hallmarks is its integrated production process. This means that the factory handles everything itself—from raw materials to finished products. The yarn, for instance, is crucial to the quality of the sweater. Dale of Norway spins its own yarn. "We treat the wool with the same care as they did hundred of years ago," says one of the production managers. Norwegian wool is especially well suited for high-quality knitwear. The wool fibers are long and curly, giving strength, lightness and warmth. The Dale factory buys the wool from different parts of Norway, and the raw wools are then blended carefully to achieve the requisite texture and quality. After blending, the wool is washed and dried. A special oil is added to prevent damage during spinning. Afterwards, the wool is carded to align the fibers. Dale also stretches the wool twice before it is worsted. The double stretching process ensures a better alignment of the fibers. Removal of the short fibers results in stronger yarn and permits much more distinctive patterns in the final knit. Dale also uses an environmentally friendly dyeing procedure that ensures that all the yarns are colorfast. Dale yarn is not only stable, but its breaking strength is three times that of ordinary wool yarns. Maybe this is one of the reasons for the price of Dale sweaters—Quality lasts longer, and, therefore, costs more. The Future is bright for Dale
Ms. Kallestad says that it is hard to say why Scandinavian designs are so popular right now. "Maybe the design gurus have just decided that Nordic design is in, or maybe it could be repercussions from the 1994 Olympic Games." In any case, she is excited about Dale’s future possibilities. Ms. Kallestad says that Dale has been around for a long time and will celebrate its 10th anniversary as an incorporated business in Wisconsin in 1988. "Our 1997 collection has been received quite well at the Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City last month and we expect an even greater interest in our line than ever before."
Information: Dale of Norway, Inc. Travis Lane, #5 Waukesha, WI 53186 Phone: 414-544-1996 Fax: 414-544-1997