Think bobble hats are the preserve of the perennially uncool? Away and have a word with yourself - or with Hilary Grant, the knitwear designer reinventing wool as we know it. 

Grant has been diligently purling a name for herself in the world of yarn from her studio in Orkney since 2011, and thanks to her trend-led designs, two-ply wool, and myriad other factors that don't begin with the letter t, 2014 has proved to be her busiest year yet.

Between travels to Tokyo, various pop-up events and launching a new collection, we caught up with Grant to talk wool snobbery, hand-rearing lambs and why chasing invoices is a necessary part of her life.

Did you have a big break or many little cracks to get into the business?

I think any big break is probably the accumulation of lots of hard work and chipping away. I started with almost no contacts in the industry, made them all from scratch, and put my business forward to meet people and be considered for opportunities. So when there is a big win for my business in terms of a large sale or trade stockist, there is usually a lot of hard work that goes in behind the scenes.

Describe how your design process works from idea conception to finished product.

I design my patterns stitch by stitch and build the products stitch by stitch so it's very time consuming. I've started enjoying more abstract patterns, looking at techniques in painting, printing and colour mixing is really interesting and I try to work out ways to apply these to a knitted surface. Just now I like creating something that can look simple close up, but has something more complex going on when you view it from a distance. 

I'll work on developing a pattern idea, and make sure it is possible to achieve as a knitted structure by drawing it out in stitches. I don't like to apply an image to knit, it has to be designed for knit. The collection this year has come from looking out of my studio window to an amazing seascape that is always changing. The reflections of waves, and tidal patterns in the sand has really come in to the current Autumn Winter 2014 collection and it's had an influence in AW15 as well. Once I have the drawings all ready I'll send them to the manufacturer. We'll get a set of samples made up, and then make little changes to the fit, the colour, and the patterns and then it's ready for the next stage: photography, making look books, line sheets and pitching to buyers.

Which women in power do you admire and why?

Kate Sheridan, a London based bag and accessory designer, is someone I really admire. I've loved her products since I saw them at a design market in London when I was still a student - which must have been about 10 years ago now. It shows how much patience and hard work is needed to really build a business of considerable scale in this competitive industry. I met her at a trade event in Paris this year and she is such a lovely person too!

How do you marry functionality with strong aesthetics?

The pieces have to be really easy to wear and sizing is always up for debate - how long a scarf should be, how many times it should be wrapped round and so on! The patterns also have to really work with the scale of the product. It's not simple a case of applying a pattern to a variety of styles as there are so many tweaks and changes that will happen. I will ask my manufacturer to change single stitches if they look out of place! They construction of the fabric is also really important - especially in the Circle Scarves as the knitted fabric has to be really fluid so it sits well when wrapped up.

How do you source your yarn? Are you a wool junkie?

The yarn I used comes from a company based in Scotland and the North of England. They take care of the dyeing, spinning wool into yarn, and then it is sent to our manufacturer to be knitted up into our scarves, blankets and hats. I am a wool snob yes, I'll check composition labels before buying any knitwear. 

Tell us something about yourself we wouldn't know.

When I first moved to Orkney, I reared five caddie lambs. In between packing orders and pitching for AW13 trade sales I would go out four to five times a day to bottle-feed them milk. It was very hard work but fun. Months later when they were fully grown and put out to graze they would still chase after me when they saw me, thinking I had food for them! 

What's something you're particularly good at in your work? And something you wish you were better at?

I think what I do really well is two colour patterns. I'm good at chasing invoices! I wish I was better at switching off.

What do you wish you'd designed?

I wish I designed Kenzo's Autumn Winter 2008 knit collection - the combination of machine knit, hand knit and crochet is just mind blowing!

Talk to us about strong women in your life.

My mum, she's the person who taught me that determination, hard work and patience is the key to getting anywhere in life.

What's next for Hilary Grant?

We have lots of plans for 2015 and I can't wait, new products and hopefully able to get some collaborations off the ground! The next big thing for us is the buying season in February - we're exhibiting at Capsule, a trade show in Paris again this year, and will be launching our AW15 collection to buyers and press. 

For more information and Hilary Grant's new collection visit www.hilarygrant.co.uk.