Artist statement
Hand-knitted and hand-framed knitwear, individually created in a range of Shetland and lambswool - something beautiful to keep you cosy for years to come. Come along to see my range of knitwear, chat about knitting and see my vintage hand-frame machine in action. As part of Creative Cromar, I will be exhibiting with Michelle and Steve Kenyon-Roberts.
Extended Bio
I have always been a knitter – having learned from my mum, who used to keep our family cosy in colourful, chunky jumpers, hats and scarves. By the time I was eleven years old, when knitting was being taught at the school, I was already knitting myself an intricate, royal blue jumper which I remember very fondly.
In the 1980s I started up my knitwear business from my home in Whinnyfold. I began with a very simple, secondhand, hand-frame machine, knitting stripey Shetland wool jumpers and hats for kids. I then moved onto a more sophisticated model which allowed me to create more intricate designs for both adults and children – although, for me, it was always the colours that inspired me. Over the years, I built up Whinnyfold Knitwear by going to craft fairs throughout the country and, each year, I attended the Harrogate Trade Fair – selling my designs to shops throughout the UK. With the help of a team of dedicated knitters, my business continued to grow but, in the mid 1990s, I found that family life took over and I closed my business.
Over the years, I continued to hand knit for fun and for the family but my hand-frame machine lay (semi) forgotten in the attic. Until lockdown. During 2020, I had hand-knitted more accessories than I could ever use and decided to re-start Whinnyfold Knitwear. My machine has come out of the attic and I am complementing my hand-knitted range with scarves, waistcoats and jumpers. Hand-framed knitwear is still quite labour intensive – but not as time consuming as knitting by hand – and it gives me the opportunity to create a wider range of beautiful, colourful knitwear.
