Bush Summit 2021: Knitting gives new life to ex-model Vanessa Bell

Former international model Vanessa Bell has retired to the farm and now runs successful businesses selling wool blankets and teaching people how to knit.

Vanessa Bell’s love of wool first began in the 1990s when she was modelling for some of the world’s top fashion brands.

Now the former international catwalk model — who once worked with big name fashion houses Christian Dior and Armani — runs a sheep farm with husband Philip at Breadalbane, west of Goulburn.

Mrs Bell is passionate about sharing her love for the fibre and the creations you can make with it.

She has found a niche in hand-knit Merino wool blankets which has given her a new lease in life.

Vanessa Bell in the shearing shed at on her property near Collector in NSW. Picture: Rohan Thomson

“As far as knitting is concerned, my great grandmother Sarah Jane Bond was really the inspiration,” Mrs Bell said. “I’ve been knitting on and off my whole life so it’s a long time passion.”

After a stressful divorce in 2007, Mrs Bell said she turned to the art as a coping mechanism.

“I went through quite a tricky period in my life and I went blind in my left eye,” she said. “I got bad vertigo and really bad panic attacks and it was my knitting that really calmed me down and made me feel good.”

The irony was not lost on Mrs Bell when she married Philip in 2015, a former merino wool grower.

“Philip used to be one of the biggest producers of merino wool in the district, so they used to produce a lot of wool but then there was a period when prices dropped,” she said.

“Then I turned up on the scene and not only have we restocked merino’s but I’m about to have my own merino wool yarn produced for the baby blanket business.”

In 2017, Mrs Bell launched Sarah Jane Bond — a brand selling hand-knit baby blankets made from superfine Merino wool which helped boost their business during the drought.

“It was such a great backup when times were tough during the drought, there’s just so many people, mostly women, across regional Australia doing a happy dance in the kitchen when people buy their products.”

Now, Mrs Bell wants to not only share her products but teach the craft of knitting as a tool for wellbeing.

Vanessa Bell runs a merino wool blanket business and an on online knitting course. Picture: Rohan Thomson

“I know that meditation or yoga can give you the same benefits, but for me this was about giving people a sense of purpose where they could make something like a scarfe and then feel really good when they give it to someone,” she said.

“In terms of the pandemic I thought I know that this makes me feel fantastic so potentially I can teach other people this as well.”

“I’m also really excited to teach people about all the benefits of merio wool, things like its fire resistant, thermoregulating and UV ray protecting.”

*The third annual Daily Telegraph Bush Summit is going virtual in 2021. Register here and we will bring NSW to you.