Nu Shearman of Hide & Hammer 01.06.87 - 26.12.25
Where do I begin. Where does one go when one feels like they lost a part of themselves.
Nu Shearman of Hide & Hammer was my best friend and simply the most gorgeous, creative, funny, generous, compassionate and fierce person that ever did exist.
How do I go back to slinging yarn after losing her? This is a question I've been asking myself for the past week.
Things I do know though - knitting helps in the darkest hours. Pouring our feelings into making things is what we do as makers. Every stitch holds a feeling, a memory, a story; it is a tangible record of our lives.
I also know that Nu was deeply passionate about small business and it's power to change lives and she would be so mad if I now messed everything up because of her. I am genuinely scared of her ghost in this regard. So I will figure out how to keep slinging yarn and events.
In a moment of reminiscing, I thought we could look at a handful of the stunning pieces she had on her needles over the years. Things I know she poured her love and creativity into.
She was loved by so many of you and I'm so grateful to everyone who has reached out and shared messages of condolence and stories about how Nu touched your life. Her capacity to love was truly boundless and that is clear from the volume of lives she touched.
Keeping telling the story of how she lived, it's important.
As we exist and navigate our shared grief, I have to mention Tom, Nu's dear, sweet, brave husband. He lost his world on Boxing Day 2025 and not just the things that really mattered but also pretty much every possession he had and while no amount of money will make up for or ease what he is going through, it does help with practical things and so I share the GoFundMe his friend set-up.
Go hug your loved ones. Send a silly message to your friend. Tell someone you love their outfit and never, ever dim your creativity or your own light, keep making beautiful things.
Nu's Knits - a tribute to beautiful creations
Framed Sweater by Andrea Mowry
This may have been the greatest outfit ever worn, Nu looked so amazing this day at Rhinebeck 2024 and her Framed is just the most beautiful, happy knit.
She used Origin in Petunia along with Spincycle Dream State in Next Level for the body and two strands of Opus in Key Lime Pie for the ribbing.
An absolute show stopper of a sweater.
A Walk in the Park by Erika Knight
The A Walk in the Park shawl she made in Spring 2025 out of scrap yarn. It includes Opus in Key Lime Pie and Spellbound, Origin in Beaver's Den, Light House, Salmon, Pacific and Grape Blossom with of course some Spincycle Dream State in Next Level thrown in.
I wouldn't have ever thought to use this pattern in this way, it's the beauty of this craft - our canvas is the pattern and our paints are the yarn. Experiment, have fun, make that canvas yours.
Slouchy Beanie Hat
This hat got a ton of wear, I think it was the second version she had made. It sat perfectly slouchy on her head.
I'm not sure which yarn she used here for her Hat and Peak, I remember it being something more on the rustic side, it is very possibly Les Garçons British DK.
The Rose Cardigan
A classic from 2019, the Rose cardigan. She lived in this piece and it often doubled as a blanket for one of the kids. She probably bought that t-shirt just to go with this cardigan.
She used a fade set in La Bien Aimée Merino Sport for this one.
Easy V by Caitlin Hunter
This is her Easy V from 2023 in a most perfect combo of Origin in Pacific and Spincycle Dream State in Rusted Rainbow, Bright Idea, Close Call, Hidden Place, Midsommar and Melancholia.
She painted with those Spincycle colours here, curating as she went along. Definetely one of my favorite makes of hers.
Holiday Slipover Junior by PetiteKnit
I remember her knitting this Holiday Slipover Junior - it was right after we launched Fluff and it must have been one of the first projects anyone ever used it for.
When we developed the yarn, I certainly didn't have combining it with a funky hand dyed yarn in mind and I can't imagine Max or Vincent did either. But I turned up at her studio one day and she had this on the needles for Eve and I immediately wanted my own version.
This uses Stranded Dyeworks Merino DK and Fluff and I am 98% sure it was two strands of each, so four strands in total.
Tessellated Pullover by Andrea Mowry
Nu had a bit of a love/hate relationship with her Tessellated as a knit but was mega happy with it when it was finished and she wore it often.
This one features Opus in Spellbound, Spincycle Dyed in the Wool in Next Level and I'm not entirely sure which fluffy yarn she used.
Soldatna Crop by Caitlin Hunter
This is her Soldatna Crop made in Birdstreet Yarn MN 75 DK - again, a stunning colour palette she put together.
A quick knit from Spring 2021 as we came out of our fourth and final lockdown here in the UK and a gorgeous professional photo from her first Hide & Hammer workshop space.