Britain has always been a sea faring nation of fishermen, merchant sailors and the Royal Navy. The home of Lord Nelson (did you know he came from Norfolk?), Sir Francis Drake and Henry…

A very special collaboration with acclaimed chef and author Emily Scott. To celebrate the launch of the West spring weight Gansey knits, Emily has created two delicious new recipes using locally caught Mackerel…

As part of my “Stories” series, I wanted to tell you more about the stitches in my collection. I made it my mission when founding the Charl, to preserve the stitches and stories…

One Inspirational Woman: International Women’s Day 2024 This is one date in the calendar that I always look forward to. This year for International Women’s Day, I’m celebrating the life and work of…

For centuries, the people of Donegal have been spinning Donegal wool to knit their own jumpers. The tradition began as a way of producing their own clothing, but it soon spread to a…

The Shetland sheep are the smallest of the British Breeds, it is said that they have Scandinavian origins, probably brought to Shetland by the Vikings over 1000 years ago. They are a small…

Cley-Marsh-Pools by Rachel Lockwood courtesy of Pink Foot Gallery The new season is all about colour and texture here at Charl. What I love most about knitwear is that I can create the…

For this International Women’s Day, I’d like to celebrate the skills of the women who knitted the original Norfolk Gansey jumpers by sharing their story with you.  Little is known about the lives…

I’ve long been fascinated by the history of the Breton stripe with its multitude connotations. I was delighted to find this image of a “French Onion Seller” taken by Olive Edis in the…

I love the expression “everything has its season” and for wool this most definitely means the Autumn, which is currently being celebrated throughout this month in Wool Week  Campaign for Wool and British Wool. After…