‘My hats took off’
My husband Shaun and I have always wanted children. But, by 2008, then aged 39, I’d suffered a miscarriage and we’d failed at IVF. It just wasn’t happening for us.
When my sister-in-law became pregnant in 2008, she asked me to knit the baby a strawberry hat that she’d seen in a magazine. An avid knitter, I was up for the job. I’ve always found knitting relaxing, and used to enjoy making my own clothes when I was younger, so I gave it a go.
She loved the hat, and her reaction sparked an idea. Before trying for a family,
I’d been a teacher. And while I’d enjoyed my time in the classroom, I wanted to try something new. So I started designing a range of about 20 baby hats, with diverse themes from fruit to flowers, animals – even superheroes!
I began to sell a few hats online, and the positive feedback I received really gave me a boost. So I designed even more hats and set up a website.
Things really started to take off, and now I have around 200 designs. As well as selling hats to individual customers, I also make them for the Tower of London gift shop, a local National Trust outlet and the Beatrix Potter shop at Lake Windermere!
My company CobWebKnits has given me focus again. doNkey Although I’m surrounded by baby images all day, they don’t upset me. My creative designs are now my babies, and I love them dearly.
you can see Su’s designs at cobwebknits.co.uk