Rowan started life above a grocery store in a village near Huddersfield, in West Yorkshire, England. While initially specialising in weaving supplies and knitting kits, founders Stephen Sheard and Simon Cockin wanted to produce yarn which was both high quality and perfect for the hand-knitting design trends of the time. Their business focus was to showcase natural fibres in a paint-box colour palette, placing the utmost value on providing yarn shades which could be translated into timeless design.  These values are still at the core of Rowan today. The Rowan name was inspired by the beautiful shrubs lining the banks of the Holme River in Yorkshire, an area deeply entwined with British textile heritage and traditions.

In 1979, the company purchased the Green Lane Mill in Holmfirth, and that was Rowan's home for the next 15 years. While the studio has moved and Rowan's needs have grown over the years, Rowan is in Yorkshire still, some 40 years later. Although ownership has changed several times, the ethos of growing the brand, providing quality fibres and staying true to Rowan's knitters and crocheters has remained the same.  Rowan partnered with Westminster Fibers to take the brand to the US in 1985 and from there has expanded its reach to over 30 countries around the world.

In 1982, a chance meeting between Stephen Sheard and Kaffe Fassett steered Rowan in a new direction — to creating designer-led projects for a growing number of followers. Their first big success was a mail order kit shown on the cover of Woman & Home magazine in 1983. The orders were way beyond expectations and this led to the launch of Rowan's own magazine in 1986. Today, Rowan uses the inspiration of its key designers still and Kaffe Fassett is first amongst them, continuing to design incredible knits in his signature colourful style. Currently, he’s joined by an elite team of talented designers including Lisa Richardson; Martin Storey; Erika Knight; Brandon Mably; ARNE & CARLOS; Quail Studio and Georgia Farrell.  Rowan's ultimate mission remains the same as it’s always been — to offer a selection of high-quality yarns paired with designer-led inspiration that followers will find a pleasure to knit with and to wear.

Each season, Rowan publishes a magazine and a range of special pattern books inspired by a beautiful yarn, a special design theme, or a unique collection by one of its talented designers.