I was just 4 years and eight months old sitting on the floor in front on the fire reading a book “What Katty Did” with my ginger cat Fluffy sitting across my feet. Suddenly the kettle on the trivet starts to boil and wobbles consequently tipping its contents all over my legs. I do not remember the pain but I was concerned about my cat who had his tail scalded and ran out through the window.

Jennie Eveleigh age 3 and nowI was hurredly transported 7 miles to the nearest hospital in the only car in the small village which belonged to the man at the big house, there being only a handful of residents in the village in the heart of Dorset SW England in the 1950s.

In the Hospital Outpatients my lower torso was painted in iodine, (a very nice purple). For a whole two months I was unable to walk.

My Christmas presents that year were a Doll, a knitting set, and a needlework box! Still bedridden, my Dad picked up the knitting set and showed me how to use it. He had learned to knit in the Army. There was no stopping me then, the doll was dressed in the most beautiful woollen knitwear, I made jumpers, woolly cardigans and dresses. My mother had a job to keep up with the supply of pure wool yarn, easily available then and all kinds of hand knitting patterns from her weekly magazine.

“My Weekly” womens magazine used to have dolls knitting patterns in every issue, but alas I have lost that first collection.

At the age of seven I had progressed to knitting my own knitwear clothes, school cardigans and woollen jumpers. At the age of ten my brother was born so I had the opportunity of dressing him in the finest baby knitwear which delighted me and my parents.

By the time I had left school and was working in an office I so enjoyed being able to dress in the latest exclusive fashion knitwear of the late sixties and seventies knitted dresses, like this long line tunic style sweaters with colourful leggins, chunky wool coats and even ponchos.
1960 style long line tunic style wool sweater hand knitted

I was then asked to knit for others, which supplemented my meagre £5 per week office wages of the time.

During the 1970s I married and was in my element making woollen baby clothes, then I discovered the knitting machine. Even though this saved a lot of time and one could churn out wool garments at the rate of one or two a day there is nothing more meditative than hand knitting.
Chunky hoody Jacket handmade fashion knitwear
Of course my passion led me to discover the spinning wheel producing my own hand spun knitting yarns and then natural died wools in all of natures colours.

Opening my own shop in a large store got me involved in selling crystals, alternative goods and books, needless to say I had another outlet for my creative handmade jumpers. As the shop raised my awareness in ethnic styles and designs I turned my attention to designing with native cultures in mind, and found myself turning out native american and celtic wool ponchos, chunky tabard jackets and colourful wool dresses.

Just recently I´m asked to knit bowling club jerseys and football sweaters with the different club logos and naturally I am delighted my handcrafted knitting is appreciated by club members and even players!

I am grateful for my wealth of years of knowledge in creating all kinds of fashion knitwear for so many people around the world.
And now, I am proud that I can create handmade colourful knitwear for you to enjoy, keep warm and cosy, to give to a loved one and to enjoy.

With love

Jennie