THE weather outside may be frightful – or at least, a bit on the chilly side – but fortunately you don’t need to look beyond our shivering shores to find delightful knitwear that will keep you both cosy and stylish.
Our maker of the month, Louise Hepworth, is the designer behind The Croft House and takes heritage designs and knitting styles and gives them a bright, modern twist. The online-only business sells directly to customers to offer high quality at affordable prices.
The Croft House rubislaw Fair Isle ski hat, £37
READ MORE: Heritage styles with a modern twist are made to last
Another brand offering beautiful Fair Isle designs is Harley of Scotland, which established in 1929 by Peter Harley Buchan – a family business to this day. The firm specialises in seam-free, zero-waste knitting using ethically sourced fibres. Our favourites include chunky roll neck jumpers and more delicate crew neck cardigans.
Harley Supersoft Shetland Fair Isle Jumper, £145
For traditional Scottish styles with a little more of a contemporary twist, try the Borders-based ERIBÉ, established more than 30 years ago by Scottish College of Textiles graduate Rosemary Eribé. She describes her team as an extended family, using knowledge handed down from one generation to the next to create luxurious, quality knitwear. Our picks include Alpine gloves with textured stitches and a scallop edge cuff and the company’s signature Alpine beanie.
If softness is just as important to you as style, take a look at the cashmere creations of Brora including cardigans, hats, gloves and adorable baby booties. The brand was established in 1993 by Victoria Stapleton, who aimed to create “beautiful fashion that is stylish yet timeless”, so if you’re looking for fast fashion try elsewhere. More than 50 processes are involved in making any one of the brand’s cashmere designs, including brushing with the dried heads of the teasel plant to produce a distinctive ripple finish.
Brora Shetland Fair Isle yoke cardigan, £89
Louise Wedderburn trained in the knitwear industry but produces everything from greetings cards and ceramics to printed notebooks and tea towels from her home studio in rural Scotland. Her gorgeous Fair Isle scarves, gloves and berets come in three striking colour combinations called Shetland, Hebrides and Tiree.
Louise Wedderburn Fair Isle scarf and beret set, £55
Another independent maker, Inverurie-based Angela McHardy, trades on Etsy as Clova Knits and adds a playful touch to her designs for scarves, gloves, tea cosies and even hot water bottle covers, which can be customised. A diverse range of designs includes thistles, Highland dancers, Russian dolls and fairy cakes.
Clova Knits thistle Fair Isle hand warmers, £37.27
Wee Beauties products, made in Edinburgh by Beth Renton, include very cute baby booties in vibrant colours, lambswool headbands and eye-catching scarves.
Wee Beauties lambswool knitted scarf, £58
Last but not least, Wonky Woolies are guaranteed to put a smile on your face. From classic Argyle patterns and tartan to “Highland Moo” and disco designs, these small-batch creations are guaranteed to make the wearers stand out in a crowd.
Wonky Woolies disco bobble hat, £29
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