Designer has won her stripes

10:23am Fri Jun 17, 2011

A FREELANCE knitwear designer who for several years created ranges for Paul Smith is busy striking out on her own once more.

Sally Morten, of Flintham, cut her first pattern at 12 and having studied at various colleges gained an MA in knitwear design from the Royal College.

A child’s hat she made was featured on TV’s Richard and Judy. Eight hundred orders came in — eventually snowballing to 8,000.

She sells her work — Posh Knitwear — online, but it can also be found at Eclectica on Cartergate, Newark, the Harley Gallery, Welbeck, and Nash Interiors in Nottingham.

She has been asked by the gallery to contribute work for a wedding exhibition they are holding soon.

Although she is immersed in the world of fashion, she doesn’t follow trends but creates what feels right to her.

Inspiration comes in all forms — much from nature.

She has created scarves that could just as easily be hung on a wall as pieces of art. One has intricate oak-leaf detail, another is a 100% wool faux fox-fur stole.

Says Sally: “Ideas come from all over. I’m intuitive but my things are handmade not homemade.

“I describe my work as off-the-wall classics.”

At the moment she has a boiled wool knitwear range including gloves, hats and scarves plus corsages and, in time for Father’s Day, quirky bow ties in wool and silk.

She has also just created a range of shirts made from silk scarves, her first foray into fabric for a few years.

Alongside her freelance work Sally has also taught, including classes at Central St Martin’s College of Art and Design.

“I really enjoyed teaching and I would be happy to go into colleges now to talk to students,” she said.

Sally’s website is stores.ebay.co.uk/posh-knitwear-hand-made-in-england