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Retro Leftover Yarn Beanie

The 1997

  • Hand knit over the course of 4 hours
  • 80% sheep wool
  • Knit in Norway
  • Knit partly with leftover yarn from other knits
  • Timeless rib knit pattern
  • One size
  • No tag or seam (fold as you will)
View full details

Color Play

Retro color schemed hand knit wool beanie

Ice Cream & Donald Duck

When we tried different color combinations for a retro beanie, this one triggered something in me.

Something about the combination brought me back to my Donald Duck magazines that I drowned myself in during the 90’s, and particularly, the ice cream ads that was targeted straight at my 6 year old mind. Clear, crisp color combinations — they clearly worked, since they linger in my mind a decade later.

Aside from that, it’s just a good looking color combination.

Multi colored hand knit wool beanie

Recycle Like It's 1997

The 1997 is a Southlander, knit with leftover yarn from our main models. It is part of my mom’s innate recycling program. She saves every thread — first to knit leftover beanies like these, then the final stubs are used as pillow stuffing.

About the 1997

Details

The 1997 is a Southlander knit with leftover yarn from our other beanies collection. It features 80% wool, like the Southlander, and a color scheme inspired by my childhood in the 90’s.

The Southlander is knit with a classic 2R 2W pattern, making it very stretchy. Many are surprised by how small it seems when they first open it, but it stretches to fit most people.

It is using wool from Uruguay, processed in a mill at the Norwegian West Coast. South American wool is softer than Norwegian wool because of the climate, and it brings this beanie’s coarseness below the itching threshold.

About 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.

  • 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 campfire.

The raw sheep wool we use is mostly sourced from Paraguay, selected because of the softer wool that the tropical climate produces. The yarn is processed into yarn on the Norwegian West Coast, in one of Norway's oldest yarn mills.

About Red Hat Factory

Red Hat Factory is a company started by mother and son on the Norwegian South Coast. Emerging out of childhood memories of wearing hand knit goods and a love for red beanies, found in adulthood, we've built a network of knitters that can deliver the genuine hand knit experience to all beanie lovers across the world.

We also dabble in other areas of handcraft, usually in collaboration with artists, such as our handcrafted caps and hand inked artwork.

  • Material 80% Sheep Wool, 20% Nylon
  • Optimal Wear Temperature 0-15°C (32–59°F)
  • Size One-size
  • Washing Temperature 40°C (Wool Programme)
  • Knitting Time 4 Hours
  • Warranty 10 Years (Read More)

Frequently asked beanie questions

FABQ

About sizing in general.

The most common question is about sizing, and it is actually a bit complex, so take the time to read about your beanie below.

  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. Therefore they don't have as much leeway to stretch beyond a certain point. Still it fits most people.
    For the people who describe themselves as XL head size, we added a much larger version called XL, but it should basically cover all the way up to several X's of head size, since it still is much more stretchy than any cotton beanie.
  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've not had anyone reach out to require a larger version of the Eastfold.
  3. The Westcoaster (Regular) is designed to be worn above the ears, if double folded. It still has the stretch to fit any head, but it lacks the length for particularly large heads. The Westcoaster (Arctic Circle) is longer, but no wider, so while still having the same amount of stretch, it will also allow an XL head to have some more length to play with. So if you're either XL, or you want the double fold to cover your ears, select the Arctic Circle.

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 up. 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?

Yes we do. We ship for free worldwide with tracking.

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.