The Yarn Gallery sort of happened by accident. The knitwear, yarns and paraphernalia were beginning to crowd out my home. So I rented an old rundown blacksmith's forge that used to belong to my family and set it up as a workshop. In fact, three generations of uncles had worked there as blacksmiths.

So where they once worked with hot metal, I began to work with hot dyes. It has remained a working, creative place. It is a very beautiful and historic building with beams, tiled floors, brick and flint walls and wooden stable doors. It is a bit like an Aladdin's Cave when you walk in and is filled with glowing colours and textures, and yarns spilling out of shelves and cupboards, and rails hanging with finished garments. It is the perfect place in which to work, full of atmosphere.

After I got started, it wasn't long before curious faces appeared at the windows wanting to know what I was doing. Word soon got around and I had a steady stream of customers arriving to buy my yarns and enjoy being able to look at and touch the raw and finished products.