Win a gorgeous kid's jumper from Picaloulou

I was recently introduced to this West Country brand and have fallen a little in love if I'm honest.

Picaloulou was born, like so many small businesses by a mother who spotted a gap in the market.  She noted, after a particularly harsh couple of winters that there was a distinct lack of good quality knitwear around for children. You know, age appropriate; long-lasting; well made; enduring; practical; stylish clothing that every parent yearns for.

Her range of beautifully soft jumpers; cardigans and accessories are designed and made in the UK, mostly hand knitted by a team of knitters - I love that you can 'meet the knitters' on the website and even message them.

They offer styles to suit all budgets, from the divinely soft and snugly alpaca wool yoke sweater that's hand knitted in the round which we road-tested, to a small machine knit range of cotton and cashmere blend crew neck jumpers.

All the items are made in the UK, and they source Merino and Alpaca wool locally, which is also milled and dyed in Cornwall using Soil Association approved dyes.  I adore the muted, natural shades that are used, and they are the antithesis of the loud garish slogan-emblazoned mass-produced items for sale on our High Streets.

We were delighted to be able to get a sneak preview of one of the new jumpers for the A/W 14 collection, the alpaca hand knit in delicious deep cherry.  Like her mother, Ruby can't abide itchy scratchy jumpers, but this was heavenly soft and incredibly warm - just perfect for the cold snap we've been having.  It was generously sized - we asked for 7-8 years as even though she's only just 6, that's the size of shop bought clothes she's in, but actually I think the sizings must be spot on and a 6 would have fitted.  Oh well, it just means we'll get even more wear out of it!

The neckline and cuffs were perfectly styled so I didn't have to endure the constant pulling and tugging and cries of "it's too tight" that I often do when she has a jumper on.  All the knitwear items can be machine washed on a delicate wool cycle and ours has kept it's shape and size really well.  It's going to be a sweater that lasts, and we're very pleased about that because we love it!

There's a huge range of beautiful designs to choose from for babies, girls and boys - cable knits, Fair Isle; Aran and Breton stripes.  If you're loving the Scandinavian vibe, then you'll fall for the Fair Isle Yoke jumpers.

The cable knit pattern is a timeless classic and you'll want to hand these down to other children or nieces and nephews once your little one has outgrown them.

Generally if your desired size or colour is not showing on the website, they can hand knit it for you in around 2-3 weeks - the only problem you'll have is deciding which lovely sweater you want!

I'm delighted that Picaloulou is offering you the chance to win one of their gorgeous cotton and cashmere blend crew neck jumpers which retail from £32.  In a range of sizes from 1-2 years up to 9-10 years, it comes in a choice of shades - Ice Blue; Taupe or Claret.

To win your own Picaloulou sweater, simply complete the rafflecopter below before midnight on Monday 7th April 2014.  One winner will be selected at random.  UK entries only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I was provided with a jumper for the purposes of this review, and Picaloulou will supply and fulfill the prize.  All opinions are my own.