I make machine knitted accessories in lambswool: wrist warmers, neck warmers, small blankets, scarves and wraps in an array of carefully chosen colours, stripes and colour blocks. I am passionate about blending contemporary design with traditional craft. Following a career in London working with Orla Kiely, Kay Cosserat and Julia Pines, I started my own knitwear label.
Working from my home-studion in the South Downs National Park, I hand-make each garment on a range of domestic knitting machines. Colour is the driving force behind all of my work and experimenting with hues, tones and combinations of colours has been a fascination since studying at The Royal College of Art 2000-2002.
I enjoy working with lambswool and the broad colour palette that this yarn offers - a highly versatile, renewable fibre with a wonderful texture and soft hand feel. I source all my lambswool from a mill in Scotland and supplement with colours from companies that supply surplus stocks of professional yarns used in industry. Knitting one-off pieces and small batches of products allows me to use up scant quantities of yarn that would otherwise go to waste.
After completing an Arts Foundation course at Winchester School of Art, I went on to specialise in knitted textiles at Chelsea College of Art. During my time there, Kay Cosserat and Julia Pines had a tremendous influence on my design style, taste and passion for knitwear and colour.
I completed an MA in Fashion knitwear at The Royal College of Art and at my final show I was offered a work experince placement with Tanya Sarne at Ghost which helped bridge the gap between study and work. In 2003 I went to design with Orla Kiely specifically concentrating on her knitwear and bag collections, until I had my daughter in 2007.
Now an independent designer, I am also a trustee of the Kay Cosserat Bursary Scholarship which is awarded to a final year Royal College of Art student every year.
