Made Slowly. Worn for Years.

Accessories, ponchos and jumpers, made by hand, by me in Cumbria

See what I've made

Hello, I'm Jan

I design and create every piece myself, in my workshop in Cumbria.

Every scarf, poncho and jumper you see here has passed through my hands, not a factory. I learned to machine knit at my mum's side back in the 1980s, and though she's no longer here, every piece I make takes me back to those special moments. I turn wool, colour and the landscape around me into pieces made to be worn and loved for years — not seasons. If you're after something with a bit of soul in it, you're in the right place.

Jan machine knitting at her workshop in Cumbria, with cones of wool beside the knitting machine

Meet the Maker

Jan wearing the teal and orange Contours Collection hat and cowl, hand-knitted in wool, in Wasdale, Lake District

Contours Collection

Contours started as a challenge. Getting real fluidity into a stitch design — the kind of flowing line you'd expect from an industrial knitting machine — is hard to do on a domestic one. I wanted to prove it could be done.

The design itself comes from somewhere closer to home: my husband and I collect old maps, and we're always out walking the fells. Somewhere between the two — the lines on a map and the lines of a landscape — Contours found its shape. Every piece carries a little of both.

Polaroid-style photo of Jan wearing a teal and orange Contours hat and cowl, laid over an Ordnance Survey-style map with the words "ELK Contours Collection"

Testing my Contours Collection in the ever-changing weather of the Scottish Highlands! ⛰️

I believe in practicality alongside style, so I ensure my designs keep you warm, dry, and feeling stylish. From mountains to towns, they're perfect for any adventure.

Shop Contours

From My Workshop

A Bit of My World

A Day Off

Show Prep

Getting these knits ready for a light steam! ✨ Just one part of my preparations for the event.

Arts and Crafts, Keswick, June 2026

Receiving first prize for Crafts Made in Cumbria, Westmorland County Show 2026

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A Customer Moment

One of my lovely customers wearing her Contours beanie beautifully 💚

Westmorland county Show - Sept 2026

I'm so glad I remembered to post the photo of one of my fantastic customers at the Lake Makers Fair in Staveley. It's always a pleasure when a customer becomes my model – she looks wonderful in it. 💛

Lake Makers Fair, Staveley - Aug 2026 - mustard poncho.

Elaine looks amazing in her orange poncho! ✨ It makes me so happy when customers love wearing what I've made. 🧡
Netherby Hall, Carlisle, May 2026

I gave myself permission to have a day off, and it was about time. I went to the fells expecting pretty pictures, and it turned into something else: a lot of thinking about what it takes to keep a small creative business going.

Unlike those who take other people's ideas and mass produce them abroad, I care about the provenance of my tools and materials, and I respect my customers enough to make everything with integrity. Read more...

The fells, Lake District, August 2026

Hand-knitted wool scarves and jumpers folded and ready for steaming before Arts and Crafts Keswick

Behind the Scenes

There's a rhythm to show prep after all these years. Folding, wrapping, counting stock, double-checking the float. Every top, scarf and hat has been made by hand, and every one of them is about to go on a little adventure.

I love this bit almost as much as the show itself — the quiet before the busy, everything laid out and ready to go.

Westmorland County Show, September 2026

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Loved and Worn

Emma smiling in a pink and green Contours Collection cowl and brown beanie

Thanks to the lovely Emma @olivehomeandgift for sending me this photo in her Contours - Scafell Pike cowl. "It's so beautiful, I absolutely love it."

Customer photos like this one genuinely make my day — it's one thing to hear someone likes a piece, it's another to see them actually wearing it. 💗

Kelly wearing an orange and dark teal Acorns & Oak Leaves cowl with a cream bobble hat, outdoors

Kelly wears her Acorns & Oak Leaves cowl out on her nature walks, and when she posted about it, she was kind enough to credit the maker: "The beautiful acorn and oakleaf cowl is from the talented @elizabethlarsenknitwear." ☺️🧶

Follow Kelly's own nature art on Instagram: @kellys_wildlife_art

Meet My Customers

❝ Thank you for my beautiful jumper! Love it! ❞

Janice's third jumper from me, and that little note quietly made my whole day. This is why I do what I do — not for the metrics, but for the moment someone unwraps something handmade and feels that spark of joy.

Jan wearing a purple and green Contours Collection hat and cowl, with the outline of the fells behind her