Some of the strangest and most beautiful landscapes in England can be found on her east coast, and one of the most remarkable is the shingle spit known as Orford Ness. Now a National Trust property, it’s a Site of Special Scientific Interest thanks to its unusual coastal fauna, and is also spattered with buildings (and, they tell us, unexploded ordnance) from its past use by the Ministry of Defence. One of these is the Black Beacon, a radio navigation tower, which also happens to be the place where my husband proposed to me. So when I found this dark-as-night DK yarn, from the Trust’s own flock of Hebridean sheep which graze the Ness, I had to make him not only a hat, but also a scarf, which mimic its hexagonal shape and clapboard construction. The overall shape of the hat hints at a traditional fisherman’s cap, reflecting the coastal inspiration. The scarf features successive half-hexagon shapes, alternating from stocking stitch to reverse stocking stitch, and is knitted in 2 halves grafted together at the middle.

I’ve now completed the set with two fingerless mitten patterns, one a lacy wrist-length gauntlet, the other a practical yet stylish unisex mitt. The original Orford Ness yarn is currently unavailable, so I’ve knitted both in another wonderful British wool, Artesano DK Blue Faced Blend.

eBook published in October 2013