Swaledale Knitwear - Hand Knit Woollens and Wool

 

Swaledale woollens and Wensleydale woollens are traditional hand-knit knitwear crafts products of the two most important northern dales in the Yorkshire Dales of North Yorkshire.

Today, craftsmen hand-knit a lovely range of sweaters, cardigans, jumpers, shawls, scarves, gloves and stockings in a range of wools, but predominantly Swaledale wool and the luxuriously soft Wensleydale Longwool. These hand-knitted fashion items are sought after from all over the world.

Hand knitting is a legacy of bygone times when it provided much-needed income to the local economy of both Swaledale and Wensleydale. The woollens crafted by thousands of farmers and lead miners were distributed all over the United Kingdom, far beyond the borders of the north Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Swaledale is the smaller dale in comparison to the broad green dale of Wensleydale, but nevertheless it contributed immensley to the woollen crafts industry of the Yorkshire Dales.

We should not forget that hidden dale of Dentdale to the west of Swaledale and Wensleydale... it is from here that the legend of the 'Terrible Knitters of Dent' gained their reputation because thet were terribly fast hand-knitters. Today fine designer woollens can be found on the Green in the shape of Sophies Wild Woollens.

Today, designer fashion knitwear of Wensleydale and Swaledale woollens provide luxury gifts for a global community. In a time when mass production dominates modern society, what can give you greater pleasure than a luxurious hand-crafted designer item of clothing that is so warm, soft and natural..... and extremely individual.

If you wish to knit your own, the Wensleydale Longwool Sheepshop sells 4-ply, Double Knit and Aran weights of wool.

Wenslydale longwool is extremely rare as there are only some 200 sheep of this rare breed left in the UK flock. This is sad as their longwool is one of the softest and most high lustre wools in the whole world.

Swaledale woollens are made from the hardier wools of the numerous Swaledale sheep that dominate the dales and the Pennines of England and are most hard-wearing.

 

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