Introducing the RBST #HatForLife….

The ‘Hat For Life’ concept was developed and created exclusively for RBST.

Our woolly beanie uses a unique blend of native breed wools, which consist of fleeces blended from; North Country Cheviot, Bluefaced Leicester and Castlemilk Moorit in Mid Grey, also Teeswater and Bluefaced Leicester blend in Ecru.

The hats are made in Cumbria, England by Oubas, with the native breed wool supplied by The Wool Library.

The whole process from initial idea to design, to deciding on wool breeds to finished product has been ongoing for over a year now, and we are absolutely delighted with the outcome.

The Wool Library sourced the raw fleeces from Cumbria – the yarn is a blend of different native breeds, and it was spun with a slight slub in to keep interest and depth to the tones in the fibre.

The hat was developed with a fisherman rib stitch, to give the yarn loftiness, and to create a good fit for the style. The deep rib and shaping fits many different head shapes & sizes and it sits comfortably. Adding in a rib gives the hat a great warmth.

Oubas developed the design using their programme, sampling the fabrics, developing the style and the shape of the hat. The machinery is in a small studio in Cumbria, and worked by an all female team at the moment.

The hats are washed in panels and then linked together to finish them – this is a process of sewing with a specialised machine that creates a chain stitch which goes through each stitch and creates a strong and slightly elasticated feel, suitable for knitwear. This is used on the centre back seam and the top of the hat to gather the central stitches.

The labels are then added using an undyed cotton herringbone tape.

We hope you love our #HatForLife as much as we do. They will make the most wonderful gift for someone special, or a little treat for yourself.

To see the "story" of the #HATFORLIFE, take a look HERE!

You can purchase a hat from our shop online : All | Rare Breeds Survival Trust (rbst.org.uk)

Oubas: Timeless Knitwear and Accessories Made in Britain – OUBAS (oubasknitwear.co.uk)

The Wool Library: The Wool Library