Made Slowly. Worn for Years.
Hello, I'm Jan
I design and create every piece myself, in my workshop in Cumbria.
Every scarf, poncho and jumper you see here has passed through my hands, not a factory. I learned to machine knit at my mum's side back in the 1980s, and though she's no longer here, every piece I make takes me back to those special moments. I turn wool, colour and the landscape around me into pieces made to be worn and loved for years — not seasons. If you're after something with a bit of soul in it, you're in the right place.
A Bit of My World
A Day Off
Show Prep
Getting these knits ready for a light steam! ✨ Just one part of my preparations for the event.
Arts and Crafts, Keswick, June 2026
A Customer Moment
One of my lovely customers wearing her Contours beanie beautifully 💚
Westmorland county Show - Sept 2026
I'm so glad I remembered to post the photo of one of my fantastic customers at the Lake Makers Fair in Staveley. It's always a pleasure when a customer becomes my model – she looks wonderful in it. 💛
Lake Makers Fair, Staveley - Aug 2026 - mustard poncho.
Elaine looks amazing in her orange poncho! ✨ It makes me so happy when customers love wearing what I've made. 🧡
Netherby Hall, Carlisle, May 2026
I gave myself permission to have a day off yesterday, and it was about time.
Fair warning, this is a long post. You might think it's about pretty pictures of the fells where I spent my time yesterday, but for some reason it became something else...
Being self-employed has its advantages, but more often than not these days we're working longer hours for less. It's a reality many small businesses are facing — the turbulence in the world impacts us first, postage and tariff increases are a real threat, and the constant rise in running costs is a nightmare to navigate. With all that negativity, we still have to find our inspiration to create — the beating heart of a creative business is its inspiration, without it we can't make our unique, individual designs.
Unlike those who take other people's ideas and mass produce them abroad using cheap labour, we care about the provenance of our tools and materials, and we respect our customers enough to provide our goods with integrity.
That day off gave me clarity — how much harder it is to run a small business now than it was 10 years ago, and how many of us will still be here in years to come if there isn't a shift in how people buy, and in governments that actually give a damn about small businesses.
The fells, Lake District, August 2026
Behind the Scenes
There's a rhythm to show prep after all these years. Folding, wrapping, counting stock, double-checking the float. Every top, scarf and hat has been made by hand, and every one of them is about to go on a little adventure.
I love this bit almost as much as the show itself — the quiet before the busy, everything laid out and ready to go.
Westmorland County Show, September 2026
Contours Collection
Contours started as a challenge. Getting real fluidity into a stitch design — the kind of flowing line you'd expect from an industrial knitting machine — is hard to do on a domestic one. I wanted to prove it could be done.
The design itself comes from somewhere closer to home: my husband and I collect old maps, and we're always out walking the fells. Somewhere between the two — the lines on a map and the lines of a landscape — Contours found its shape. Every piece carries a little of both.
Testing my Contours Collection in the ever-changing weather of the Scottish Highlands! ⛰️
I believe in practicality alongside style, so I ensure my designs keep you warm, dry, and feeling stylish. From mountains to towns, they're perfect for any adventure.
Loved and Worn
Thanks to the lovely Emma @olivehomeandgift for sending me this photo in her Contours - Scafell Pike cowl. "It's so beautiful, I absolutely love it."
Customer photos like this one genuinely make my day — it's one thing to hear someone likes a piece, it's another to see them actually wearing it. 💗
Kelly wears her Acorns & Oak Leaves cowl out on her nature walks, and when she posted about it, she was kind enough to credit the maker: "The beautiful acorn and oakleaf cowl is from the talented @elizabethlarsenknitwear." ☺️🧶
Follow Kelly's own nature art on Instagram: @kellys_wildlife_art
❝ Thank you for my beautiful jumper! Love it! ❞
Janice's third jumper from me, and that little note quietly made my whole day. This is why I do what I do — not for the metrics, but for the moment someone unwraps something handmade and feels that spark of joy.