A LIFElong knitting enthusiast is hoping to find someone to help her to follow her dream. Chris Divina has created Aran wear for more than 40 years, having started when she was 17.

A LIFElong knitting enthusiast is hoping to find someone to help her to follow her dream.

Chris Divina has created Aran wear for more than 40 years, having started when she was 17. Now she is keen to share shop space with someone in or around Great Yarmouth to take her hobby to the next level.

Chris started selling her hand-woven woollen goods after they caught the eye of friends and family, and she has a group of regular customers who love her specialised wear.

She said: “I've sold from home for some time, but now I really want to get a place where people will be able to see me work and visit my shop. It's a bit of a dream, really.

“Being able to share a shop with someone means if they are struggling to pay their rent I could come in

and we could share the cost, even if it's for the short term, and it would help both of us.”

At the moment, she makes everything from tiny knitwear for babies to long, elegant coats for fashion-conscious people at her home at Caister.

Her designs feature complex knitting patterns in the Aran style, which originated in Ireland and is known for being warm even when wet - as well as being challenging for knitters.

Because of the level of difficulty, 63-year-old Chris's work can take anything from a few hours for smaller designs to three weeks for a full-length “snow queen” woman's coat. She does not use a machine.

“I don't think many people know what Aran is, so it would be great to have a shop window that people can look through to see what I'm doing,” she said. “And I don't think anyone else offers what I offer around here.”

Heather Carpenter runs wool shop More to the Point in King Street, Yarmouth, and has had a steady supply of Chris's custom clothes for nearly two years.

She said: “Her work is absolutely beautiful. She uses modern colours and she is very skilful, and our customers are always very pleased with what she does.”

Call Chris on 01493 722859 to find out more.