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Choose your Eastfold, or scroll down to learn more

Color: Bright Red

Leave a comment about your head size in the cart before you place your order, and we'll hand pick a looser or tighter knit for you. (It does not affect the look of the knit).

Regular price €144,00 EUR
€144,00 EUR Regular price Sale price
Sale
+ Free shipping

Availability: Backorder.

Current estimated production time is: 2-3 weeks.
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Our most premium knit-cap to date

Distinguished by its richly textured crosshatch knitting pattern

  • Hand knit over the course of 5 hours
  • 100% Merino wool
  • Knit in Norway
  • Angular pattern
  • One size fits almost everyone (barely anyone has ever needed XL — read more in the description)
  • No tag or seam (fold as you will)

Description

The Eastfold is a hand knit Merino wool beanie hat, hand knit in Norway, the old fashioned way, with knitting needles — no machinery. It is knit with a richly textured crosshatch pattern that gives it a unique look. It’s made with high quality 100% Merino wool yarn, developed on the Norwegian West Coast. Merino is famously soft, breathable and comfortable to any wearer. It is a medium thickness, particularly suited for the colder side of spring or fall, and winter. It's knit with no tags or markings, making it naturally a fold-it-as-you-like beanie. 

Being Merino wool, it enjoys the inherent qualities of the material — wool’s ability to draw a lot of moisture into itself, leaving your skin dry even when sweating. It is also naturally anti-bacterial, and can go a long time only being aired out, not washed.

While we experience temperature differently, -5°C/20°F to 15°C/60°F is generally a good sweet spot.

Sizing

If you are an XL head size, leave a comment in the cart before you place your order, and we'll hand pick the best knit for you.

The Eastfold only comes in one size. Because of the combined nature of the knitting method and material, it is already quite wide when you get it, and has the potential to stretch further. It is the closest we've gotten to one-size-fits-all. It is also longer than our other basic models, so it has room to stretch.

Sourcing the best Merino wool

The best Merino wool in the world comes from Australia, so our yarn mill on the Norwegian West Coast has opted to import its raw wool from there. The mill has guaranteed us the sheep are not mulesed.

The design of-, and ways to wear the beanie

The beanie’s design is based on a crosshatch knitting pattern, aiming to let the technique and the skill of the knitter shine and be the main aspect of its look.

It arrives as one long uniform piece for you to fold as you will. Single fold, double fold, roll-up or even unfolded, are all valid ways to wear this beanie.

It comes without any tag or markings, which is a callback to our heritage — when my mom knit for me as a child, there were no labels anywhere. Just needles, yarn, and skillful craftsmanship — and, as we like to point out, patience.

Material & Care

The Eastfold is knit with 100% Merino sheep wool yarn, sourced from Australia. It is processed on the Norwegian West Coast, in one of Norway's oldest yarn mills.

Wool care

  • Wash at 30°C, or pick the wool program on your washing machine. If no wool program, hand-wash it, or use "hand-wash" program on your washing machine.
  • Use only wool-approved detergent, or skip detergent alltogether.
  • Do not tumble dry!

About Merino Wool

Hailed by Norwegians for centuries, sheep wool is the number one choice among knitters. Along with choosing wool because of its historical significance in Norwegian knitting history, there are timeless features associated with wool. And then a few extra perks specifically of the Merino breed.

  • Wool is great at insulating in moist conditions.
  • Wool has a rough and natural look, aside from the fact that it is natural.
  • Wool is naturally flame resistant, adding an extra layer of security around the fire. (In Norway we clothe our kids in wool when we're around the bonfire.)
  • Merino wool is known for being softer than other types, and more breathable. The softness makes it particularly good for people with sensitive scalps.

Shipping & Returns

We have free worldwide shipping (for purchases above €99 — meaning any single beanie, or more, is shipped for free). Packages are traceable to most countries that we sell to, and if you're not one of them, that will be clear in the checkout. You can return your hat up to 60 days after your purchase, and get a full refund — if the hat is still in good shape and includes the Certificate of Authenticity. You pay for return shipping, and the refund will be issued once we've received the hat/hats back and have seen that they're in good shape AND that the Certificate of Authenticity is with the beanie.

60-Day Money Back Guarantee

You can return your hat up to 60 days after your purchase, and get a full refund — if the hat is still in good shape and includes the Certificate of Authenticity. You pay for return shipping, and the refund will be issued once we've received the hat/hats (and their Certificate of Authenticity) back and have seen that they're in good shape.

10-Year Warranty

If your hat unravels or a thread snaps with reasonable use the first 10 years after your purchase, we'll patch it up, or if that is impossible, replace it. You only cover the shipping costs.

Go to product page
Olive hand knit wool beanie

400 Years of Norwegian Heritage Meets the Finest Australian Merino Wool

As reviewed in Outside magazine mentions our beanies

“To everyone else it looks like a nicely designed hat, but to me it’s even more special because I know I’m wearing a one-off piece that was made with care.”

— Jakob Schiller / Outside Magazine

[Full Disclosure: This is a review of our Southlander beanie.]

Beanies being hand knit

400 Year Old Recipe

Crafted By Hand. Worn For Life.

Every Eastfold is hand-knit the way it’s been done for centuries — needles, a thread of yarn, and whole lot of patience. It’s slow. It’s meticulous. And it’s the reason why these beanies feel like nothing else you’ve ever owned.
It results in:

  • A fit that molds to your head, like it was made just for you.
  • A unique texture deriving from the crosshatch stitches used in its making.
  • Fold-as-you will with no tag to disrupt your style.
  • A little bit of Norway’s soul in every thread.
  • Free Worldwide Shipping

    For purchases above 99 EUR

  • 60 Days Money Back Guarantee

    You only pay for return shipping

  • 10 Years Warranty

    Patch it rather than discarding it

Sheep wool

Natural Wool Material

Nature's Warmest Invention — Now Even Warmer

Norwegian winters aren’t kind. But wool is. It’s been our secret weapon for centuries. Naturally insulating, moisture-wicking, and soft enough to wear all day.
For the Eastfold we've selected Merino wool, which our yarn mill imports from Australia and processes into yarn on the Norwegian West Coast.
Our Merino wool does more than make you warm:

  • It pulls moisture away from your skin, so no matter the weather, you stay comfortable — and Merino does this even better than standard wool.
  • No itch! Merino is famous for being itch free even for particularly sensitive scalps.
  • We've made sure we use a yarn mill which believe that well cared for sheep produce the best wool.
  • Over 8000 beanies sold

    Over 28k knitting hours worth of beanie

  • Sold to over 55 countries

    And every American state

Sustainably knit wool beanie

Uniting the locals

Old fashioned sustainability

Norwegians already knit for pleasure, in their own houses, and we used this existing culture, to offer a secondary income for passionate knitters. We don’t employ anyone, but pay per beanie.

The Norwegian yarn mill that supplies us has been around since 1888, and are outspoken and detailed about their care for animals and humans along the entire line of production, whether its imported raw wool, or from Norway.

Leftover yarn from knits is gathered, and used first for Mom’s Market custom knits, then the final leftover stubs are used for pillow stuffing.

Hand knit merino wool beanie, beige

The Oslo Fjord as an inspiration

The name Eastfold takes us to the East of Norway, and to the Oslo fjord.

Of old, the fjord was called the Fold, or Foldin. And the area around the fjord was called the Vik — probably the origin of the term Viking.

The Eastfold is medium warm beanie, suited for the more temperate (by Norwegian standards) Eastern climate.

Hand knit merino wool beanie, close up pattern

Angular Pattern

Viking Heritage

The Fold and the Vik are one. In fact both words means the same etymologically: To bend.

The angular crosshatch knitting pattern of the Eastfold evokes the angular designs of Viking carvings and runes.

The complexity of this pattern makes it about a five hour knit — our longest knitting time of any model.

Frequently asked beanie questions

FABQ

About sizing in general.

We recommend everyone adds a comment about their size in the cart before placing the order. This way we can handpick the best knit just for you.

Here is more in detail info about all our sizing.

  1. The Southlander and North Cap are rib-knit, so they are very tight before you stretch them out by wearing them a few times. A Regular might fit you even if it feels a bit snug the first time you put it on. Large is recommended for head sizes around 58 cm 7 1/4 and up. They stretch to fit larger sizes as well.
  2. The Eastfold, because of its cross-hatch knitting, is already pre-widened by the nature of the knitting technique — on top of that it has more stretch to give, and it is quite long. Therefore we don't have a Large version, but we recommend you leave a comment in the cart about your head size and we'll pick a knit that suits you.
  3. The Westcoaster (Regular) is designed to be worn above the ears, if double folded. It still has the stretch to fit most any head, but it lacks the length for particularly large heads. The Westcoaster (Arctic Circle) is recommended for Large heads, since it has more length and material to stretch across your scull.

Why does the beanie not look like the pictures when I unpack it?

There are two most common reasons why the beanie would seem different upon opening it and first trying it on.

  1. Our rib-knit beanie models (Southlander and North Cap primarily) look very small when you unpack them. That is because of the nature of the knit as well as the material — it's not "pre-stretched", and has to start out tight. It shapes itself around you head after little time.
    PS: If you lend any to someone, and it get's stretched out too much, you can dip it in warm water, and after drying, it's back to where it started.
  2. All our beanies are fold-as-you-will, meaning that you can wear them unfolded, folded once, twice or even rolled up. These styles are each valid, but look very different. As a general rule, all our beanies, except the North Cap, are double folded in almost all our imagery. The North Cap is single folded to let that tip stand up.

Why are the beanies above the ear?

Our beanies are knit without a tag, so you may fold it once, twice, or even roll it up. We personally like the twice-folded style the best, and push that look most often in our marketing.

The history of the fold is, in short, that the laboring man would need some flexibility in headwear. When you need to hear, or if the sun pokes out, you fold it up. When the weather roughens, you fold it back down. It's sort of like zipping down your jacket when the sun peaks out.

What are the 20% other material in the Southlander and North Cap?

I like to have the opportunity to explain our reasoning before I disclose that it is nylon. We all hate plastic that ends up in nature, but we are using it in a product that is meant to last.

The reason we have 20% nylon is that it allows the yarn to be spun thinner, while keeping the needed durability. This makes these beanies thinner visually, but also a bit cooler, and makes them more suitable for all-year usage.

Other beanies are more suited to the winter, though they all work fine for windy cool days on the ocean, or high altitude hikes on a cloudy days.

Is everything actually made in Norway?

We hand knit every beanie in Norway, with yarn purchased from one of Norway's oldest yarn mills. This mill offers both Norwegian and internationally sourced wool.
We have purposefully selected yarn types sourced from South America and Australia, not to save money — the price points are approximately the same as for Norwegian wool — but because wool from these climates are softer, and less likely to itch.
If you want genuine Norwegian wool, and are ready to risk the itch, contact us and we'll see what we can do.

Do you ship with tracking?

To most of the world, we do. Free shipping for orders above €99 (which covers any single beanie). Our shipments includes tracking for most countries — and if we can't track a package to your country, this will be clear in the checkout.

How does your warranty work?

If your beanie unravels under reasonable circumstances, within the first 10 years of its life, we will patch it for you for free. But you have to pay for shipping both ways. This is a way to maintain the beanie as long as possible, making it a keepsake.

Why are there loose threads in my beanie?

When a beanie is finished, the thread is attached by sowing it into the finished product several rounds. Sometimes that end thread comes poking out — most often on the inside, as we try attaching it that way. It doesn't mean it is coming loose. If it comes out on the outside, try pushing it back in — use a needle if needed. The beanie will not unravel — and if it does, please refer to our guarantee.

Why do you opt for wool?

We did not choose wool — hundreds of years of Norwegian tradition chose that for us. It is an amazing insulator, with the special feature that it pulls moisture away from your skin. Norwegians have sworn to wool both historically, and in modern day outdoors apparel. You just can't beat the natural fiber that is wool.

Does your Mom and Grandma really knit all the beanies?

It all started with my mom, then my grandma joined the team. My mother designs all the beanies (sometimes with input from me), and we recruit as many knitters as we need from around Norway. But it is always hand knit, the traditional way, and quality controlled by my mom.

How much of a pay cut does the knitter get?

We are not sharing numbers, because that would require giving you an understanding of our entire production cycle, including admin time, marketing, recruiting, packaging, shipping and so on.

But every knitter is happy with the pay (otherwise they wouldn't have worked with us), and they know the brand, the website, and the final price.

Why knit by hand? Machines are faster.

Hand knitting is the genesis and the core of our company. We hand knit because we are here to honor and tell the story of our Norwegian heritage. Generations after generations hand knitting wool apparel to keep their families warm. And the tradition is still alive and well. Also hand knit beanies comes with a personal touch and history that machine-knit goods just can't match.

Why was my package sent from Sweden?

I (the Son) actually live in Sweden, while my Mom remains in Norway and handles all the logistics over there. We ship large batches to Sweden in order to offer better shipping times and to be able to include tracking in the free shipping alternative.