March 2025 - Benjamin Matthews
March is finally here and with it comes the launch of Beanie Brigade! We’re kicking things off strong with this month's yarn pick being a lovely BFL Worsted—218 yards of 100% British Bluefaced Leicester. Sourced from small farms across the UK, particularly in Wales, the fibers are scoured and Superwash treated to the highest environmental standards. Despite being Superwash, this yarn maintains that satisfying wooly crunch without feeling scratchy or limp.
We picked this yarn for Benjamin Matthew's Dashed Beanie because its structure brings out the simple yet interesting texture of the pattern. And the colorway? We’re calling it "Riding the Storm", drawing inspiration from Beanie Brigade itself. With rich blues and hints of darkness, it captures the feeling of riding out the end of winter while spring starts to taunt us with a few rays of sun. It’s the perfect yarn for this transitional season—cozy enough to face winter’s lingering chill, yet light enough to embrace the first signs of spring.
March Designer: Benjamin Matthews
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself! What drew you into designing hand knits?
A: I was taking a break from teaching high school and working part-time at a yarn shop (always had been an item on my bucket list), and the store had to come up with an original pattern for a yarn crawl, and I volunteered to take it on. I had so much fun figuring out the nuts and bolts of bringing a sketch to life--it was like a fun little puzzle. After that, I was hooked. The best part of designing for me is getting to see the photos of other knitters' finished versions of your design. It's an honor when someone chooses to spend their time and talents making something you dreamed up because we all know that knitting takes a good deal of time.
Q: At FDF, we started Beanie Brigade to celebrate the art of hat making - allowing people to try lots of different designs and meet new-to-them designers. The past few years you’ve heavily skewed towards writing hat patterns, why are hats special to you?
A: I got hooked on designing hats for two reasons: One, I find that they're the perfect gift. While non-knitters may not feel comfortable rocking a shawl (and I don't have enough time for sweaters), most people love a good beanie. This has led to a lot of people reaching out about how their friend or son or nephew loved a specific design they'd made as a present, and getting to be a part of that experience, however tangentially, feels special. Second, I love the time frame of a hat. You get all of the experience of designing, but the turnaround is usually relatively quick, so it keeps me engaged and allows me to go through all parts of the process frequently. Also, it's great fun to try to continually reinvent/create a new look for such a simple accessory.
. 
Q: You call yourself a serial crafter and your Instagram is full of amazing art you’ve made, from weaving to linocut printing and quilting. Do your other hobbies ever influence your knitting designs?
A: I LOVE learning new things, and nothing makes me happier than diving into a new hobby--the supplies, the books, the fun new vocab words. I have really gotten into printmaking this year, but I'd say quilting has been a large influence on my knitwear design as it's such a great inspiration geometrically. Plus, there is a long tradition of quilters in my family, and I like making references to my favorite family quilts in my knitwear designs.
Q: What’s the next hobby you are dying to pick up?
A: A few crafts that I have dabbled in and would really like to learn more about are pottery and basket weaving. Basket making because it's just so wonderfully earthy and tactile, and I suppose pottery for the same reasons. If I won the lottery, I would definitely just take crafting classes for the rest of my life and die happy.
Q: The Dashed Beanie is a part of your My Favorite Beanies e-book; why is this pattern one of your favorites?
A: When I design, I try to find the sweet spot (I don't always find it) between creating an interesting texture and keeping it simple. Getting a design to a place where knitters stay engaged but can easily reach a state of "flow" is the ultimate goal. Spending time in this flow state is why I feel so many crafters find knitting therapeutic, and I think the Dashed Beanie accomplished these goals.
Q: While working on our Dashed Beanies we got into our flow states while watching some cozy TV. What are your favorite shows or movies to binge while crafting?
A: My ultimate favorite shows would have to be Project Runway (or anything showcasing the creative process in action), Gilmore Girls, Schitt's Creek, and The Americans.
Q: Thank you so much for being our very first Beanie Brigade featured designer! If you could only knit with one type of yarn (fiber, weight, color) for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
A: For sure wool; a worsted superwash. I don't have the patience for anything smaller, and I'm a creature of habit and tend to find comfort in using the same yarns over and over. I also tend to gravitate towards the same colors, mostly solids in navy, gold, grey, cream, brown, and olive green. I'm also definitely the kind of person who could eat the same lunch every day, so I find something I like and dig in.
~~~