"Beautiful handcraft that is made to last."
Aleks Grey, Norwegian Artist & Southlander Owner | @aleksgrey
Thick Hand Knit Wool Beanie for the Coldest Days
The Westcoaster Arctic Circle
Regular price
1 536 SEK
Regular price
Sale price
1 536 SEK
Unit price
per
Import charges not included
Couldn't load pickup availability
Knit in the Peace and Quiet of Norwegian Living Rooms
Norway made
Making you part of a 400 year old heritage
Keeping with the four centuries old tradition of Norwegian hand knitting, we knit every piece with patience and attention to detail. Our family have done so since grandma began knitting in 1932.
We are here to share with you the experience of growing up with hand knit wool, right off the needles. No gimmicks, just the wool, the honed skill, and the patience.
The Southlander
Inspired by the rolling hills of Southern Norway
Our Southlander was an attempt to hone in on simplicity and create a classic. Norwegian culture’s deeply rooted love for the outdoors is seen in us naming our beanies after the four winds.
The Southlander is round and mellow, just like the South Coast of Norway, where it also happens to be made. It is knit using a classic knitting technique with alternating right and wrong stitches, resulting in a simple, timeless pattern, that makes for a very stretchy one-size 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.
"This traditionally handcrafted knit cap is a true gem!"
Sebastian Cronholm, Denim x Vintage Connoisseur & Southlander Owner | @swe_denim
"I’ve owned my Red Southlander for a bit more than two years now, and the longer I have it, the more I fall in love with it."
Ethan Thompson, Foodie, Barber & Southlander Owner | @dontstopbeliethan
Frequently asked beanie questions
FABQ
Why are the beanies so small out of the box?
Many of our beanie models look very small when you unpack them. That is because of wool's nature — it's not "pre-stretched", and has to start out tight. It shapes itself around you head after little time. If you lend it 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.
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, we can provide it for the same price — but it will take more time.
Do you ship with tracking
Yes we do. We ship for free worldwide with tracking.
How does your guarantee 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 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.
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.
About the Westcoaster Arctic Circle
Details
The Westcoaster Arctic Circle is a thick hand knit wool beanie, knit the old fashioned way, with two knitting needles and a whole lot of patience. Particular to this model is that it’s knit with two threads simultaneously, making it twice as thick and twice as gritty looking.
The Arctic Circle is a longer version of our regular Westcoaster, leaving more wool available to double-wrap your ears.
It is knit in Norway, on the South Coast, by a variety of knitters. No matter which knitter, each beanie goes trough the same quality control, and each knitter is selected through a few (paid) test knits. Each Westcoaster comes with signed Certificate of Authenticity, signed by the knitter of your particular beanie.
We knit with wool, the Westcoaster being 100% sheep wool. Sheep wool is by far the most common knitting material in Norway, historically and in modern times alike. 100% wool makes it warmer than wool-blends, and the double thread makes this a beanie for the outdoors in low temperatures. The length of the Arctic Circle version of the Westcoaster, also makes it one step warmer.
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.
- Material 100% Sheep Wool
- Optimal Wear Temperature -10–0°C (14–32°F)
- Size One-size (an inch longer than regular Westcoaster)
- Washing Temperature 40°C (Wool Programme)
- Knitting Time 3.5 Hours
- Warranty 10 Years (Read More)