History
I started to learn to knit and crochet during my teens and was taught by my mum. In those days there wasn’t youtube and videos to learn from so it was very much copying and learning whatever stitches they knew and learn to read patterns or books to develop further.
Knitting was more popular at that time and crochet took a but of a back seat as it was hard to get patterns so every-one got the basic granny square blanket as presents from me.
By the time I was working towards my A level in textiles I could read knitting patterns easily and producing many of my own clothing in regards to ‘bat-wing’ jumpers and cable jumpers and cardigans. This was the first time I was commissioned to knit a cardigan for a friend’s mum for Christmas.
Over the next 20 years I had my daughter, was working and getting on with a busy life. My knitting and crochet took a back seat and only popped up here and there when a new baby came in to the family or the children wanting a new Christmas jumper making.
As my daughter became older, I started to have a bit more free time and picked up my needles again as quite a few people used to comment on how nice her jumpers and cardigans were, I decided to knit a few and set about selling them in a local craft shop that rented out shelves.
In 2014 I saw a fantastic crochet book on sale for making crochet hats, I had to buy it and made one immediately. Four months later I had made about 20 and sold them all.
A little while later, my youngest nephew turned and said “aunty Carol, can you make me a minion hat?”, my brain started turning and that was the first hat I designed. He later asked for many other designs and items and of course I had a go, some successful and some not!
Over the next few years my crocheting developed and I started doing a couple of stalls a year as I still work full-time.
My partner, Chris, is very supportive and my stash of different yarns was getting larger and larger but of course, I always needed more as I didn’t have the right shade or thickness yarn. He collected and put together some shelves for me to use as storage and has been known to make good colour choices when out looking for yarn and accessories in the shops and started to get quite knowledgeable. It has become increasingly difficult to find all of the items I want in one place anymore and many wool and craft shops have closed down in many areas.
I have always wanted to be able to run my own yarn business and 3 years ago decided that I need to start writing down my patterns as people were asking where the patterns were from. It has taken a while as it can be quite difficult to explain what I mean to that people can understand what I mean but I think I’m there now.
We then started taking about my next steps as I now have some patterns but still can’t get everything I need for them in one place. Therefore, the seed was planted for an online shop with everything in one place and kits containing my own patterns and everything you need to make the item. So here we are and who knows what the future may bring……