Since moving back to Bath I’ve been working regularly as resident Wool Person with Fernhill Farm, an eco-farm to the south-west of Bath. It’s so great to have enormous variety in my work, including a good deal of fleece throwing and lamb cuddles! I’ve also put on my knit-design hat and designed… well, a hat.The farm’s Lopi yarn is one I’ve loved since I started dyeing it up a couple of years ago for workshops that are run on the farm. Its construction is based on Icelandic lopi yarn – loosely spun, trapping loads of air for lightweight warmth – but using the much softer and more wearable Shetland-cross wool from the farm’s flock.
I wanted to design a knitting pattern that took inspiration from the landscape up on the Mendip Hills and captured the ambience of the outdoors. Thus the Fernhill Hat was born – the stranded colourwork design echoes the plants found on the farm and in its logo.
The pattern is designed for knitters with some familiarity with knitting in the round and stranded colourwork, but would also be great as a first try at these techniques for more adventurous beginners!
The photos of the finished hat being worn were taken up on the farm, and feature farm owner Jen and wonderful shepherd Danny. It would have been lovely to get some photos in the impressive amounts of snow we’ve had lately, but the roads were impassable even for 4x4s, let alone my tiny little car!
The pattern is designed for knitters with some familiarity with knitting in the round and stranded colourwork, but would also be great as a first try at these techniques for more adventurous beginners!
The photos of the finished hat being worn were taken up on the farm, and feature farm owner Jen and wonderful shepherd Danny. It would have been lovely to get some photos in the impressive amounts of snow we’ve had lately, but the roads were impassable even for 4x4s, let alone my tiny little car!
The yarn is available in one dyed and two natural colours, and the pattern is written in three teen/adult sizes.
The pattern is available digitally on Ravelry.
The pattern is available digitally on Ravelry.
