Rooted in Place: Kate Stalker on Craft, Collaboration and the Future of British Wool

For many people working with wool, their connection to fibre begins with landscape, community and a deep respect for the materials they work with. That’s certainly true for Kate Stalker, founder of OUBAS Knitwear, based in Cumbria.

As part of our International Women’s Day series highlighting women shaping the wool industry, Kate shares how landscape, craft and long-term thinking have guided her journey into knitwear. And why British wool and local manufacturing remain at the heart of everything she does.

A Path Shaped by Landscape

Kate’s journey into knitwear wasn’t a straightforward one. Instead, it developed from the environment she lives and works in.

“I’m Kate Stalker, founder of OUBAS, a knitwear atelier and micro-factory based in Cumbria. My path into knitwear wasn’t linear but it evolved from a deep appreciation of landscape, textiles and the culture of the Lake District. I’ve always been drawn to natural fibres and the emotional connection clothing can hold.”

Living in the Lake District has profoundly influenced her work.

“Living and working in the Lake District shaped everything. The light, the fells, the farming culture — it makes you think longer term. I began OUBAS with the intention to create knitwear that felt rooted in place, that honoured British wool and natural fibre, and that was made with integrity.”

What began as a personal vision gradually became something larger.

“Over time, that grew into building a small manufacturing space of our own; investing in innovative digital knitting machines, developing relationships with mills, and creating small-batch collections that reflect both heritage and modern luxury. We now design and make here in Cumbria, which feels incredibly meaningful.”

Collaboration and the Strengths Women Bring

Across the wool and knitwear sector, collaboration is essential, particularly for smaller businesses navigating complex supply chains. Kate believes women often bring qualities that strengthen those relationships.

“I think women often bring compassion and perhaps more long-term thinking to collaboration. In textiles and manufacturing — industries built on relationships — that matters enormously.”

She also highlights the balance many women bring between commercial awareness and a people-centred perspective.

“There’s a natural attentiveness to detail, to process and to people. Many women we work with hold both commercial and human considerations at the same time. That balance is hard to achieve but it is progressing the industry.”

For values-driven businesses, collaboration goes beyond transactions.

“In small, values-driven businesses especially, collaboration isn’t transactional, it’s relational. It requires empathy, communication and resilience. I see women excel in creating environments where everyone feels invested in the outcome.”

Rebuilding Value in British Wool

Kate’s decision to focus on UK manufacturing and natural fibres was shaped by what she saw happening across the industry when she graduated in 2010.

“I felt strongly that, as an industry, we in the UK could do better! When I graduated in 2010, UK manufacturing was visibly declining. I remember reading about Scottish mills closing and hearing conversations about skills quietly disappearing.”

Closer to home, the impact of the 2001 United Kingdom foot-and-mouth outbreak was still being felt across rural communities.

“In Cumbria, the impact of foot and mouth was still raw. Farmers — some of whom I had been at school with — had lost so much. Wool was worth almost nothing. Fleeces were burned. A material that should have been valued as a natural gift from the land and from agriculture felt disregarded.”

Despite graduating with a knitwear design degree and specialist technical training, the industry was difficult to enter.

“It was the middle of a recession. The jobs market was bleak, and I was told that if I wanted a future in fashion, I needed to move to London.”

Instead, Kate chose to build something different. Rooted in natural fibres and local production.

“Natural fibres carry something synthetic materials never can — they hold memory of landscape, weather, soil and animal. British wool, especially, feels spiritual to me. It is grown, not made.”

Producing knitwear locally creates a much deeper connection to the fibre and the making process.

“Manufacturing in the UK ourselves allows for intimacy and transparency. We work directly with our machines in our studio, so I understand the tension of the yarn as it feeds through. There is a sense of continuity — of staying connected to origin.”

“In a globalised market, localisation becomes more than differentiation — it becomes grounding. It creates integrity, identity and a deeper emotional resonance. For us, being made in Cumbria isn’t a marketing angle. It is a relationship with land, fibre and craft.”

Balancing Values and Commercial Realities

Running a values-driven business inevitably requires balancing ideals with practical realities.

“It’s a constant calibration. Values without commercial viability don’t sustain a business — and commercial growth without values erodes it.”

Kate approaches this balance through transparency about how OUBAS operates.

“We price honestly for how we make and the scale that we make. We produce in considered quantities and focus on core pieces that sell well and endure season after season.”

Importantly, she believes “Craftsmanship and traceability are not opposites to profitability — they are the reason our community invests.”

“We have a community of people many of whom we have met over the years and who often become friends — kindred souls who also value this side of clothing and the industry.”

Advice for Women Entering the Industry

For women considering launching brands rooted in British wool and local manufacturing, Kate’s advice begins with understanding the material itself.

“Spend time understanding the fibre — visit farms, speak to spinners, learn the technicalities of yarn. Respect the supply chain.”

She also encourages patience.

“Be prepared for slower growth — but know that slower growth can be stronger. Root yourself in a clear sense of place and purpose. Customers feel authenticity.”

Above all, she encourages women to “trust your own personal gut instincts and long-term vision. British wool has an exciting future, and women building thoughtful, values-led brands are a vital part of that story.”