by Shirley Greenhalgh.
Hand-knitted Fair Isle wool beret. Each one is a total one-off in a colour combination never to be repeated.
Materials: 100% wool (all of the yarn is 100% wool but the brands and sources are mixed and are chosen for their colour).
Dimensions: 24 cm in diameter approx.
Care: Hand wash only in cool water. Dry flat.
Shirley Greenhalgh learnt to knit from her parents at a young age. Her Flemish mother was a dressmaker and knitter and made all their clothes as children, while her English father had learnt to knit fair isle as a boy growing up on a farm. Shirley began her first projects at around five years old and has been knitting ever since. She always had a preference for fair isle as she loves the way the pattern begins to emerge. During lock down she decided on knitting something from her huge collection of left over wool and found the pattern seen in these berets, designed by Marie Wallin. Shirley started to experiment with knitting the same pattern using different colour combinations, sometimes a traditional colour palette at other times a more modern combination, but always unique as she loves to experiment with colour, rather than repeat. To start a new beret, she begins with choosing the main colour, then plays with the balls of wool until she finds a collection that all compliment each other.