Dedicated Handknit Services since 1981

We produce exclusive hand knit apparel for the international yarn and ready-to-wear market.

Provide employment

Create unique apparel

Support families

Ceylon Heritage is a social enterprise that give fairly paid, educative and flexible employment to hundreds of artisan rural women in Sri Lanka.
Our female staff make exclusive knit apparel for the international yarn and apparel market, using regular to advanced knitting and crochet techniques by hand and hand needles.
By becoming our customer, you are helping empowering rural women in Sri Lanka by supporting their families and avoiding migration from their local communities. The profit is spent by dedicating resources to ensure our staff´s social wellbeing, as by sponsoring reading glasses and school equipment for their children and assist rebuilding their houses after hurricanes.

Skills, Pride and Dedication

The company was founded with three core values at heart – unique skills, pride and dedication.
Today, Ceylon Heritage has 18 knitting centers in rural areas of the island, and is currently employing over 200 well trained knitters. Sri Lanka has a proud heritage of rich craftsmanship, tracing back multiple generations over its long, rich history. We are proud to be a part of embracing these skills.

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Handknit Samples Garments &
Hand Embroidery

Our skilled and experienced knitters are able to solve the most intricate knitting techniques, including embroideries on garment, pearls in the garment, and crocheting. We can also make English pattern instructions, based on a model or a sketch with comments sent to us.

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My vision of bringing sustainable hand knit garments knitted in Sri Lanka into the Norwegian tourist apparel market had not an easy start. Civil war and terrorism in the 80-ties led to vast upstart difficulties, however we overcame them during the years ahead. I am proud that today´s Ceylon Heritage lives up my original vision to bring our social commitment to life; give employment to poor rural women of Sri Lanka, teach them excellent craftmanship, and keeping them close to their village homes and family.

Knut Gjertsen – Founder of Ceylon Heritage and former CEO of Dale of Norway AS

I am honored to learn that the knitting training I held for the catholic nuns and rural women in Sri Lanka with the help from NORAD (Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation) more than 40 years ago, has led to the sustainable employment and excellent hand knitting service of today´s Ceylon Heritage.

Asta-Marie Gjertsen – Knitting expert and wife of Founder Knut Gjertsen 



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