Sally Pointer/ Wicked Woollens
Patterns available as Ravelry Downloads
Knitting: Beanie, Toque
This neat beanie style hat is inspired by two very different prehistoric archaeological artifacts.
Knitting: Cloche Hat
Based on an extant example of a Welsh Wig in the collections of St Fagan’s National History Museum dated 1854, the Welsh Wig was a popular nineteenth century choice with working men including soldiers and even polar explorers! The surviving example was a sample for a consignment of hats being sent to the Crimean.
Knitting: Poncho
Whilst our Bronze Age ancestors didn’t knit, they did have a keen eye for design and detail. This cozy modern capelet is inspired by the early Bronze Age archaeological masterpiece known as the Mold Cape, a beaten gold ornament dated to c1900-1600 BC richly decorated with textures and shapes thought to be influenced by beadwork and textile drap...
Knitting: Mid-calf Socks
Hot Potato is a slipper sock pattern which combines a basic upper with a jacquard double knit heel, sole and toe to create exceptional warmth and padding where you need it most.
Knitting: Purse / Handbag
Many museums have examples of Victorian knitted purses in their collections, many of which at first glance look incredibly complicated and detailed. Whilst it is true that often they use fine needles, smooth silk thread, and beads and other embellishments, quite frequently they are much simpler to knit than they first appear.
Knitting: Hats - Other
Based on a style of hat seen on sixteenth century scholars, and related to the Canterbury Cap still in use by the Anglican Church, our Scholar’s Cap is a comfortable, square brimmed cap with a flap that covers the ears and back of the neck.
Knitting: Costume
First there was the Dwarven Battle Bonnet, which was my very first pattern, and lots of you seemed to enjoy knitting it. However, it called for fulling to achieve size, and had a rather rambling pattern, and that didn’t suit everyone, plus, I kept getting requests for the variation with Spangenhelm and Rivet detailing. There definately seemed t...
Knitting: Cuffs
Much simpler to work up than they look at first glance, this softly spiked wrist ornament lends itself well to sock yarn in shaded or variagated tones, and may be ornamented with beads for additional sparkle.
Knitting: Brimmed Hat
Prince Arthur’s Hat is an early to mid sixteenth century style cap ideal for use with Henrician costuming and suitable for a wide range of costume impressions as well as being a rather stylish hat for modern wear.
Knitting: Mid-calf Socks
Kick your way through the drifts of leaves whatever the time of year in these richly textured socks featuring oak leaves bordered by cables.
Knitting: Applique / Embellishment
Quick and simple to knit this cunning technique yields richly textured holly leaves in just a few minutes. Group several together with berries for a seasonal adornment for hats, presents, scarves, a brooch or mass lots together and make a wreath for the door.
Knitting: Fingerless Gloves
Belladonna is a feminine and flattering fingerless glove with a slightly Victorian feel.
Knitting: Beret, Tam
Part of my Historic Hats range of patterns, this includes an overview of the history and evidence for this style of cap and details several archaeological examples before moving onto a practical pattern for a bonnet that should satisfy all re-enactment/living history costuming requirements.
Knitting: Brimmed Hat
In widespread use from the late sixteenth century through the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, this sturdy, broad brimmed knit then fulled cap was particularly favoured by sailors and is the wide brim counterpart of the famous Monmouth Labourer’s Cap. Often referred to as a ‘Peter the Great’ hat, it may also be known by a number of other n...
Knitting: Purse / Handbag
This very simple little bag, inspired both by the textures and shapes of acorns but also by the broad structure of medieval style purses, can be knit with any yarn and suitable needles. I suggest fingering/4ply yarn and 2.5mm or dk/sport and 3.5mm needles for example. The pattern lends itself particularly well to magic loop technique although a...
Knitting: Hats - Other
This extraordinary looking hat has a firm historical basis and was particularly favoured by sailors between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. The shaggy thrum surface makes it exceptionally warm, and able to repel a lot of weather. Today, yes, it does look just a little bit like a cuddly pet monster, but we won’t hold that against it!
Knitting: Beanie, Toque
These hats have many names depending on what century you are in and which part of the world. Whether you know them as a Voyageur cap, a tuque, a double cap or a sailor’s cap, this pattern is based on surviving caps from the seventeeth and eighteenth centuries and is accompanied by historical notes and references.
Knitting: Beret, Tam
This pattern is based on my ongoing study of sixteenth century portraits and also first hand inspection of a number of extant hats in museum collections. Whilst there can be a great deal of variation in caps from the Tudor period, this pattern results in a good basic flat cap suitable for most of the sixteenth century.
Knitting: Beanie, Toque
Whirligig is a hat designed for a small child. It has a neat frilled brim and a simple eyelet pattern that works well with brightly hand-painted yarn. The swirling eyelets in the crown converge on a short section of i-cord topped with a jaunty spiral decoration.
Knitting: Pixie Hat
Simple to knit, head hugging and decidedly cute, this stretchy little cap formed of floral inspired lace and finished with a liripipe tied in a simple overhand knot looks great on a wide range of ages and face shapes.
Knitting: Mid-calf Socks
I designed this to have a strong Pre-Raphaelite and Arts & Crafts movement influence, combining detail with functionality.
Knitting: Drawstring Bag
Goblin market is a reticule with a Victorian feel. It features a richly textured leaves and berries border, the body of the bag has a shape loosely inspired by pomegranates and poppy capsules and uses several distinct pattern stitches for a fast, interesting knit.
Knitting: Chart
Inspired by the tale of Blodeuwedd, this chart shows a stylised owl mask surounded by flowers. Although the overall effect if pretty and delicate, the face has a hint of the skull about it when viewed a certain way, a deliberate feature given the nature of the tale.
Knitting: Food Cozy
Inspired by the Terry Pratchett character ‘Death of Rats’, this cute egg cosy can also be made as a pocket toy. It should also be perfectly possible to go up a yarn weight and increase needle size to make a bigger cosy or toy.
Knitting: Food Cozy
This pattern is new and whilst test knitting indicates all is fine, please do let me know if you find anything that might need clarification.
Knitting: Beret, Tam
Knit in the round on 5mm needles, this traditional Highland bonnet, made popular during the Victorian period, is fulled after knitting to the perfect size. Any feltable yarn of similar weight should work for this.
Knitting: Costume
Marvellously pointy hat with a cunningly removable beard for the well dressed gnome in your life. Instructions are also given for the female gnome version with cute braids. Pattern is presented as four illustrated pages, photo instructions are also given for the loop stitch which is used for the beard.
Knitting: Costume
*NEW! A lot of people are asking me for the modifiations with cables, bobbles, ‘spectacle helm’ and a ribbed beard. This has now been written up as a new version ‘Dwarven Battle Bonnet 2’ which is also top down construction and desn’t necessarily need fulling. Do check that out too before you buy the pattern, see which one you prefer! Sally Apr...
Knitting: Fingerless Gloves
This is a very quick knit, using less than one skein of dk or worsted yarn. The ultra simple 2:2 rib is enlivened by the use of basic cable technique, manipulating one stitch at a time to smooth the transition between the areas of rib patterning.
Knitting: Beret, Tam
This hat is incredibly simple to knit, and as the sizing is done by taking a little double pleat into the hatband after knitting, there is really no need to swatch or measure unless you know you always knit at an unusual tension. Just knit it up using any aran weight yarn that knits nicely on 5mm needles, and it should work. My hat used 94g of ...
Knitting: Beret, Tam
Inspired by the bright colours of the Russula genus of mushrooms, this simple variation on a beret is easy to knit and can be worn in a variety of ways.
Knitting: Balaclava
In Welsh mythology, Blodeuwedd (pron. Blodd-eye-weth) was a maiden created out of flowers. This vibrant green yarn flecked with jewel bright colours evokes for me that idea of a flowery, grassy meadow, and the open topped slightly organic shaped headdress allows space for far more hair than usually looks good under such a fitted hat. The enclos...
Knitting: Cloche Hat
A simple to knit and practical to wear fulled woollen cloche is offered with three different brim pattern variations. Quick to knit in aran weight wool, the hat is given shape and substance by fulling and blocking to shape and can be easily modified by adding a few initial rounds if you would like a deeper finished hat.
Knitting: Headband
Simple to knit and a good project for a novice knitter ready to move onto basic lace and ruffles, this headband is inspired by leafy seaweed and bubbles in the surf. Works particularly well on unruly hair.
Knitting: Beanie, Toque
This simple pattern is a good size for an average male head, the lilac hat was made with one less stitch per needle for a small women, but in all honesty, the amount you full it will determine the final size, which is why I haven’t offered a rigidly fixed gauge, just knit it at your normal tension, try it on, and full down to suit, its as easy ...