Sweetheart Knits

I absolutely love the concept behind Sweetheart Knits – grannies knitting lovely things for children. It was set up by Cath, a keen knitter who’s passionate about putting an end to disposable clothing with heirloom pieces that can be passed down from generation to generation (and eventually unpicked and reknitted into something else).

Sweetheart Knits’ crack team includes Barbara, who uses patterns she used when her grandchildren, who are now in their 30s, were little, and Kath, who used to knit socks for the Navy during the Second World War and received thank you letters from the sailors (love this story). Each hand-knitted item, from the funky skull motif sweaters, £25, to the 70s tank tops in car, dog, dinosaur, owl, spider or alien designs, £18, features a label with the granny maker”s name on, a lovely little twist.

The site is a treasure trove of retro-inspired woollies, from college boy cardis to pram blankets, but my favourite has to be the anchor t-bar bootees (also available with skull and crossbones) – at £8 they’re a brilliant gift for a new arrival.