SWALEDALE WOOLLENS CATALOGUE

The sheep they breed and the wool they provide have always been important to the people of Swaledale. Here in one of the most beautiful areas of Northern England the tradition of hand knitting in local wool goes back over 400 years to the days of Queen Elizabeth I. It was Elizabeth who set a new fashion by wearing hand knitted stockings and, with demand increasing, every family in the Dale - men, women and children - became involved in knitting woollen stockings.

It was in the early 1970s, with Swaledale's economy at a low ebb, thoughts were turned to reviving the local knitting trade. There were still some descendants of the early knitters living in the Dales and the art of hand knitting had survived with them. A village meeting in the local pub decided to set up a cottage industry using the wool of the Swaledale sheep to produce not only stockings but classic sweaters, cardigans and other knitwear. Offers to knit soon began to arrive and plans were made to open a shop in the village to sell local knitwear to tourists and to provide a mail order service. When an order came to knit 125 pairs of gloves for a major arctic expedition enthusiasm began to build up and the knitting needles were put to work.

That was nearly 30 years ago and today there are over 30 people knitting from their homes and producing a unique range of quality woollen knitwear. The wool provided for the knitters is mainly from Swaledale sheep, but use is also made of the different shades and textures provided by the nearby Wensleydale breed and the Herdwick and Welsh hill sheep. Some of the wool is dyed to provide beautifully harmonious country colours.

And yes, despite the passing of years, we still make hand knitted stockings! You can see our full range either by visiting our unique shop in Muker or by sending for our latest colour brochure.