Knitted With Love, by Jane Ellison £19.99

TRADITIONAL crafts are seeing a resurgence in popularity.

For Jane Ellison, knitting has been an integral part of her childhood and she is now passing on her expertise and knowledge in her new book Knitted With Love.

Jane, whose Skipton shop Purl and Jane plays on the original references to the two stitches in knitting ‘purl and plain,’ was inspired to create her own colourful book from conversations with her customers and other fellow knitting enthusiasts.

“I have done this for knitters who want simple, easy-to-knit patterns,” explains Jane.

Knitted With Love is Jane’s first stab at self-publishing. She has previously designed and written 70 or so knitting books after being commissioned by an American distributor.

“I just wanted some nice garments that people could knit and it can take them through their knitting journey as there are cables and colourwork and it goes up to 10-years-old,” she says, referring to the range of patterns designed for youngsters.

“That is where most people start from if they are coming back to knitting, small little garments.”

The book, which took six months to complete, features beautiful photography of the finished garments ranging from cosy hats to intricate cable knit jumpers and cardigans.

Each pattern is christened after a place in the Dales, among themThe Strid Blanket, Clapdale Hat and the Crag jumper – testimony to Jane’s affinity with the place where she settled after securing a job as a sales and marketing manager with a yarn distributor.

Before taking that position, Jane honed her designing skills studying fashion at college and spending her early working life with a hand-knit designer. But it was while exploring her family tree she realised the impact textiles had had on their lives.

Her great grandfather had owned a worsted and woollen mill in Leeds Road, Bradford and another relation worked as an apprentice at Salts Mill.

Growing up in Bradford-on-Avon, Jane never realised the important part textiles played. “My grandparents lived in Cornwall so we always thought they were Cornish,” she says.

Their connections with Bradford go back through the generations and the more Jane discovered, the more intrigued she became. It also explained her grandmother Irene Fletcher and her mum Susan’s passion for textiles and their flair for running up fashions.

“My mum taught me to knit and gran always knitted,” recalls Jane. “I always asked her to make me things and they didn’t look like the picture because she changed them in some way. I got the inspiration that knitting was creating your own bespoke garment – and that is what I try to do in my patterns.

“Mum was always knitting or sewing. It was make do and mend. You never threw anything out, everything was always used. My favourite pyjamas were an old duvet cover.”

Her first attempt was a scarf for her Snoopy. “And I still have that,” she says, referring to the longevity of hand-made over mass-produced.

Jane believes that being able to wear something again, individuality and the sense of achievement from being able to sport something you have created yourself are some of the reasons for the resurgence in knitting. She hopes her book will inspire others to pick up their needles.

“It is really nice to knit and get that satisfaction from knitting and also there is nothing that says ‘I love you’ like a hand-knitted garment. ,” she says.

Knitted With Love is available from Jane’s shop, 4 Mount Pleasant, High Street, Skipton or through her website purlandjane.co.uk.