Brushing
What is Shetland 'Shaggy Brushing'?
It is when the newly knitted Shetlands are carefully and evenly brushed using natural spinning teasels (a type of thistle) with a vintage (because they don't makethem like they used to) brushing machine. Some people just prefer the fit, texture, look and handle of a brushed garment, but the classic 'shaggy' Shetland also became an iconic look favoured by historical persons of note such as President John F Kennedy, Steve McQueen and the classic American 'Ivy
League' style, which rose to prominence in the 1950's and 60's. My family’s company who makes our Shetlands has made them since the 1930's, it is a timeless and classic style.
Can I see examples of the different brushing levels?
You can view the different brushing levels here
How does the brushing service affect the texture and appearance of the knitwear?
BRUSHING LEVELS
Shaggy - The classic Shaggy look, brushed twice giving a slightly fuzzy effect, providing a mildly thicker 'timbre' to the garment.
Triple Brushed - Brushed three times. A very fuzzy look, individual stitches are more obscured and the garment has a cloudy appearance.
Quad Shaggy - Brushed four times resulting in an extremely brushed effect bordering on a felted look which inevitably provides a slightly more rigid garment. We will never brush a Shetland more than four times. The increased brushing also lightens the yarn colour intensity slightly, as it has an airbrushed effect on the wool.
Great Bear Shaggy - A special brushing treatment we can apply to our Blue Mogganer North Sea Shetlands. These can only be brushed twice, but due to their 4 ply thickness, it has to be done a certain way and the brushing has an exaggerated effect.
Polar Bear Shaggy - A new brushing treatment we can apply to our Blue Mogganer Submariner sweaters. These can only be brushed twice but due to their 4 ply thickness, it has to be done a certain way and the brushing has an exaggerated effect. The inside of the polo neck is also brushed so the garment looks uniform upon wear.
Can I return an item after it has been brushed?
Brushing is a service of labour using unique brushing tools which cannot be recouped once expended. Each thistle (yes we brush them with real dried, giant thistles) must be maintained and frequently replaced to ensure the integrity of the brushing which is a labour intensive and time consuming procedure.
Brushing a Shetland also alters the garment irrevocably outwith our normal inventory. Therefore a custom brushed garment is completely non returnable, even for exchange. If you are unsure you will be keeping the Shetland, please order an unbrushed Shetland to try first, which you then can return if you would prefer it brushed.
Can any garment be brushed?
Only the cassic Shetland character wool can be brushed, which we list as ‘Supersoft Lambswool’ . We cannot brush cardigans or any Shetland garment with buttons attatched. You will know which garment can be brushed, because it will have the add-on service available for the product as you buy.
General
Are all your products really made in Scotland?
Yes, absolutely all our products are 100% locally made with care, here in the North-East of Scotland by a nearly century-old knitting company founded by my great-grandfather in 1929. The wool used to make the vast majority of our garments is also mainly spun locally, in Scotland.
Is your Shetland wool authentic Shetland wool?
Yes. All our Shetland wool is the classic Shetland-character yarn our knitters have used for nearly 100 years.
Our Voe 'Everest' and ‘Sherpa’ Shetland sweaters are made from the undyed fleece of actual Shetland sheep and literally spun in the Shetland Isles. They are the ones to choose if it is important to you to buy ‘Shetland-origin’. Being undyed they are also supremely eco-friendly and it's impossible not to feel their authentic rustic charm, when wearing.
However the type of shetland you will want if you are looking for a 'classic shetland sweater' is the Harley of Scotland seamless saddle shouldered supersoft lambswool sweater or cardigan or Bosie Luxury Shetland, which has a hint of cashmere.
What types of knitwear do you offer?
Sweaters, cardigans, slipovers, hats, scarves, gloves. We offer these in plain, patterned and stitch effect knits.
What materials are used in your knitwear?
All natural fibres consisting mainly of pure lambswool, pure cashmere, merino, geelong lambswooL and Shetland character lambswool. We also offer pure undyed virgin wools including various British breeds and the authentic Shetland Voe sheep wool. You can read about our yarns here.
How do I determine the right size for me?
Click on the size chart at the top right of the size variants you see for the product.
Do you offer custom or made-to-order items?
No, we used to have a period in the year where you could do this for our Shetlands but unfortunately the great demand for our items became too large to be able to continue with the logistics of this. To compensate we now offer a huge colour range all throughout the year.
How should I care for my Bosie knitwear?
Our knitwear can be dry cleaned, which is ultimately what we recommend.
If you prefer to wash at home, please hand wash only in cool to hand-warm water in a wool friendly detergent such as Woolite or Stergene (in the measurements specified on the bottle). Dry flat and gently reshape whilst still damp.
Please note wool does not need to be washed as much, because it naturally resists moisture and bacteria.
Remember…
- Never machine wash
- Never hand wash in hot water
- Never wash in biological or non-wool detergent
I've accidentally shrunk my pure wool garment! Can I send it back to be resized, reshaped or exchanged?
This is why it is extremely important to wash your purchase carefully and take to be dry cleaned if you are not confident. All washing instructions are sewn into the the seams of each garment. Once purchased, it is the customers responsibility to wash and dry as specified. Unfortunately we cannot accept responsibility for how the garment is treated after purchase and we do not offer any reshaping or resizing services as these are impossible when a garment has shrunk.
We also cannot predict the amount of pilling that occurs as this depends on how the garment is worn, how the garment is washed, and what the water type is like in your area, please note however, pilling generally lessens with wear. goes here.
Do you have a physical store I can visit?
To keep the costs down and enable a better price for our customers around the world we only sell directly online.
Can I see fabric samples before making a purchase?
No unfortunately due to our items being knitted there are not fabric samples we can cut off and provide.
What Ply (thickness) is the garment I am viewing, it doesn't say?
Unless specifically specified as chunky, or a higher or lower ply, the garment will be 2 ply. This is our preferred ply as we tend to find customers are delighted with the fact it keeps them warm, without overheating. For colder seasons and climates, check out our very popular Blue Mogganer Fishermans workwear collection, inspired by our town's historical North Sea Fishermen, which are mostly thicker and insulate beautifully.
Ordering and Payment
How do I place an order?
To add an item to your cart, select your desired product on the Bosie store, choose any options like size, colour or brushing where applicable, and click "Add to Cart." You can then review your cart by clicking the cart icon, where you’ll be able to adjust quantities or remove items if needed. Once you're ready, click "Checkout" to start the process.
At checkout, simply enter your email, shipping address, and payment details. Double-check your order to make sure everything is correct, then click "Place Order." You’ll receive a confirmation both on-screen and via email with all your order details and next steps.
What payment methods do you accept?
We accept various convenient payment methods which can be selected at checkout.
Is my payment information secure?
Yes, your payment information is completely secure when shopping at Bosie. Our store is powered by Shopify, which uses industry-leading security measures, including SSL encryption, to protect your data during checkout. Shopify is PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) compliant, ensuring that your payment details are handled with the highest level of security. Additionally, we do not store your payment information on our servers, providing an extra layer of protection. You can shop with confidence knowing your data is safe and secure with us.
Can I modify or cancel my order after it has been placed?
No, because of the way our system works you cannot cancel or modify an order, however you can return them for refund if unbrushed.
Do you offer gift cards or certificates?
Yes, you can view our gift card options here.
Shipping and Delivery
Where do you ship to?
We ship worldwide.
How much does shipping cost?
This is variable depending on location and calculated automatically upon checkout so you will be able to see the amount just prior to purchase completion.
How long will it take for my order to arrive?
UK - 1 to 2 days
USA - 2 to 3 days
Europe - 1 to 3 days
Rest of World - 2 to 5 days
Can I track my order?
Yes, just click on the tracking number you were sent with your order shipment confirmation.
Please bear in mind that we email the tracking number before your product is collected by the courier, so it may not show as shipped until a working day later.
What should I do if my order is delayed or lost?
Click on the tracking number to see the order status. All deliveries are strictly recorded by our Courier. If the item has not been recorded as delivered and is still lost 28 days after shipping please contact us on orders@bosie.co and we will chase it up for you.
Please note DHL considers an item lost after 28 days from the date of sending so only then would we consider it lost, however, please be assured that this occurrence is extremely rare and we fully insure all packages for it, so no cost would be incurred by the customer.
Returns and Exchanges
What is your return policy and how can i return an item?
You can read about our Returns Policy and how to return an item here.
Can I exchange an item for a different size or colour?
We do not offer exchanges but you can return and reorder with a reduced rate of shipping. To do this contact us here with your original order number.
What should I do if I receive a defective or incorrect item?
We have strict quality control methods prior to shipment but we do request that all customers check their items immediately upon receipt and any damaged or flawed goods should be communicated to us with a photograph within two days of receipt and returned directly to us without delay and while the garment is new. We must receive the item back. In the case of an item being received new and with a fault we will refund return shipping immediately upon receipt of the faulty item and we will then also refund the order in full or replace depending on the customers choice. Please note we can clearly identify and distinguish when an item has been deliberately damaged or stretched due to too small a fit and when there is a genuine fault in the knitting.
If you receive the incorrect item the customer must immediately send us an image of the incorrect item still in its packaging with labels attached to orders@bosie.co. Upon receipt of the image and item, we will immediately post out the correct item.
Contact and Support
How can I contact customer support?
Contact us here.
What are your customer service hours?
Email 8am-4pm Monday to Friday
Telephone 1pm-4pm Monday to Friday