Chloe Randall has been a member of The Wool Clip since 2020 and her unusual designs, often knitted in Herdwick yarn, have proved popular ever since. One of her "signature" pieces is often referred to as the Benjamin Bunny beret.

"Benjamin has been my lifelong hero," she says. "In the Beatrix Potter books, he's a bit more of a bandit than Peter - I mean, who would wear a wimpy baby blue jacket when they could have a workmanlike brown one? Plus, I like berets and tam o-shanters and they remind me of Bobbie in The Railway Children and French onion sellers too. This style can be so chic, they are very easy to wear and they seem to suit most people."

Chloe's original ultra extra-large Benjamin Beret was knitted from a vintage pattern for what was described as a Big Tammy.

"I love vintage patterns and a lot of my inspiration comes from them. I adapted the original pattern to knit it in the round - anything to reduce the finishing and I knitted it more or less to gauge. It's designed to be worn very much in the way that Benjamin Bunny wore his. I have since modified the Big Tammy pattern into various child and adult sizes. It's a simple lacy pattern and that has two benefits – it reduces the weight (because in the big model there is a LOT of wool) and it allows the hat to settle however the wearer wants it - Bobbie-style, at a rakish slant, or tucking hair (or rabbit ears) in."

Chloe Randall, The Wool Clip

The design has proved to be recognisable too. On one of the popular Caldbeck Easter Bunny Hunts, there was a family outside the Caldbeck shop with Peter Rabbit toys. Chloe took the beret outside and both little girls knew immediately that it was "Benjamin Bunnith".

"It takes a special sort of customer to want to walk around looking like Benjamin Bunny," says Chloe, "but there are definitely a few of us out there. Many, many years ago, I ordered a green beret with red pompom for myself from a crafter in the city of Bath, so you could even say I was my own inspiration and proof that the market for my own versions existed."

Chloe also knits ties, braces, and bows as well as other accessories and she uses Herdwick yarn from another co-operative member, Chris Crofts and availability depends on Chris having the right colours in stock - at Christmas there is significant competition for her greens and the red. "If we ask, Chris can usually dye to order but sometimes it is more fun to take inspiration from the colours available," says Chloe. "Not everyone wants a Benjamin Bunny Beret and the subtleties of Chris's colours are wonderful, reflecting the habitat of the Herdwick sheep in the Cumbrian landscape. To most people's surprise, knitting with Herdwick rug wool is not the harsh experience you might think. It is also comfortable to wear; has distinct character and can even hold a tailored shape if that is what you want. It's amazing what playing around with needle gauge, knitting double, and other variations can achieve."

You can read more about Chloe and her work at Chloe Randall - Wool Clip - Woollen products & crafts at the Wool Clip, Caldbeck, Cumbria.