For my first blog post, I thought it was only fitting to share a little about myself and my background.
I’m Helen (not actually Penny or Grace!). I named my small business after my two daughters—Penny, who is seven, and Grace, who is three. More on them later.
How I got here
In 2019, I was working as an Operations Manager for a central London restaurant group, overseeing four restaurants, managing teams, and ensuring the business remained profitable. At the same time, I had a two-year-old daughter in nursery, and I was constantly rushing home from work to see her before bedtime—cue the never-ending mum guilt.
I enjoyed my job. Every day was different and challenging, with great perks like traveling to Spain and Portugal. I loved the food and drink industry, and I still enjoy surprising people with my knowledge of Spanish and Italian wine and cuisine (though my expertise is a little rusty now—I blame the kids!).
Trip to Rioja region in Spain, October 2019
The catalyst
Then came 2020.
Just days after Boris Johnson announced the first UK lockdown, my mum became unwell. But it was my father who was taken to hospital first, suffering complications from an underlying health condition. Since he was high-risk for COVID, we were deeply concerned about him being in the hospital.
Speaking to my mum only by phone was difficult, but my brother and I noticed her breathing didn’t sound right. We drove to see her, sitting on the doorstep while waiting for an ambulance—just two days after my dad was admitted. She was taken to the hospital, placed on oxygen, and within days, her condition worsened. She was transferred to the ICU and intubated. I had one final phone conversation with her before she was sedated—I told her I loved her. After that, we were only able to get daily updates from the doctors.
During this time, my dad tested positive for COVID, and his condition also deteriorated.
After about two weeks, I received a call on a Monday asking me to come in and visit my dad. I knew what that meant—it was to say goodbye. No visitors were allowed unless it was end-of-life. But somehow, my dad fought back. The next day, I got the same call again. And again, he improved.
Then, on Friday, I was called to visit my mum. She was given just a few hours. The doctors allowed me to sit with my dad and use my phone for him to say goodbye over FaceTime—a heartbreaking reality, but at the time, I was simply grateful he got to see her one last time.
Perhaps that moment gave him the strength to keep fighting, as he was released to a care home a few weeks later. As we prepared for him to return home and adjusted to his new life in a wheelchair, his condition declined again. This time, his body—and perhaps his spirit—didn’t have the strength to recover. He passed away six months after my mum.
Myself as a baby with my Mum, my Mum meeting Penny in hospital, my Mum and Dad in 2015 and me with both Penny and Grace in 2022, the year I started my brand.
Why I started a Knitwear brand
During this period, my job as an Operations Manager was made redundant, as the restaurants remained closed. I was offered a role in the HR/People team, focusing on training and development for the company’s pubs and bars, which were performing better during-COVID than the restaurants.
Not long after starting this new role, I found out I was expecting my second daughter. I was grateful I had the chance to share the news with my dad just weeks before he passed.
Understandably, my pregnancy was an emotional one. I was referred for CBT therapy, where I was encouraged to find time for myself. I also took part in creative mindfulness sessions through the NHS, which sparked something in me—it made me realise that creativity was something I wanted to explore again. It was while packing up my parents’ house, I found my old knitting machine tucked under their bed—a relic from what felt like a past life and perhaps a Sign from my mum who had kept my machine for nearly 20 years.
Read more about that past life in part 2. How Did I Start a Knitwear Brand -coming soon.
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What to expect from this blog
Knitwear tips, styling advice, knitwear care
Ah, what a personal story, i really enjoyed reading this (even though it's very sad)... looking forward to part two!