Lake District poet Victoria Bennett has written a series of poems about our collections. 

Victoria shares her thoughts …

"When Debbie Bryan first approached me to explore working together, I was very excited by the possibilities. We soon discovered we had further connections in the landscapes we have inhabited, from Nottingham to the familiar hills of the Lake District as well as our love of found and crafted objects.

My own mother was a fashion artist for Vogue so I grew up with beautiful designs all around me and I have a passion for handcrafted and vintage clothing and jewellery, so the idea of this union was very appealing. It seemed a natural partnership, between the crafting of my poetry and the crafting of her designs.

I was really inspired by the Knitted Adornments and Hand Cast Collectables range and I found myself transported as I turned the pieces over in my hands. I chose to use the traditional sonnet form for the Hand Cast Collectables range as they spoke of nostalgia, romance and echoes from the past.

Knowing Morecambe Bay, where Debbie grew up, I immediately sensed this act of beach-combing in her work, the way an artist mines the past for inspiration and stories. It was not long before I found the characters of the couple sitting in front of the famous 'Midland Hotel', remembering their own youthful romance and from there, the poem took shape.

For the Knitted Adornments, I wanted to bring in a sense of their natural essence, the way they seem to evoke the changing seasons and elements. To keep close to this sense of flow, I chose a free verse form and made use of the beautiful creative palette of the knitwear itself.

I see this as an innovative partnership, bringing the beauty of poetry and handcrafted design together in a new romance. I love the idea of my poems journeying with these products and finding their way into new lives and adventures."