Knitting has gone way beyond the everyday sweater into the world of high fashion — not least in the type of materials used.

Purlescence suggests just the glossy effect which some of today’s yarns can provide, so it is a very appropriate name for the company owned by Sarah and Jonathan Lewis at Grove Technology Park. They supply wools and other fibres for all styles of knitting and crochet.

This is a business which they have been developing over the past year since buying it as a going concern from the previous owners in Isleworth, Middlesex.

“I knew the products were good, because I had bought them for myself in the past,” said Mrs Lewis. “I liked the product range and what Purlescence stood for.”

The couple saw Purlescence as a natural extension to their existing businesses, Prysm Softech which specialises in business management software and McDermaid Design, a graphic design company run by Mr Lewis and Chris McDermaid.

The combination has worked well. The addition of the third business led to the move to a unit at Grove Technology Park, just a short distance from Mr and Mrs Lewis’s home in Wantage, from where they had previously operated.

The new location has proved a convenient base for all three companies.

For Mrs Lewis, 45, it has the advantage of the availability of conference room facilities at the technology park where she can hold classes for clients and demonstration days.

She has already held workshops offering tuition in lace knitting and crochet. She leads most of these herself but also brings in experts who can give demonstrations of specific techniques.

She has also been visiting local organisations such as Grove Handicrafts Group whose members were interested to see her range of materials and hear about future classes planned. These are usually demand-led.

Mrs Lewis said: “I have been knitting for many years. My grandmother was a great knitter and she was also in business — she had her own knitting shop in Maidenhead at one time, so I am following in family footsteps.”

Purlescence does not manufacture nor dye its yarns. They are bought in from suppliers worldwide, including South Africa, Canada and the United States. The company is sole distributor for several of these. There are also yarns produced in Devon and elsewhere in the UK.

Mrs Lewis said: “Many of our stocks are specific items which are difficult or impossible to find in the UK. They are the high-end of the market, hand-dyed and predominantly natural fibres. I do most of my sourcing on the Internet, but I also go to some shows to select products.”

Purlescence lines are more expensive than those in the high street and demand for diversity is growing.

“I think knitting with our type of yarns is an aspirational thing, especially in the current economic climate where people are conscious of where they spend their money and everybody is having to tighten their belts,” she said.

“If you are spending money on a high-quality, hand-dyed yarn, you will gain a lot of hours of pleasure as it will take a fair while to knit up and you will have something beautiful which can become a lasting feature of your wardrobe.

“People buy these yarns both as a treat for themselves to enjoy and also as a gift for someone else.”

The yarns are sold mainly in 100-gram skeins. The most expensive are in the £15 to £30 range. The more widely available acrylic wools could cost £5 to £6.

“We sell a lot of silk and also merino wool, cashmere and cotton — all natural fibres. Another yarn is made from bamboo and it has become very popular with craftspeople,” said Mrs Lewis.

“The bamboo has a lovely lustre to it. We are the largest stockists in the UK. At £7 for 100 grams it is more affordable for larger garments. It is fantastic to knit with and has anti-bacterial properties.

“Most of our yarns are a fine knit, used for items such as shawls and evening tops. Hand-dying is done in small batches, which come out differently each time, so the chances of meeting somebody else wearing exactly the same shade are very slight.”

For this reason, it is important for customers to buy at the outset all they will need to complete their project.

Purlescence also stocks all the accoutrements of knitting needles, crochet hooks, patterns and knitting bags.

There are also specialities in needles, including ranges in rosewood and ebony. One is handmade in Vietnam from a sustainable source.

“Once you have used wooden needles, you have spoiled yourself for using anything else,” said Mrs Lewis. “They are warmer to handle, more tactile and have a little flexibility.”

As well as importing from all over the world, Purlescence also has a strong customer base overseas. Recent orders have come from Italy and Argentina as well as throughout the UK. Most are supplied from stock, but special requirements can be ordered in.

Although Internet-based sales are the mainstay of the business, Mrs Lewis sees the next step as raising the company profile more at a local level, with further workshops and open days at Grove.

Contact: 01865 589944  Web: www.purlescence.co.uk