Sarah Hatton was born in St Albans and spent the early part of her life based in Hertfordshire. Taught to knit at the age of five, Sarah has always had a love of textiles and had a passion for dressing up. As a teenager she showed a flare for customising her own clothes and was always up to the minute with fashion.

Sarah’s first job was as a designer with a hand knit company. It was here she got to develop her skills in knitting, pattern writing and design. Sarah prides herself on the fact that she has always worked in the hand knitting industry.

Sarah’s inspiration has a tendency to be garment shape and she rarely works in more than one colour, yet produces amazing wearable garments that explore and push the boundaries of shape and texture. As a designer for Rowan for many years, Sarah is well-known for her innovative use of lace, cables and texture. She loves to play with garment shapes, often bringing a clever twist to classic styles.

Now working as an independent designer, Sarah continues to create beautiful patterns for Rowan, write books such as her “10 Simple Projects” series, produce collections for The Fibre Company and West Yorkshire Spinners, as well as designing regularly for Vogue Knitting, The Knitter and Simply Knitting.

Sarah loves to pass on the insider tricks she’s learned over her many years in the handknit world.

Signature Technique:

Wearable garment designs with innovative use of shape and texture.

Sara’s Top Tips:

– Scan fashion magazines and blogs for design inspiration and before starting always ask yourself, ‘Would I enjoy making this?’
– On a more complex project, make sure you read through the pattern before starting so you fully understand all the techniques and abbreviations used
– Learn a little about making up your garment as a nicely made up garment looks a hundred times nicer