Purl of an idea sees knitting sales soar

9:00am Sunday 1st October 2006

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FOLLOWING the latest celebrity craze in knitting, prompted by pop icon Madonna last year, a village shop has launched an online delivery service to cope with demand.

Traditionally a pastime for grandmothers, the hobby has reached a new trendy market spurred by the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker and Julia Roberts.

Village Knitters in High Street, Redbourn, part of the post office and village shop, saw such an increase in sales over the last year that it launched a UK-wide online knitting shop.

Shopowner Pamela Reek said: "We have always sold wool but recently fitted out a special area for it because of the extra interest we are getting. People were telling us that their friends across the country could not get hold of wool because their local shops were closing so I decided to launch the online shop.

"Knitting now has its place in the fashion market - the gorgeous colours and textures make fun accessories like scarves."

The shop sells all types of yarn, wool, patterns and accessories and, ,if ordered over the internet, they can be posted to you that day.

Ms Reek, who has tipped chunky yarns to be popular this autumn, believes the hobby has skipped a generation from grandmothers to teenagers taking up the hobby.

To try your hand at the skill or browse the different buttons, beads and more visit www.villageknitters.co.uk