The Yorkshire Dales
The Swaledale sheep is so prevalent in the region that its iconic, curly-horned head is the emblem for the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Sheep and wool knitted communities together here long after the rural knitting trade ended in other areas of mainland Britain. With the work in progress secured at the waist with a sheath, people knitted – and sang! – while going about their daily lives. Popular items to knit were stockings, gloves and caps, with intricate patterns formed from two different coloured strands of wool.