Welcome to our (my) story .....

I'm Karen (yes, I know!) and that's a photo of me trying to look like I know what I'm doing . I am a mother, grandmother, wife and businesswoman just juggling life and trying not to drop a ball.

Before starting my journey with Knitting Pretty Ireland, I worked as a Psychology Lecturer in a UK based university which I absolutely loved, but not quite as much as my new, and surprisingly challenging career in fibre. Underneath the academic exterior I am a crafter and have been since I can remember. My Grandma taught me to knit from a very young age and I have loved all things to do with creating ever since. That crafty love has grown and evolved over the years into a particular love of all things to do with fibres.

Knitting Pretty Ireland was born after I left teaching and returned to Ireland. I needed a new career focus and what better job than to do what you love, right? So I did! 

Running my own business has been a very sharp learning curve that I am still trying to master. In the beginning I was like a child in a sweet shop, selecting yarns to stock and eagerly awaiting their arrival, building my online store, fingers tightly crossed hoping for an order and then desperately disappointed when one didn't come but... I have very quickly learnt that it is impossible to compete with the retail giants and not so much fun just unpacking boxes and updating my digital stock list; there is just no creativity which I so wanted to incorporate into my work.

So, I reflected and decided to take my business in a slightly different direction. My huge stock of synthetic yarns will still be available for purchase but, I will also be concentrating on the pure fibres market that I can get creative with to produce unique pieces of fibre art that cannot be mass produced by a machine. Not only are pure fibres  organic and sustainable, but it is also truly rewarding to work with such  versatile materials. 

As teaching will forever be a part of me I still have the drive to show and explain, and so I am excited to share that I am also working on providing wet felting courses and teaching other fibre enthusiasts how to create their own unique piece using wonderful vibrant fibres. I am currently putting a program together and will update as I go... watch this space!

So that's me - sometimes exhausted as I tackle the day to day tasks necessary to run a business, sometimes doing a happy dance round my kitchen as a fellow fibre artist places an order, and always grateful as it seems I have finally found my niche. I thank you all for all of your support along the way - it is truly humbling!

Karen x