Raising our wool game

Olympic diver Tom Daley has been inspiring the nation to pick up their knitting needles with his Channel 4 show The Game of Wool.

- LAURETTE ZIEMER

But Genevieve Sweeney, 37, from Much Hadham, Herts, needs no convincing - she's been busy championing the British knitwear industry through her own successful label.

What does your business do?

We design and make luxury knitwear and accessories for men and women - from jumpers and cardigans to socks and scarves - all made using responsibly sourced yarns: 80% British spun and 20% Italian.

I design every piece, and our collection is made across the UK with small, family-run mills. Next year, we'll be taking on apprentices to ensure these heritage skills are passed on.

Was it a childhood dream?

I started knitting when I was five years old, just after my mum passed away. I didn't realise it then, but knitting became a form of therapy - the meditative rhythm of it brought me comfort.

For years, it was something I did in secret every evening. I loved taking vintage patterns and adding a modern twist to them. Then, when I was 16, I met someone who was studying knitwear at university and it completely changed my life. I had no idea you could study knitwear let alone build a career from it.