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Hello and welcome to episode 323 of the Make it British Podcast. I'm back with another episode in my Women in Wool series, this time chatting to knitwear designer Frankie Davies from Charl Knitwear.
Frankie spent years designing knitwear for Burberry and Benetton and has spent much of her career inside knitwear factories, so it was only ever a matter of time before she founded her own brand. In this episode, Frankie talks about her use of British wool, the benefits of working with UK factories and how that differs from working with manufacturers in Italy, as well as the challenges of running your own business when you have small children, which I'm sure many of you listening can relate to.
In this episode we cover:
How Frankie went from designing the womenswear knitwear range at Burberry to launching her own British wool brandWhy she uses three different British wools and what each one brings to the range.The reality of developing a unique British wool yarn.Making in both the UK and Italy, and why she chose that route.How she timed launching the business around having her children.About Charl Knitwear
Charl Knitwear is a British knitwear brand founded by Frankie Davies, a designer with over 20 years of experience working for luxury fashion houses including Burberry and Benetton. Inspired by the Norfolk fisherman's Gansey, the brand combines heritage stitch traditions with a contemporary approach to British fibre and manufacturing.
You can find Frankie and Charl Knitwear at:
Website: charlknitwear.co.uk
Instagram: @charlknitwear
🚀 Ready to scale your UK-made brand? Apply for the British Brand Accelerator at makeitbritish.co.uk/apply
Follow Kate @makeitbritish on Instagram
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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Apply to come to the next free Q&A
Subscribe to Kate's Sunday Journal 🧡
🚀 Ready to create a British-made product business that's built to last? Without faffing about, wasting wads of cash, or struggling with unreliable factories. Apply for the British Brand Accelerator: makeitbritish.co.uk/apply
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Subscribe to Kate's Sunday Journal 🧡
🚀 Ready to create a British-made product business that's built to last? Without faffing about, wasting wads of cash, or struggling with unreliable factories. Apply for the British Brand Accelerator: makeitbritish.co.uk/apply
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Read this email
Subscribe to Kate's Sunday Journal 🧡
🚀 Ready to create a British-made product business that's built to last? Without faffing about, wasting wads of cash, or struggling with unreliable factories. Apply for the British Brand Accelerator: makeitbritish.co.uk/apply
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Read this email
Subscribe to Kate's Sunday Journal 🧡
🚀 Ready to create a British-made product business that's built to last? Without faffing about, wasting wads of cash, or struggling with unreliable factories. Apply for the British Brand Accelerator: makeitbritish.co.uk/apply
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In this episode of the Women in Wool series, I'm joined by Laura Watts, managing director of Marton Mills, 3rd generation family weaving business based in Otley, Yorkshire.
Marton Mills was founded in 1931 and has built its reputation on uniform fabric - supplying school wear, military contracts for the Navy and the RAF, and fabric for the King's Coronation.
Now, alongside its core uniform work, Marton Mills is launching its first fully traceable British wool collection in autumn 2026, with yarn sourced just down the road from Laxton's and fabric finished at Roberts Dyers in Keighley.
In this episode we cover:
How Laura went from advising heart surgeons at Johnson & Johnson to running a nearly 100-year-old weaving mill.Why uniform fabric is the backbone of the business and how the mill weaves 18 to 20,000 metres of fabric a week.Why so much British-woven fabric still goes offshore for garment production.What a genuine British procurement policy for military uniforms could look like.The challenge of recruiting the next generation into textiles.About Marton Mills
Marton Mills Co Ltd is a family-owned textile mill established in 1931, nestled in the Wharfedale valley in West Yorkshire. The mill produces premium fabrics across a range of end uses, from school and military uniforms to film and television, with a reputation built on consistent quality and traditional Yorkshire values.
Website: martonmills.com
Instagram: @martonmills
🚀 Ready to create a British-made product business that's built to last? Without faffing about, wasting wads of cash, or struggling with unreliable factories. Apply for the British Brand Accelerator: makeitbritish.co.uk/apply
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In this episode of the Women in Wool series, I visited Laxtons Yarns in Baildon, Yorkshire, a fourth generation family spinning mill that is now employee-owned.
I was given a full tour of the mill floor by commercial director Carly Smith and national accounts manager Rochelle Tracey, before sitting down with them to talk about British wool, the future of the business and the exciting relaunch of their hand knitting range.
Laxtons spin worsted and fancy yarns for hand knitting, machine knitting and weaving. Their Sheepsoft yarn is a blend of Blue Faced Leicester and Masham British wool and travels less than 50 miles from fleece to finished yarn.
Almost the entire workforce is women.
In this episode we cover:
Behind the scenes of how the fibre is spun into yarn.How Laxtons became employee owned in 2024 and what that means for the future of the business in Yorkshire.Why 52% of everything Laxtons spins is now British wool, and how that has grown.The relaunch of their hand knitting range as Bramble & Fleece.The shift happening across Yorkshire mills, with more women now leading businesses in what has traditionally been a male dominated industry.About Laxtons
Laxtons Yarns is a fourth generation family spinning mill based in Baildon, Yorkshire. They spin worsted and fancy yarns for hand knitting, machine knitting and weaving, with over 52% of their yarn made from British wool. In July 2024 the business became employee owned, securing its future in Yorkshire. Their hand knitting range is relaunching as Bramble & Fleece in 2026.
Website: laxtons.com | bylaxtons.com
Instagram: @laxtonsyarns
🚀 Ready to create a British-made product business that's built to last? Without faffing about, wasting wads of cash, or struggling with unreliable factories. Apply for the British Brand Accelerator: makeitbritish.co.uk/apply
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In this episode of the Women in Wool series, I take a trip to the beautiful Essex countryside to visit knitwear designer Genevieve Sweeney in her micro factory, where she designs, programmes, knits, and finishes her collection in house.
We talk about the realities of owning your own industrial knitting machine - from learning to keep the yarn and machine happy, to breaking needles in tears and coming out the other side.
We also hear about Genevieve's mission to revive the almost forgotten art of hand Intarsia, a knitting technique synonymous with Scottish knitwear.
About Genevieve Sweeney
Genevieve Sweeney is a knitwear designer and maker based in Essex. Known for her distinctive use of colour, texture and geometric patterning, Genevieve works with natural fibres including Lambswool and naturally-dyed Merino.
You can find Genevieve and Genevieve Sweeney at:
Website: genevievesweeney.com
Instagram: @genevievesweeney
Genevieve forst appeared on the Make it British Podcast in Episode 39 in March 2019.
You can listen to that episode here
🚀 Ready to create a British-made product business that's built to last? Without faffing about, wasting wads of cash, or struggling with unreliable factories. Apply for the British Brand Accelerator: makeitbritish.co.uk/apply
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🚀 Ready to create a British-made product business that's built to last? Without faffing about, wasting wads of cash, or struggling with unreliable factories. Apply for the British Brand Accelerator: makeitbritish.co.uk/apply
In this episode I'm sharing the recording of a recent webinar I ran - 5 Steps to Finding a UK Manufacturer.
Learn my signature 5 Step Factory Readiness Method™ which has helped hundreds of small business owners to get their products made in the UK.Find out why manufacturers don't get back to you (and how to make sure you get a reply).Why sampling costs can spiral out of control and how to avoid it.What a tech pack is, why you need one and how to create a tech pack quickly and easily without using a designer.If you are trying to get a product made in the UK and want a clear, practical framework to follow without making costly mistakes, this episode will give you exactly that.
In this episode you will also hear me mention a cost price calculator that I have developed.
Try the Cost Price Calculator
Follow Kate @makeitbritish on Instagram
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In this episode of the Women in Wool series, I'm joined by Harriet Fletcher-Gilhuys from Fashion Roundtable.
Harriet is the project lead for The Great British Wool Revival and is also working with the King's Foundation on an event in May 2026 to promote the use of British wool.
If you're a designer, maker or brand wanting to work with British wool but not sure where to start, the Great British Wool Revival is the resource you need to know about. It maps the entire wool supply chain from sheep to spinning, dyeing, knitting and weaving and Harriet is here to walk us through exactly how to use it.
In this episode we cover:
What The Great British Wool Revival is and how to use it to find farms, spinners, dyers and manufacturers near youHow to plan a traceable British wool supply chain from scratch, and why you should allow a full year from first conversation to finished productHow to get around minimum order quantities by pairing up with other small designersWhy the website is already being used in 80 countries and what that tells us about the global shift towards homegrown fibresThe two-day wool summit at Dumfries House in Scotland bringing together farmers, designers, makers and policymakers, and how to get involvedIf you care about British farming, UK manufacturing and using fibres that actually grow on our hillsides, this episode will give you a practical look at how it can be done.
About the Great British Wool Revival
The Great British Wool Revival is a free online platform built to make British wool more accessible, from farmer through to finished product. Launched in September 2024 in collaboration with the King's Foundation and funded by Yoox Net-a-Porter, it maps the entire wool supply chain and includes a terminology guide, a directory of mills, spinners and dye houses, and step-by-step guidance for designers wanting to work with British wool.
The Great British Wool Revival Website
Fashion Roundtable website
Instagram: @greatbritishwoolrevival
🚀 Ready to scale your UK-made brand? Apply for the British Brand Accelerator at makeitbritish.co.uk/apply
Follow Kate @makeitbritish on Instagram
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In this episode of the Women in Wool series, I'm joined by Isabelle Randall, a fashion designer and tailor based in Scarborough, Yorkshire, who has been running her own label for over 21 years.
Isabelle works in British tweeds and wool fabrics, making everything bespoke in her atelier. We talk about the Yorkshire mills she loves working with, her tailoring process, and why her bespoke approach keeps customers coming back again and again.
We also get into what it feels like, as a designer who makes everything herself, to hand over the responsibility of production to a manufacturer for the first time.
In this episode we cover:
Which Yorkshire mills Isabelle works with and why she chooses British tweeds and wool fabricsHow her bespoke tailoring process works from initial consultation to finished garmentWhy her made-to-order approach builds long-term customer loyaltyWhat it's really like to hand over production to a manufacturer when you've always made everything yourselfWhy holding out for customers who understand and value the work is better than chasing every saleIf you care about British farming, UK manufacturing and using fibres that actually grow on our hillsides, this episode will give you a practical look at how it can be done.
About Isabelle Randall
Isabelle Randall is a fashion designer and tailor based in Scarborough, Yorkshire, with over 21 years of experience running her own label. She works exclusively in British tweeds and wool fabrics, creating bespoke garments from her atelier.
You can find Isabelle and her label at:
Website: isabellerandall.com
Instagram: @isabellerandall
🚀 Ready to scale your UK-made brand? Apply for the British Brand Accelerator at makeitbritish.co.uk/apply
Follow Kate @makeitbritish on Instagram
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In this episode of the Women in Wool series, I’m joined by Louisa Knapp, Marketing Executive at British Wool.
Based in Bradford, British Wool operates as a farmers' cooperative that collects, grades, and auctions fleece for around 35,000 sheep farmers across the UK.
Whether you’re a designer wondering how to source British wool or you’re just curious about what happens to a fleece after it’s sheared, you’re going to love this episode.
In this episode we cover:
How the British Wool cooperative operates and makes it easy for brands to use traceable wool.The British wool supply chain and how new digital systems making it easier to track wool back to the farm.Why wool is a wonderful fibre and how British Wool are pushing up the price the farmer's receive for their fleece.Launching new regional labels to guarantee Scottish and Welsh wool traceability.About British Wool
British Wool is a member-led organisation that handles the collection, grading, and marketing of UK fleece to support 35,000 farmers. They work with brands and manufacturers to provide traceable supply chains and increase the global demand for British wool.
You can find out more about British Wool at
Website: www.britishwool.org.uk
Instagram: @britishwool
🚀 Ready to scale your UK-made brand? Apply for the British Brand Accelerator at makeitbritish.co.uk/apply
Follow Kate @makeitbritish on Instagram
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In this episode of the Women in Wool series, I’m joined by Kate Stalker, founder of OUBAS Knitwear.
Kate runs a knitwear micro factory in the Lake District, where she designs and manufactures fully fashioned knitwear using natural fibres, including British wool. After studying knitwear at Winchester School of Art, she returned to Cumbria and started the business with a single hand flat knitting machine in her parents’ utility room.
Today OUBAS produces knitwear on industrial knitting machines, with everything knitted, linked and finished in house by a small team. The business combines design, manufacturing and small batch production all under one roof.
If you’re interested in British wool, knitwear manufacturing or what it takes to run a small clothing factory in the UK, this episode gives a real behind the scenes look at how it works.
In this episode we cover:How Kate started OUBAS with one knitting machine and began selling at local markets and craft fairsWhy she chose to base the business in the Lake District rather than moving to LondonWhat it takes to run a knitwear micro factory with industrial knitting machinesWhat “linking” is and why fully fashioned knitwear is so labour intensiveHow knitwear is finished after it comes off the knitting machineThe reality of pricing knitwear when every garment takes hours to produceHow made to order production helps reduce waste and allows a wider size rangeWhy small batch knitwear manufacturing is becoming increasingly important for emerging brandsIf you care about British farming, UK manufacturing and using fibres that actually grow on our hillsides, this episode will give you a practical look at how it can be done.
About OUBAS KnitwearOUBAS Knitwear is a British knitwear brand and micro factory based in the Lake District. The business produces fully fashioned knitwear using natural fibres including British wool, with garments knitted and finished in house.
Alongside its own collection, OUBAS also works with other brands and designers, offering knitwear sampling, development and small batch production.
You can find Kate and Oubas Knitwear at:
Website: www.oubasknitwear.co.uk
Instagram: @oubasknitwear
🚀 Ready to scale your UK-made brand? Apply for the British Brand Accelerator at makeitbritish.co.uk/apply
Follow Kate @makeitbritish on Instagram
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In this first episode of the Women in Wool series, I’m joined by Dee McGilvray, founder of CLÒ FOLD.
Dee has launched a womenswear brand built entirely around 100 percent British traceable wool. In just five months, alongside a full time job, she has taken an idea rooted in farming and the British countryside and turned it into a finished product made entirely in the UK.
Her first piece is a wool gilet woven in Yorkshire using traceable wool sourced through British Wool. Every part of the supply chain, from farm to finished garment, has been kept in Britain.
This isn’t just a story about launching a fashion brand. It’s about supporting farmers, restoring value to British wool and building a genuinely local supply chain.
In this episode we cover:Why so much British wool goes to waste and why farmers are often paid very little for itHow Dee built a fully traceable supply chain starting with British WoolWhat traceable wool actually means and how customers can scan a QR code to see which farms their garment came fromWorking with UK mills, manufacturers and suppliersWhy launching with one product was a smart moveThe reality of starting a brand quickly and testing demand in small batchesWhy wool is one of the most underrated fibres in British fashionIf you care about British farming, UK manufacturing and using fibres that actually grow on our hillsides, this episode will give you a practical look at how it can be done.
About CLÒ FOLDCLÒ FOLD is a British womenswear brand built on the principle of land led living. Every garment is made using traceable British wool, with full transparency from farm to finished product.
You can find Dee and CLÒ FOLD at:
Website: www.clofold.com
Instagram: @clofold
Make sure you join her mailing list to hear about upcoming launches including traceable British wool welly socks and future outerwear pieces.
🚀 Ready to scale your UK-made brand? Apply for the British Brand Accelerator at makeitbritish.co.uk/apply
Follow Kate @makeitbritish on Instagram
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Series 8 of the Make it British podcast is here!
After many of you asked, “Where’s the podcast gone?”, it's coming back with a brand-new themed series: Women in Wool.
Over the past few months, I've been recording interviews behind the scenes. As the conversations unfolded, a clear thread emerged. Every guest was a woman. And every one of them was working with the same fibre - Wool.
This new series shines a spotlight on the women driving innovation, craftsmanship and revival across the UK wool supply chain – from farming and spinning to weaving, knitting and manufacturing.
🐑 Why Wool? Why Now?
The UK textile industry was built on wool. Entire towns, trades and skills grew around it, yet over recent decades, wool has been pushed aside by cheaper synthetic fibres.
Now, the tide is starting to turn.
Recent cultural moments have helped bring wool back into the spotlight:
The 'Traitors effect' with Claudia Winkleman’s tartans, tweeds and knits dominating headlines.The Princess of Wales visiting Welsh mill Melin Tregwynt and wearing Welsh wool.Growing attention on natural fibres and fully traceable supply chains.The launch ofThe Great British Wool Revival, a platform dedicated to strengthening British wool supply chains.At a time when brands are preparing for Digital Product Passports and increased traceability requirements, wool stands out as one of the very few fibres we can genuinely grow and process here in the UK.
👩🦰 Why Women in Wool?
While the textile industry has historically been male-dominated, more and more women are now leading businesses across every stage of the wool supply chain.
From micro-factories to knitwear brands, from farming to finishing, female founders are shaping the future of British wool. This series celebrates them.
🎙️Be My Guest
If you work in wool, or know a woman who does, and would like to be featured in the Women in Wool series, email [email protected].uk with the subject line Women in Wool.
🧡 Love the Podcast?
If you’re a regular listener and this show has helped you, please take a moment to leave a review. Reviews help more people discover the amazing prhttps://www.instagram.com/makeitbritish/oducts still being made and manufactured in Britain.
Want to start or grow a British-made brand?
There are several ways that we can work together depending on what stage your business is at.
➡️ Let's Work Together!
Follow Kate on Instagram @makeitbritish
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🚀 Want to join British Brand Accelerator? Apply here: makeitbritish.co.uk/apply
Got a question before applying?
DM me on Instagram: @makeitbritish
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Not all factories are created equal!
And if you’re contacting 20 different manufacturers hoping one will say yes — you're doing it the hard way.
In this episode of MANUFACTURING SOS, I’m talking about one of the most common mistakes I see when people start looking for a UK manufacturer: assuming every factory can make every kind of product.
You’ll learn why factory specialisms matter, how MOQs and capacity make a difference, and what you actually need to look for when shortlisting a manufacturer.
I’ll also share why I took down my free directory of UK manufacturers and the surprising truth about what manufacturers really said about being in it.
▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube
Listen now to find out:
🏭 Why not every factory with a sewing machine is right for your product
🧵 What kind of research you really need to do before reaching out
🛑 The red flag that means a manufacturer isn’t a good fit
🍷 What looking for a factory partner and choosing a wine having in common!
Get a copy of my UK Manufacturers List
▶️ Watch all 5 episodes of MANUFACTURING SOS on YouTube
🚀 Ready to scale your UK-made brand? Apply for the British Brand Accelerator at makeitbritish.co.uk/apply
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In this episode in the MANUFACTURING SOS series, I’m breaking down why placing a big order with your manufacturer, especially on your first production run with them, can be a costly mistake.
You’ll learn why it’s always smarter to treat your first production run as a test, how to avoid tying up all your money in stock, and how to respond when a manufacturer insists on high MOQs.
If you’re at the stage of placing your first order with a factory, or wondering how many units to start with, don’t miss this one.
▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube
🎧 Listen now to find out:
📦 Why ordering big on your first run is rarely a good idea
🧪 How to treat your first production like a product test
👚 How to avoid ending up with stock you can’t sell
⭐️ Why less really is more when you're building a UK-made brand
🎧 Subscribe to the Make it British podcast so you don’t miss the rest of this special MANUFACTURING SOS series
Get my Range Plan Template Here
▶️ Watch the full series on YouTube
🚀 Ready to scale your UK-made brand? Apply for the British Brand Accelerator at makeitbritish.co.uk/apply
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Think tech packs are optional? Or that your manufacturer can just "sort it for you"?
Think again.
In this episode of Manufacturing SOS, I’m breaking down exactly what happens when you don’t have a proper tech pack, and why skipping this step is one of the most expensive mistakes you can make.
You’ll learn why a tech pack is your blueprint, not just a boring admin task, and how trying to wing it will cost you more in sampling, quality control, and wasted materials.
I’m also busting the myth that you need to spend thousands on a designer to create one – and showing you what to include (in plain English).
Whether you’ve been told you don’t need one, or you’ve been avoiding it because it sounds too techy, this episode is your wake-up call.
▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube
Listen now to find out:
🧵 What a tech pack actually is and why it matters
💸 How skipping it costs you money, time, and control
🧠 Why pay £100s to get one made
📋 What to include in a tech pack (and how to keep it simple)
🎧 Subscribe to the Make it British podcast so you don’t miss the rest of this special MANUFACTURING SOS series
Get my Tech Pack Template Here
▶️ Watch the full series on YouTube
🚀 Ready to scale your UK-made brand? Apply for the British Brand Accelerator at makeitbritish.co.uk/apply
- Visa fler
