In 2004 I, my husband and our two sons moved to Whistlebare Farm in North Northumberland. Two boys soon became four and by 2012 it was my dream to marry my passions for yarn, animals and the environment in one bold creative venture involving the whole family. It’s been a labour of love which has led to the development of a yarn business
which uses the luxurious fleeces of our own Angora goats and Wensleydale sheep to create
beautifully colourful hand-dyed yarns. From our farm studio, these are now sold across the world.
As a keen knitter myself, I have loved meeting and engaging with so many like-minded enthusiasts at
our Studio, at shows and online. Listening to them and sharing their passion, I have continued to
develop our collection of yarns. We now include lambswool from local Cheviot and Romney Marsh
flocks to complement the high-lustre wool and fine mohair blends of our other yarns. All are hand-
dyed by me, using an ever-evolving palette of the most cheerful colours from nature.
I believe that colour brings joy and now non-knitters can share that joy with this next stage of our
journey and our selection of hand-crafted Whistlebare Studio gifts.
THE GIFTS
Using brightly-coloured wools and fabrics woven from Whistlebare yarns, we have developed a
range of gifts which combine warmth, softness and colour to deliver long-lasting delight. All our gifts
are designed at Whistlebare and created by local artisans using traditional methods. This
collection will be expanded over the coming months.
Our guiding aim is to make gorgeous garments, blankets and gifts that are smart and well-designed,
but also ethically-produced, functional and hard-wearing enough to last a lifetime.
THE FARM
As its name suggests Whistlebare is a windy farm nestled between the Cheviot Hills and the North
Northumberland coast. Since coming here, we have used traditional farming practices to improve the
land. These include sowing lays of grasses and wild flowers, planting thousands of trees for goat-browsing, fuel and soil health as well as working the land with horses to reduce the environmental impact.
From kidding and lambing in the spring to winter-housing the goats in the coldest months,
our flocks are cared for with love and attention to detail. It’s a family affair with my husband, sons
and loyal helpers providing nurture and nourishment and carrying out all farm activities.
