I have always been interested in fashion history – since studying with costume historian Nancy Bradfield on my original fashion/textile design degree course.

In 2005 I decided I would like to enhance that knowledge, so I applied and was accepted onto the two-year course – History of Design MA at the Royal College of Art in London. Students are able to choose their own specialism through research and essay-writing, and I chose to study fashion and knitwear history.

For my final year dissertation I researched the history of the knitting pattern, as I was particularly interested to know when it first became used for making fashion items.

On graduating I wrote a couple of articles in academic journals, and I have given a couple of papers at the In the Loop conferences organised by the University of Southampton. (more about that to be added on this page shortly).

I was contacted by magazine Knitting Traditions and asked to replicate a Victorian knitting pattern for a scarf and muff – seen here.

Seeing all the intricate knitting and beautiful Victorian knitting books inspired me, and I started to think about doing a modern book, but using fine yarns – the result was A Handknit Romance seen on another page.