Meet the Maker: Otto & Spike

Otto & Spike is as much about a place as a product. 

Les Mananov has been knitting in Brunswick since 1960 when, at the age of 16, he bought his first knitting machine, rented a shopfront in Nicholson Street and wrote a sign on a bit of cardboard.

Over the years the L M B knitwear business grew and moved locations but always remained in Brunswick.

The second-generation family business used to produce woollen garments for others: womenswear labels and surf brands, but gradually their contracts dried up as most garment businesses moved their production offshore. 

Les, his son Anthony and his wife, Kirstie, sought the advice of a branding consultant who helped inspire the Otto & Spike incarnation, named after Les' two grandchildren Otto and Spike.

The Otto & Spike brand has been going strong for 15 years now, still knitting beautiful products in their spiritual home of Brunswick.  L M B remains the parent company who also do custom knitting for other brands. 

It wouldn't surprise you that the wool they knit is Australian wool, and their Extra Fine Merino comes from the Bellarine Peninsular.  Of course!  

When you choose Otto & Spike you are not only supporting a family business who has remained committed to keeping production and jobs local, you are also choosing a brand endorsed by Ethical Clothing Australia.  

We are so proud to choose Australian-made brands like Otto & Spike in our gifts...

Find their socks here (we have it on good authority from the many people we have gifted these socks to that they are the BEST. SOCKS. EVER.)

And their incredible picnic blanket here! (so hardy and durable, this is literally the last picnic blanket you will ever need to buy and knitted with 100% surplus Australian lambswool...that's right, they use up all the leftover bits from the other production runs. Genius.)