Handknits from Ireland.

Having spent many years trying to balance a full time job, then a part-time job and family I finally threw in the towel and had a long look at what was important to me.

Being around my children, doing school runs, homework and generally being involved in their lives was becoming increasingly difficult. There was the guilt that all working mums have, not doing enough for your children, letting your work colleagues down, not having enough hours in the day and not having time to take care of yourself. I eventually realised how unhappy I was and how out of kilter life was.

So for the past few years I have been pottering around doing my own thing. Finally I am getting the hang of things and streamlining how I do things. I love to knit and could spend all my time doing this, I also teach knitting which is the best job ever! So between all the bits and pieces we get by, the family are now used to my bags and bits of work and my mumblings and mutterings and the endless boxes of buttons. My children will volunteer to model on occasion and even describe me as a designer when asked what their mum does.

Things are coming together - Life is a work in progress. There are now a number of key pieces that form the base of my work and I continue to develop new shapes and styles that can be added to this base.

I take great pride in my work and love to finish an item and put my tags on it - that is a great sense of accomplisment.

In Ireland we have a wonderful tradition of creating quality knitwear and yarns and I am delighted to be contributing that tradition. Almost half of my knits use yarns manufactured in Ireland and this adds and extra dimension to these pieces