While many of us in Europe are being blasted by winter rainstorms, the Made in America movement and revival of the US textiles industry is making headlines in the knitting and hosiery industries.

In an article republished by Knitting Industry with the kind permission of Stateline news service,we learn more about the revival of the US textiles industry. In Textile industry comes back to life, especially in South we hear how decades after many people thought the US textile industry was dead, the industry generated $54 billion in shipments in 2012 and employed about 233,000 people. Business is on the upswing as Southern states, in particular, woo textile companies with tax breaks, reliable utilities, modern ports and airports and a dependable, trained and non union workforce.

Knitwear made the headlines again when in Olympic Team U.S.A's 'Ugly Christmas Sweaters' Sell Out Immediately Online, The Huffington Post reported at the weekend that $595 Ralph Lauren designed ‘ugly Christmas sweaters’ and matching $195 pants worn at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony is Sochi, have already sold out on Ralph Lauren’s website. For those yearning to wrap their bodies in the chunky knit, however, a select few are selling on Ebay for prices as steep as $3,000, the site reports.

According to a report files by our US correspondent Debra Cobb last week, the outdoor industry creates $646 billion in annual consumer spending in the US, not to mention 6.1 million jobs; innovative fibres and knitwear for base layers, hosiery, and performance apparel and accessories comprise a key segment of the business – Debra’s full show report is available at - Outdoor Industry Seeking Paths to Growth.

The Ohio Knitting Mills of Cleveland made knitwear for the American middle class for almost seven decades. Its iconic and colourful sweaters were sold from Saks to Sears, bringing modern fashion to the masses. In an article entitled Rebuild the American knitwear industry with Ohio Knitting Mills, Steven Tatar, the President and the Creative Director of the Knitting Mills, is now appealing for support and funding. In 2005 Steven met the family that had owned and operated the Ohio Knitting Mills since founding it in 1927. After the business shut down, they bequeathed their remarkable collection to him for the purpose of preserving it, and to use it to attempt to revive the mill as an apparel label for the 21st century.

Meanwhile up in Montreal, Gildan Activewear announced record adjusted net earnings of US $0.35 per share for the first quarter of a fiscal year, which is seasonally the lowest sales quarter for T-shirts in the fiscal year - Gildan Activewear reports growth in Q1. And back in North Carolina, Hanesbrands  reported that improved profitability resulted from lower cotton costs and benefits of the company’s Innovate-to-Elevate initiatives - Hanesbrands reports growth for 3Q of 2013.

Finally, in ABC News’ Senator Pushes Government To Only Buy Made in America Textiles we hear how Senator Sherrod Brown introduced a new bill last Thursday that would require the federal government to only buy textiles, such as uniforms for federal workers, that are made in America. “We cheer for American athletes in the field. We ought to be cheering for American workers in the factory,” Brown told ABC News. “It’s clear to me that this is real jobs. This is real help for small business, and U.S. taxpayers have a right to know that the dollars they’re spending are creating jobs in our communities,”

Things are really starting to move in the US textiles industry. How big can it get?

Send your ‘Made in America’ news to me, Billy Hunter, at [email protected] or comment below.