Herbert

About Herbert:

Cosy up during chilly days in the Herbert Cardigan, a comfortable layering piece suitable for all genders.

The long-sleeved, V-necked cardigan includes deep pockets, perfect for long country walks or running errands in town. The half-fisherman’s rib stitch pattern creates a bouncy fabric with subtle but lively texture. It displays the true depth of our Barn yarn, spun from a blend of three different British sheep breeds.

The Herbert Cardigan pattern has been thoughtfully written for many different knitters. Instructions are provided for knitting the cardigan both flat in pieces, and in the round. The pattern also offers a wealth of shaping guidelines, so that the Herbert Cardigan can be easily adapted to fit the intended wearer’s personal body-shape.

Knitted in Barn yarn in the natural grey shade of Dry Stone Wall, the Herbert cardigan is a wardrobe staple that you’re sure to find yourself reaching for again and again.

Just who was Herbert? Below Susan shares a little about him:

"Well, as many of you know, I often take inspiration from fashion history and vintage knitting patterns to create my designs for Susan Crawford Vintage. But the Herbert Cardigan is an especially personal piece, and one which has been a long time in the making.

John ‘Herbert’ Ogden was born in Lancashire, England in 1895, and in 1914 enlisted in the newly-formed “Kitchener’s Army” to fight in the “Great War”. He was my husband Gavin’s great-uncle, and died in combat in 1917 at the age of just 22. Herbert’s records were sadly destroyed in a fire at the War Office, and for years we knew nothing of how and where he died. But amazingly, in 2012, a family treasure came to light when a box of photographs was discovered buried deep in an attic. Inside were numerous photos of young Herbert, posed smiling in uniform and off-duty at the training camp. He wears a hand-knitted scarf, and several times, a cardigan.

The incredible photos of Herbert wearing his cardigan whilst resting, off-duty with the troops are a poignant reminder of how knitting brought soldiers a sense of comfort and home, even when so far away. I determined I would find out what had happened to Herbert and to do so I also spent time researching knitted comforts in WW1 and decided that a fitting way to honour Herbert and to bring his story back to life, would be by designing a cardigan as close to that which he wore in these precious, intimate and revealing photographs. Join me in my search for Herbert, read his story and remember him whilst knitting your own Herbert cardigan."