I used to be a secret knitter, says wool shop owner

A woman who has opened her own wool shop said she used to keep her love of knitting secret in case people would think it was odd.

Sharon Griffiths first began knitting as a young child, and said it was a comment from a midwife when she was pregnant with her first baby that made her keep her hobby hidden.

"She said ooh, I've never seen someone your age knit before, and at that point I thought oh my God, is this a really weird thing to do?"

So she kept it low key, but after taking redundancy after 27 years in the NHS, she decided to follow her passion, opening a shop in Nantwich, Cheshire.

"It was like coming out, honestly it was, it was quite a big deal for me," said the 53-year-old.

Griffiths never told her work colleagues about her hobby, and they were surprised when they heard about her plans to sell wool and teach others to knit.

She kept her wool and needles hidden when people visited her house and was quiet about her hobby on dates, for fear of a prospective partner judging her.

"I thought I'd be frowned upon for not being trendy, and doing such an old-fashioned - as it was seen then - project and hobby, I kind of felt like it should be secret."

But after putting her redundancy money into the shop, For the Love of Wool, Griffiths said she is now "out and proud" and enjoying the "warmth and joy" she gets from people's reaction to the business in Nantwich.

Having used knitting to help her relax at home during her "very stressful job" in ophthalmology, she wants to share the mental health and wellbeing benefits of the hobby.

"It switches off your mind, it's that creating something, the motion that you use."

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